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US wildfire arson arrests

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-04 22:01 UTC → 2026-08-05 14:53 UTC · added removed

In July 2026, Utah authorities arrested Conrad Jared Larsen on suspicion of second‑degree felony arson after a campfire he allegedly intensified ignited the two‑acre Timp Fire in American Fork Canyon. The blaze prompted evacuations and temporary site closures, with damage costs exceeding $5,000. Larsen, who previously was convicted of arson in 2017 near the same area, was booked on July 15 and remains pending trial. A few weeks later, in In early August 2026, Spokane law enforcement detained Aaron F. Farinacci, charging him with first‑degree arson for allegedly starting the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. The fire had scorched roughly 7,000 acres, destroyed about 700 structures and forced around 67,000 residents to evacuate. Farinacci was identified by a community member near the fire’s origin and was found carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter. He was booked on a $1 million bond and faces a court appearance the following week. Further investigation confirmed that a citizen tip led Sheriff John Nowels and major‑crimes detectives to Farinacci after a A witness saw him kneeling near grass at the fire’s origin. Police ignition point; investigators recovered waterproof matches and a butane lighter, and noted his prior felony manslaughter conviction in Arizona. lighter. He was booked on a $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. court. The Old Trails Fire, together with the Fairview and Autumn Lane blazes, has now 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 reported, confirmed, though authorities are still searching for 14 people who have not been reachable by phone. Sheriff John Nowels and Mayor Lisa Brown described the Old Trails Fire remains uncontained while evacuation shelters continue operating. event as possibly the worst natural disaster in Spokane’s history. Farinacci’s prior felony manslaughter conviction stems from a 2010 killing of his father in Arizona. Both cases illustrate a pattern of individual suspects being apprehended for deliberately igniting wildfires across different U.S. states, each facing serious arson charges and prior criminal histories while the respective fires caused significant property loss and displacement.

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  1. 2026-08-05 14:53 UTC US wildfire arson arrests
  2. 2026-08-04 22:01 UTC US wildfire arson arrests
  3. 2026-08-04 12:52 UTC US wildfire arson arrests

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