Aaron Farinacci arrested for arson in Spokane's Old Trails wildfire
Aaron Farinacci, a 37‑year‑old Spokane resident, was arrested and charged with first‑degree arson for the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. A witness reported seeing Farinacci kneeling near grass at the ignition point; investigators later found waterproof matches and a butane lighter on his person. He was booked on a $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court.
The Old Trails Fire, together with the Fairview and Autumn Lane blazes, has scorched more than 10,000 acres, destroyed roughly 700 structures and forced between 65,000 and 67,000 residents to evacuate. No deaths or injuries have been confirmed. Authorities continue to fight the uncontained fires while also attempting to locate 14 people who have not been reachable by phone.
Farinacci has a prior felony manslaughter conviction stemming from a 2010 killing of his father in Arizona. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels and Mayor Lisa Brown emphasized the severity of the disaster, describing it as possibly the worst natural disaster in Spokane’s history.
Entities: Aaron Farinacci · John Nowels · Lisa Brown · Old Trails Fire · Spokane County Sheriff's Office · Spokane, Washington
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 8 SOURCES] A citizen tip led police to Farinacci, who was found with matches and a butane lighter. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] He was booked on a $1 million bond. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Sheriff John Nowels said the arrest resulted from citizen vigilance. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Old Trails Fire is the largest of three wildfires near Spokane, Washington, burning about 7,000 acres. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Aaron Farinacci, 37, was arrested on August 3 2026 and charged with first‑degree arson for the Old Trails Fire. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Farinacci's first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday after his arrest. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Farinacci has a prior felony manslaughter conviction in Arizona. (new)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The wildfires have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced about 65,000‑67,000 evacuations. (new)