Spokane County wildfires update: Old Trails Fire evacuation, containment details as Aaron Farinacci faces arson charges
Spokane fire suspect Aaron Farinacci now faces five first-degree arson charges as firefighters continue containing three major wildfires in Washington. The 37-year-old is accused of starting the Old Trails Firewhich destroyed hundreds of structures on Aug. 1. Prosecutors added four charges after Farinacci told investigators he had started about 25 fires since July 2025; detectives have confirmed four. He did not enter a plea at his arraignment, and his lawyer requested a competency evaluation. A judge set his bond at $2 million.
Who is Aaron Farinacci, the Spokane wildfire suspect?
Aaron Farinacci, 37, is a Spokane resident who had been living in the area since moving to the Copper River Apartments in October 2022, according to court records cited by The Associated Press. He was arrested after investigators connected him to the Old Trails Fire.
Farinacci initially denied starting the fire but later told Detective Michael Drapeau that he started it and other fires, according to court documents.
“He feels fire is powerful, beautiful, and that things that go through fire experience a kind of rebirth,” Drapeau wrote.
A separate report by The Spokesman-Review adds a striking detail from Aug. 1. Reporter Alexandra Duggan said she saw a man with a backpack near the fire and watched a Washington State Department of Natural Resources employee stop him and check his identification. She later learned the man was Farinacci.
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Spokane wildfire update: Old Trails Fire reaches 43% containment
The three Spokane-area fires have burned about 10,300 acres since Aug. 1. The Autumn Lane Fire is the largest, covering 5,783 acres and reaching 47% containment by Saturday evening. The Old Trails Fire had burned 3,561 acres and was 43% contained, while the Fairview Fire covered 992 acres and was 31% contained.
More than 900 structures have been damaged or destroyed, mostly by the Old Trails Fire. About 2,000 firefighters are working on the fires.
The Old Trails Fire began near Airway Heights around noon and reached Riverside State Park before jumping the Spokane River within about 20 minutes.
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Spokane fire evacuations continue as crews assess danger
Crews have made progress, but officials say the threat has not ended. Some areas remain under evacuation orders, while teams are checking neighborhoods for hazards including ash pits and weakened trees.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels credited residents who helped authorities identify Farinacci.
“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,” he said.
Farinacci’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4. Authorities have not said what caused the other two major Spokane fires.
