Arson suspect arrested in connection with largest Spokane wildfire

SPOKANE, Wash. — A Washington state man is accused of starting the largest of the three wildfires that have forced more than 67,000 residents in the eastern half of the state to flee their homes, authorities said.

According to Spokane County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, was arrested on Monday. He was charged with one count of first-degree arson, The New York Times reported. He was detained in connection with the Old Trails Fire, one of the blazes that have been raging around the Spokane area.

Authorities accused Farinacci of setting the Old Trails Fire, according to The Associated Press.

Together, the fires have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced some 67,000 people to evacuate around the state’s second-largest city. Authorities have not given a possible cause for the other fires, according to the news organization.

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said law enforcement officials had initially spoken with Farinacci on Saturday after police received a call from a resident who lived near the area where the Old Trails fire was ignited, the Times reported.

Investigators said that the Old Trails fire appeared to have been started intentionally, with a person using a match or butane lighter to set fire to grass, according to the newspaper.

During a Monday evening news conference, Nowels said that Farinacci was carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter when he was arrested, the Times reported.

The fire -- along with the Autumn Lane and Fairview blazes -- ravaged the area near Washington’s second-largest city and forced residents to evacuate. Collectively, the three fires have destroyed more than 700 fires, according to the AP.

Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency due to extreme fire danger, KIRO reported.

According to the television station, the Old Trails Fire has burned at least 3,509 acres. The Fairview Fire has burned at least 981 acres, while the Autumn Lane Fire has burned at least 900 acres.

According to officials, the wildfires remained completely uncontained, the AP reported.

Farinacci’s bail was set at $1 million, online records show.

His first court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday, Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam said. Farinacci now lives in the Spokane area, but in 2012 he was convicted of felony manslaughter in Mesa, Arizona, according to the Spokesman-Review.

The newspaper, citing the Phoenix News Times, reported that the victim in Farinacci’s manslaughter case was his father. Farinacci killed his father when the man asked him to do dishes, the News Times reported.

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