Spokane County authorities arrested 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci on Monday, August 3, 2026, on suspicion of first-degree arson. Farinacci is accused of intentionally setting the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three blazes that destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced 67,000 people to evacuate the area.
The arrest follows a rapid investigation triggered by a community member who spotted a nervous-looking man kneeling by the side of the road near the fire’s ignition point on Saturday. Sheriff John Nowels stated that witnesses reported the man was acting suspicious
and kneeling in the grass near the ignition site. Law enforcement contacted Farinacci more than a mile down the road from where the blaze initially ignited, but he was released at the time so first responders could prioritize the fire.
Major crimes detectives later used body-worn cameras and reports to identify Farinacci and determine that the fire had started where the witness had seen him. Farinacci was taken into custody around 5 p.m. Monday, approximately four miles from the site where the fire began. Nowels noted that evidence at the ignition point was consistent with being started by a match or lighter; investigators later discovered Farinacci was in possession of waterproof matches and a butane lighter.
As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci, Nowels said
The Old Trails Fire: Destruction and Human Cost
The Old Trails Fire sparked Saturday northwest of downtown Spokane, eventually jumping over the Spokane River and ripping through neighborhoods. The blaze was part of a larger cluster of three fires that collectively destroyed at least 700 buildings. While the Old Trails Fire was the largest of the three, authorities have not stated a possible cause for the other two fires.
The speed of the fire left residents with seconds to react. By Monday, some residents returned to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape. Miriam Sim, 76, was among those reacting to her neighborhood largely burning to the ground after the wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.
Criminal History and the Investigation
Investigators revealed that while Farinacci does not have prior arson convictions, he has been contacted before for arson-related behavior.
He has also been convicted of felony manslaughter in Mesa, Arizona. According to the Phoenix News Times, the victim in that manslaughter case was Farinacci’s father, whom Farinacci killed when his father asked him to do dishes.
Sheriff Nowels stated that as far as authorities can determine, Farinacci is a Spokane resident, though the duration of his residency was unknown. Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam echoed the importance of civilian reports, stating, “It was through the work of vigilant citizens who were noticing things awry in their community, who were noticing things that were different and who took the time to engage with law enforcement to make sure the necessary information was shared.”
Farinacci is scheduled for his first court appearance on Tuesday, according to Prosecutor McCollam. It was not immediately clear if Farinacci had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Other Regional Fire Activity
Separate from the Spokane blazes, the Bear Gulch Fire on the Olympic Peninsula has torched almost 9,000 acres in the Olympic National Forest. This operation involved the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, who requested support from a local Border Patrol station to verify the identities of personnel due to the remote location of the work site.
Following a criminal investigation by the Bureau of Land Management, the agencies terminated work contracts with two firms on the Olympic Peninsula. US Customs and Border Protection announced that two crew workers in support roles, who were cutting logs into firewood, were arrested on Wednesday for being in the United States illegally. The Department of Homeland Security stated that one individual had a previous order of removal.
The arrested workers were taken to Bellingham Station near the Canadian border. A senior DHS official stated that the firefighting response remained uninterrupted the entire time.
Officials handling the Bear Gulch Fire confirmed they were aware of the Border Patrol operation and stated that it was not interfering with firefighting activity.
Related reading
