One man now stands at the center of Spokane’s wildfire nightmare, accused of lighting a match that helped turn a quiet corner of Washington into a disaster zone.
Story Snapshot
- Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, is arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson in the Old Trails Fire.
- The blaze is one of several wildfires that destroyed hundreds of structures and forced mass evacuations across Spokane County.
- Tips from citizens and local police contacts near the fire’s origin led investigators to Farinacci.
- He is a convicted felon with a prior manslaughter conviction in Arizona, now held on $1 million bail.
Arson Arrest In The Middle Of A Wildfire Crisis
Spokane County did not get time to catch its breath before the Old Trails Fire turned into a criminal case. As crews worked to hold back walls of flame across the county, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office detectives and state fire investigators focused on one blaze just north of Airway Heights.
They say they traced that fire back to a human cause and then to one man, 37-year-old Spokane resident Aaron F. Farinacci. Prosecutors now accuse him of first-degree arson tied to the Old Trails Fire, a charge that, if proven, says this was no accident but an intentional act.
A man has been arrested on a charge of arson in the first degree in connection with the Old Trails Fire in eastern Washington, according to police. The fire is one of three major fires burning in Spokane County. Fire officials have said the causes of the fires are unknown, and th pic.twitter.com/gb4gh0G4p6
— 41NBC / WMGT-DT (@41NBC) August 4, 2026
The Old Trails Fire was reported around midday near North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road, north of the City of Airway Heights. That blaze was not a small brush burn. It was one of several fires ripping through Spokane County and the City of Spokane, destroying hundreds of homes and other structures and driving tens of thousands of people to flee.
With that level of damage, this arson case is not just about scorched ground. It is about families who grabbed what they could and ran, wondering if they would have a house to come back to.
How Citizens And Police Helped Build The Case
Investigators say the case against Farinacci started with a neighbor who paid attention. On Saturday, a citizen living near Euclid Road and Old Trails Road reported seeing a man bend down along the roadside near the area where the fire would soon begin.
Later that day, the same witness saw what appeared to be the same man again while driving home and decided that looked wrong enough to call the Airway Heights Police Department. An officer found the man about a mile and a half from where the fire started, questioned him, took his information, and released him.
Those early contacts, combined with more tips from citizens and responding deputies, later became “extremely valuable” clues, according to the sheriff’s office, pointing investigators back to Farinacci as they studied the origin and cause of the fire.
After the fire took off, detectives from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and fire investigators from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources worked together to sort through what happened. They examined the scene and paired that physical work with witness accounts and the earlier police contact.
Working with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, they say they developed enough probable cause to convince a judge to sign both an arrest warrant for Farinacci and a search warrant for his home on West Elliott Drive.
A sheriff’s warrant service group, which included members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team, carried out the search and arrested Farinacci at his residence without a fight. Deputies then booked him into the Spokane County Jail on first-degree arson, where he is held on $1 million bail.
A Suspect With A Violent Past And A Community On Edge
Sheriff John Nowels has publicly said Farinacci is not a first-time felon. According to the sheriff, Farinacci previously was convicted of manslaughter in Arizona, connected to the killing of his father more than a decade ago. That history has fueled sharp reactions among locals who are learning that a man with a violent past is now accused of helping fuel one of the worst fire events their county has seen.
Many Americans look at a case like this and ask basic questions: why was a convicted felon with a violent record out and near a major wildfire start point, and did the system miss warning signs?
Law enforcement officials, however, are careful to say this investigation is not over. They have not released every piece of evidence they say supports the arson claim, and they still are working to fully document the cause and origin of the Old Trails Fire and other nearby blazes like the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires.
An arrest and a high bail amount show that investigators and prosecutors believe the case is strong, but in the American system, a charge is still an allegation until a jury hears the facts.
Sources:
apnews.com, spokanecounty.gov, khq.com, youtube.com
