Aaron Farinacci faces first-degree arson charge for sparking one of Washington's most destructive wildfires.
Aaron Farinacci, a 37-year-old man, was arrested Monday after witnesses reported him acting suspiciously near the origin of the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on a first-degree arson charge for the fire, which has burned over 10,000 acres and destroyed approximately 850 homes. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels confirmed that Farinacci was found kneeling in the grass where the fire began. While Farinacci is accused of intentionally starting the Old Trails fire, investigators noted there is no evidence linking him to the other two major fires in the Spokane Complex. Experts suggest that while the arson charge may lead some to question the impact of climate change, environmental factors like drought and high winds acted as threat multipliers. The administration's previous cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture impacted federal funding for fire mitigation efforts. Despite various conspiracy theories regarding the fire's spread, experts note that the fire's movement was influenced by both human action and natural conditions.