Spokane Wildfire Suspect’s Violent Past Revealed After Devastating Blaze

Spokane Arson Suspect Served Prison Time for Father’s Killing

Man Accused of Starting Spokane Wildfire Previously Killed His Father

The man accused of deliberately starting the largest of the wildfires devastating Spokane has a previous manslaughter conviction for fatally shooting his father. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested after investigators said they established probable cause linking him to the Old Trails Fire.

The arrest has taken on greater significance as the scale of the destruction becomes clear. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed, tens of thousands of people have faced evacuation orders and entire neighbourhoods have been left surrounded by ash, burned vehicles and the remains of family homes.

A Fatal Shooting Inside the Family Home

Farinacci’s criminal history stretches back to a deadly confrontation in Mesa, Arizona, in 2010. Police said Farinacci, then 21, shot and killed his father during an argument reportedly connected to washing dishes.

He also sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound but survived. Farinacci was initially accused of murder before pleading guilty in 2012 to manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to court records.

The conviction resulted in a prison sentence, from which he was released in 2020. No previous arson conviction has been identified, making the present allegation a separate and legally unproven case rather than a continuation of an established pattern of fire-setting.

That distinction matters. Farinacci’s manslaughter conviction is a confirmed part of his past, but it does not prove that he started the Old Trails Fire or establish his motive for allegedly doing so.

The Citizen Tip That Changed the Investigation

The Old Trails Fire was reported shortly before noon on August 1 near North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road, north of Airway Heights. It spread through critically dry vegetation before crossing the Spokane River and driving into residential areas.

Sheriff John Nowels said a member of the public had noticed Farinacci kneeling close to grass near the area where the blaze began. Officers encountered and detained him during the initial emergency response, when he was allegedly found carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter.

Farinacci was not immediately arrested for arson. Major-crimes detectives and fire investigators subsequently reviewed officers’ reports, body-worn camera material and information supplied by witnesses before concluding that the fire’s point of origin corresponded with the area in which he had reportedly been seen.

Investigators then obtained an arrest warrant and a search warrant for his Spokane residence. Farinacci was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of first-degree arson, with his bond set at $1 million.

Authorities have not publicly established an alleged motive. The presence of matches and a lighter may form part of the investigation, but possession of those items alone does not prove that Farinacci intentionally ignited the fire.

Hundreds of Buildings Lost

The Old Trails Fire became the largest of three major fires burning around Spokane, alongside the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires. Together, the blazes burned roughly 16 square miles during their initial advance and placed approximately 67,000 people under evacuation orders.

At least 700 buildings were reported destroyed across the affected area, although damage assessments were still continuing. More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed as crews defended homes, critical infrastructure and evacuation routes.

The fires erupted amid drought, intense heat and powerful winds capable of driving flames across roads, rivers and residential boundaries. Those conditions do not determine how a fire started, but they explain how a small ignition could grow into an urban-scale disaster with extraordinary speed.

No confirmed deaths or major injuries had been announced by early Tuesday. Authorities were still attempting to resolve a small number of reports involving people whose relatives had been unable to contact them following the mass evacuations.

One Arrest, Three Separate Investigations

Farinacci’s arrest relates only to the Old Trails Fire. Investigators have not attributed the Autumn Lane or Fairview fires to him, and the causes of those blazes remain under investigation.

That separation is crucial as officials reconstruct the wider disaster. The existence of three major fires in the same region does not establish that they were connected, deliberately started or caused by the same person.

For affected families, however, the legal boundaries between the cases do little to reduce the immediate loss. Residents have returned to properties where houses, vehicles and decades of possessions have been reduced to foundations and twisted metal.

What Happens Next

Prosecutors must now decide how the evidence gathered at the scene, from witnesses and during the search of Farinacci’s home supports a formal first-degree arson case. Investigators will also seek to establish the precise ignition method and whether any credible motive can be identified.

Farinacci is entitled to the presumption of innocence on the new allegation. His previous conviction may intensify public scrutiny, but prosecutors must prove the Spokane case through evidence connected directly to the fire rather than relying on the violence in his past.

The most consequential evidence may ultimately come from the opening minutes of the disaster: what the witness saw, what responding officers recorded and what investigators recovered after the arrest. Those details will determine whether the Old Trails Fire becomes a proven act of deliberate destruction or an allegation that cannot survive the scrutiny of court.