Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson for allegedly setting the Old Trails Fire in Spokane, Washington. The blaze is the largest of three burning across the region. Court documents reveal authorities questioned Farinacci regarding two fire cases last year, though he faced no charges then.
Arrest and Charges in the Old Trails Fire
A Spokane man facing a first-degree arson charge was booked into custody on a $1 million bond following his arrest. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, stands accused of setting the Old Trails Fire, which ranks as the largest among three destructive blazes tearing through eastern Washington. Court records show he denied setting the fire during proceedings.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Spokane County Superior Court, law enforcement previously questioned Farinacci about two separate fire-related incidents in the area last year. One investigation involved multiple bus-sized fires near his apartment in July 2025, while the other examined a state park wildfire that triggered evacuation notices the following month. Authorities brought no charges against him in either of those prior cases.
Citizen Tip Leads to Apprehension
The breakthrough in the investigation came from a local resident paying close attention to his surroundings. On Saturday, a 64-year-old man driving with his grandson through a rural neighborhood northwest of Spokane noticed an individual standing near railroad tracks staring at tree lines. Roughly 10 minutes later, upon returning along the same route, the witness spotted the man again, this time bending over near the brush and acting nervously as their vehicle passed.
Shortly afterward, the witness’s daughter noticed smoke rising from that exact spot and contacted emergency services. The resident drove back to the location and provided a detailed description to a responding police officer. A sheriff’s deputy soon detained a man matching that description more than a mile away.
“As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci,”
Sheriff John Nowels, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
When deputies initially detained Farinacci, he carried a backpack and fanny pack containing a pack of cigarettes, waterproof matches, and a butane lighter. Because investigators had not yet determined the fire’s origin and officers remained unaware of his past fire-related contacts, deputies released him to assist with ongoing evacuation efforts. However, a state wildland fire investigator examined the scene the following day and confirmed the blaze originated precisely where the witness had spotted Farinacci, ruling out natural causes like power line sparks or passing trains.
Destruction and Scale of the Spokane Blazes
The cluster of fires has destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced approximately 67,000 residents to evacuate their homes across Spokane County. By early Tuesday, the uncontained blazes had scorched roughly 16 square miles. Fire incident management spokesperson Benjamin Cossel noted that while weekend winds subsided and pushed smoke toward Seattle, conditions are projected to deteriorate sharply with rising temperatures in the 90s and returning winds.
Residents returning to examine the damage found neighborhoods reduced to ash and rubble. Miriam Sim, 76, surveyed the remains of her property alongside her husband, Daniel, noting they had lived there since 2005.
“There’s nothing to save,”
Miriam Sim, local resident
Her husband added, At our age, do we want to rebuild?
Prior Conviction and Legal History
Court records and police statements outline Farinacci’s criminal history, which includes a prior prison sentence for a homicide in Arizona. At age 21, he shot and killed his father in Mesa, Arizona, following an argument over washing dishes. Farinacci also shot himself during the incident but survived. Although initially charged with murder, he pleaded guilty in 2012 to manslaughter and aggravated assault, subsequently serving roughly a decade in prison before his release in 2020.
Farinacci’s defense for the current arson charge is managed by the Spokane County Public Defender’s office under director Colin Charbonneau, with formal legal representation assigned during his court appearance.
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