Spokane County authorities arrested Aaron Farinacci, 37, on August 3, 2026. They charged him with first-degree arson, which means intentionally starting a fire, for allegedly starting the Old Trails fire. That is the largest of three major wildfires burning across the county. The fire was first reported on August 1 at around 12:00 p.m. More than a dozen large fires are burning across Washington state, and fires around Spokane have burned more than 10,000 acres (The Guardian).

Farinacci was arrested without incident with the help of a SWAT team after a judge signed an arrest warrant (NBC News). He is being held on $1 million bail. Spokane County's official arrest announcement identified Farinacci as a convicted felon (Spokane County CivicAlerts).

Police first talked to Farinacci shortly after the Old Trails fire began. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said witnesses saw Farinacci kneeling in brush near where the fire started. He was released without charges at first while investigators gathered more evidence. To arrest someone, police need "probable cause," which means they need enough evidence to believe a person likely committed a crime (The Spokesman-Review). When he was later arrested, authorities said Farinacci had waterproof matches, cigarettes, and a butane lighter with him. Farinacci has denied setting the fire (The Guardian).

Farinacci's criminal history goes well beyond Washington. He previously spent about ten years in prison for manslaughter and aggravated assault connected to the 2010 killing of his father in Arizona. He was released from probation in early 2024. A probation officer at the time noted that Farinacci had a stable place to live but had not completed a court-ordered mental health evaluation or domestic violence treatment program (The Guardian).

The Old Trails arrest was not Farinacci's first encounter with fire investigators. He was questioned in two separate fire investigations in 2025 but was not charged in either case. In July 2025, several "bus-sized" fires happened near the Spokane River and Farinacci's apartment. The next month, police searching for a wildfire suspect at a state park found Farinacci sitting on a bench, out of breath and wearing a green T-shirt, the same color shirt he was seen wearing on the day of the Old Trails fire (The Guardian).

The arrest comes as Spokane faces an unusually bad fire season. The Old Trails fire is the largest wildfire burning in the Spokane area, one of three major incidents in Spokane County alone (OPB). Statewide, more than a dozen large fires are stretching firefighting resources across Washington.

The broader context here matters for how the case may unfold. The gap between Farinacci's first questioning and his arrest, during which he was released and later re-arrested with a SWAT team, reflects how arson cases normally work. A witness saying they saw someone near a fire is often not enough on its own to justify an arrest. Police usually need more, like physical evidence or an analysis of where and how the fire started. The items reportedly found in his possession at the time of arrest, combined with witnesses placing him near the fire's origin, likely gave prosecutors the additional evidence they needed.

Farinacci's prior contacts with fire investigators in 2025, none of which led to charges, create both an opportunity and a risk for the prosecution. Earlier uncharged incidents can help show a pattern at trial, but they can also let the defense argue that investigators were biased or rushed to judgment after earlier cases fell apart.

The incomplete mental health and domestic violence treatment, flagged by his probation officer before his release from supervision in early 2024, raises questions about oversight after prison. Whether those gaps were pursued aggressively enough, or whether the probation system simply lacked the power to enforce them once Farinacci was no longer under active supervision, is a question that may surface as the case moves through the courts.

First-degree arson in Washington carries severe penalties, especially when the fire endangers lives and property. Farinacci's prior felony record, which includes a violent offense, could lead to a longer sentence if he is convicted.