Man charged in Washington state with starting largest wildfire in the area
A 37-year-old man has been arrested and charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails fire, the largest of three blazes near Spokane. The fire has forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Authorities in Washington state on Monday charged a man with starting a wildfire that has consumed nearly 4,000 acres and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson for setting the Old Trails fire, the largest of three devastating wildfires burning through the region. He was found in possession of waterproof matches and a butane lighter, and witnesses identified him after spotting him kneeling in grass near where the blaze began over the weekend.
At a press conference Monday night, Spokane County sheriff John Nowels credited attentive residents for helping authorities move quickly to apprehend the suspect. Farinacci previously had a manslaughter conviction in Arizona; the victim was his father, who was shot and killed at their Mesa home in 2010, reportedly after telling his son to do the dishes.
The Old Trails fire started Saturday northwest of downtown Spokane. The blaze jumped the Spokane River and tore through neighborhoods, some of which residents were able to return to on Monday. Miriam Sim, 76, who had lived in her home since 2005, said she and her husband Daniel surveyed the ruined house and found nothing left to save. In one neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a heat-twisted boat and melted plastic recycling bins remained, while across the street lawns stayed green and houses were spared as residents kept running hoses and sprinklers.
The three fires – Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview – had burned about 16 square miles (41 square km) by early Tuesday, and more than 67,000 people were reported to have been under evacuation orders at some point. Elsewhere in the state, where extreme heat and a fourth year of drought have taken hold, at least 15 wildfires were burning, covering at least 390 square miles. Washington's entire congressional delegation wrote to President Donald Trump urging an expedited emergency declaration, and Governor Bob Ferguson said he had spoken to the White House. A letter from the politicians noted that hundreds of people had lost their homes and farms.
No deaths or major injuries had been reported, although 14 people remained unaccounted for; officials said they were probably people who had not been in contact since evacuating rather than truly missing. More than 1,000 firefighters, many from out of state, had arrived by Monday, with the number expected to double. Authorities warned residents not to interfere with aerial operations by using drones. A National Weather Service bulletin said smoky, unhealthy air would persist, and drier, breezier conditions Friday and Saturday could raise fire weather danger further. Washington's commissioner of public lands, Dave Upthegrove, described an extraordinary wildfire season across the Pacific northwest.
