WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (ANI) — A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of starting one of three wildfires that forced more than 65,000 residents to evacuate over the weekend in Spokane County, Washington.
According to The New York Times, the suspect, 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci, faces one count of first-degree arson, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels announced.
Sheriff Nowels said law enforcement officers first encountered Farinacci on Saturday afternoon after receiving a tip from a resident near the point where the Old Trails Fire began.
Investigators determined that the Old Trails Fire was intentionally set, likely using matches or a butane lighter to ignite dry grass. The blaze was one of three major fires, along with the Fairview and Autumn Lane fires, that swept through parts of Spokane on Saturday and Sunday.
At the time of his arrest, Farinacci was carrying a butane lighter and waterproof matches, Nowels said during a news conference, according to The New York Times.
The sheriff said a resident reported seeing a man crouching in the grass near the intersection of North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road in the northern suburbs of Spokane, close to where the fire started.
“At that point, the male stood up and looked very nervous, according to our citizen witness,” Nowels said.
The resident returned home and “soon after saw smoke coming from the area,” the sheriff added.
Deputies stopped Farinacci about 1.5 miles from the fire’s point of origin shortly after receiving the report. They questioned him and confirmed his identity with the reporting witness but released him to help focus on urgent evacuation efforts as the fire rapidly spread, The New York Times reported.
Nowels said the responding deputies were unaware that an arson investigation had already begun. Investigators later used body-camera footage recorded during the encounter to identify Farinacci, leading to his arrest on Monday.
According to The New York Times, the fires have destroyed more than 700 structures, a figure emergency officials expect to increase.
Although no fatalities have been confirmed, the sheriff said earlier Monday that authorities were attempting to locate 14 people who had previously requested evacuation assistance as the fires spread.
Farinacci is being held on $1 million bond. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained an attorney.
Court records from Maricopa County, Arizona, show that Farinacci pleaded guilty in 2012 to aggravated assault and manslaughter after initially being charged with first-degree murder in connection with his father’s death, The New York Times reported.
Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam said the investigation remains ongoing and that additional charges could be filed. Officials have urged anyone with information about the fires to come forward.
“This arrest was the result of the diligent work of vigilant citizens who were noticing things that were different, who actually reported it,” The New York Times quoted McCollam as saying.
Meanwhile, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson met Monday with members of the Colville Tribe.
In a post on X, Ferguson said the tribe, based in Nespelem, about 100 miles northwest of Spokane, has been “heavily impacted” by the wildfires.
“We’ve made our request to FEMA for an emergency declaration, and we’re hoping to get a positive response soon. If we do, it’ll help communities like this,” Ferguson said. (ANI)
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