Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, appeared in court Thursday facing a first-degree arson charge in connection with the destructive Old Trails Fire in Spokane County. The wildfire, which began Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, has torched over 800 structures and forced thousands of residents to flee.
The legal proceedings following one of Washington state’s most destructive wildfire outbreaks are moving forward as the accused suspect faces a $1 million bond. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, is charged with first-degree arson for allegedly setting the Old Trails Fire on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane County.
The blaze quickly expanded into what abc7.com reported as the largest of three fires comprising the Spokane Complex Fire. As of Thursday morning, Farinacci had not yet entered a plea during his court appearance, according to OPB.
Community Tip and Initial Police Contact
An observant community member catalyzed the investigation. A man driving with his grandson just before noon on Saturday spotted a nervous-looking individual standing near a set of train tracks and looking into a tree line, OPB reported from police records. Shortly after passing, the driver’s daughter noticed smoke rising from that exact spot.
Police detained Farinacci approximately a mile away from the point of origin. At the time, he was wearing a backpack, a fanny pack, shorts, and a green shirt bearing the printed text, Who needs luck I have charm
, OPB noted. Inside his fanny pack, authorities found a pack of cigarettes, a butane lighter, and GoFire-branded waterproof matches containing 14 of 25 original matches.
Officers initially released Farinacci at the scene because investigators lacked the complete facts regarding the fire’s origin, OPB reported. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels emphasized the vital role of local observers during the initial apprehension.
“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, via abc7.com
Major crimes detectives subsequently re-examined the evidence, tied the point of origin directly to where the witness had seen the suspect, and arrested Farinacci at his Spokane apartment two days later, according to abc7.com.
Destruction and Evacuations Across Spokane County
The combined blazes have ravaged the region. The fires destroyed at least 700 to 800 structures, torched about 16 square miles (roughly 41 square kilometers), and forced roughly 67,000 residents to evacuate abc7.com and OPB reported. Evacuees returning home encountered total devastation.
Miriam Sim, 76, surveyed the ruins of her home with her husband, Daniel Sim, noting that only chimneys remained standing after the fire swept through, abc7.com detailed. When asked about the prospect of rebuilding at their stage of life, her husband asked simply, At our age, do we want to rebuild?
Washington’s congressional delegation petitioned President Donald Trump for an expedited emergency declaration, which was promptly approved, abc7.com reported. Meanwhile, firefighting operations faced severe weather pressures, with temperatures anticipated to reach the 90s alongside shifting winds, according to Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson for the fire incident management team.
Prior Criminal Record and Past Fire Investigations
Court documents reveal that Farinacci has a prior conviction for manslaughter from Arizona. In 2010, at age 21 in Mesa, Arizona, he shot and killed his father following a dispute over washing dishes, then shot himself and survived, according to reports detailed by OPB and abc7.com. Although initially charged with homicide, he pleaded guilty in 2012 to manslaughter and aggravated assault, subsequently serving prison time until his release in 2020.
Investigators also scrutinized Farinacci’s possible connection to earlier regional fires. Law enforcement interviewed him twice in 2025 regarding separate incidents: an unidentified fire in July and a fire in Riverside State Park in August, where photographs captured a man wearing the same green short-sleeved shirt near the flames, OPB reported.
Farinacci’s court-appointed public defender, Colin Charbonneau, did not immediately respond to requests for comment prior to Thursday’s scheduled court appearance, OPB noted.
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