Man With Manslaughter Past Accused of Sparking Spokane's Catastrophic Wildfires

An Arrest Amid the Ashes

As three massive wildfires continue to tear through Spokane, Washington, authorities have named a suspect in at least one of the blazes — and his past is as alarming as the charges he now faces. Aaron Farinacci, a 37-year-old convicted felon, is accused of "knowingly and maliciously" causing the Old Trails Fire, the most destructive of the three blazes burning around Spokane. Farinacci was taken into custody without incident with the help of a SWAT team after a judge signed a warrant based on an allegation of first-degree arson.

The Old Trails Fire was initially reported on August 1, 2026, at approximately 12:00 p.m., near the intersection of North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road. The case began around 10 a.m. that Saturday when a citizen who lives in the area reported seeing a man bending down along the side of the road near Euclid Road and Old Trails Road. On Sunday, major crimes detectives were able to link Farinacci to the fire "and determined that the origin of the fire was indeed exactly where the witnesses had seen Mr. Farinacci kneeling in the grass," Sheriff Nowels said.

Evidence and a Troubling History

Deputies detained Farinacci the same day about a half-mile from where the fire started and questioned him, but he was ultimately released. He had waterproof matches and a butane lighter, which could have been used to spark the fires. Farinacci was known to walk in the area before and had been questioned about "arson-related behavior" in the past, though he was never arrested or convicted.

The suspect's background adds a deeply unsettling layer to the case. He was previously convicted of manslaughter in Arizona for fatally shooting his father in 2010 following an argument over cleaning dishes. Under a plea agreement in 2012, he began serving a 12-year prison sentence on the manslaughter conviction, followed by supervised probation. Farinacci was released from prison in December 2020 and discharged from probation in February 2024 — though the discharge order states he failed to comply with conditions related to fines and fees, did not complete a mental health evaluation or domestic violence treatment, and received multiple reprimands from his supervising probation officer.

Farinacci remains in custody on a $1 million bond following his initial court appearance on Tuesday, during which prosecutors argued he poses a danger to the community.

A City in Crisis

Since last weekend, the wildfires have displaced 65,000 people, destroyed some 700 buildings, and burned through more than 16 square miles of land across the Spokane region. Over the past several days, the wildfires have been fueled by high winds, temperatures, and dry weather. The scale of destruction is staggering for a city of roughly 230,000 people, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and families left with nothing.

Authorities said the fires have destroyed about 700 structures, many of them homes, and warned that number is expected to increase as damage assessments continue. The human toll extends well beyond property loss — tens of thousands of displaced residents are navigating the uncertainty of not knowing when, or whether, they can return home.

Investigation Ongoing as Fires Burn

While an arrest has been made in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the broader picture remains murky. The cause of the other fires is still under investigation, according to Spokane authorities. Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether the remaining two blazes are connected to Farinacci or to any other individual.

For a region already grappling with increasingly dangerous fire seasons driven by heat and drought, the prospect that one of these catastrophic blazes may have been deliberately set makes an already devastating situation even harder to absorb. As firefighters continue battling the flames and investigators dig deeper, Spokane faces not just the work of recovery — but the sobering question of how a single individual, if the allegations hold, could bring an entire city to its knees.