The man accused of setting the largest of the wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of buildings and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes in eastern Washington was previously charged with first-degree murder before pleading guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge, court records show.
Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested Monday on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three blazes burning in and around Spokane, Washington’s second-largest city.
The fires have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced about 67,000 people to evacuate. Authorities have not alleged any connection between Farinacci and the other two fires, which remain under investigation.
WASHINGTON MAN ARRESTED ON ARSON CHARGE TIED TO DEVASTATING SPOKANE WILDFIRE
The arrest came hours after former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, pointed to climate change as firefighters battled the region’s destructive wildfires.
“Climate change isn’t some existential global thing,” Inslee said Monday. “It’s our neighbors. It’s our friends.”
Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Farinacci was initially charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault in a 2010 Arizona homicide before pleading guilty in 2012 to reduced charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault.
The Associated Press reported that Farinacci, then 21, fatally shot his father during an argument over washing dishes in Mesa, Arizona, in 2010. Farinacci also shot himself but survived.
A Maricopa County judge sentenced Farinacci to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault. Arizona Department of Corrections records show he was released on Dec. 23, 2020.
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Less than six years after his release from prison, Farinacci again found himself accused of a major crime.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Major Crimes detectives and Washington State Department of Natural Resources fire investigators identified Farinacci as the suspect after developing probable cause during the investigation.
Detectives obtained arrest and search warrants before taking Farinacci into custody without incident at his Spokane residence, where he was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of first-degree arson.
Court records show witnesses first spotted Farinacci standing near the tree line where investigators later determined the fire started. When they returned about 10 minutes later, they saw him bent over facing the fence and vegetation. As their vehicle approached, Farinacci stood up and appeared “nervous,” according to the affidavit.
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After returning home and noticing smoke rising from the same area, the witnesses flagged down an Airway Heights police officer and provided investigators with a physical description of the man and the clothing he was wearing.
Deputies initially detained and questioned Farinacci before releasing him as first responders focused on evacuating residents threatened by the rapidly growing fire, Nowels said. The affidavit states deputies had not yet determined the fire’s origin or learned witnesses had seen Farinacci near the point investigators later identified as where the blaze began.
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When deputies told Farinacci witnesses had seen him near the fire, he replied, “Those witnesses don’t know the whole thing,” the affidavit states.
As detectives reviewed witness statements, body camera footage and evidence gathered by fire investigators, they developed probable cause to arrest Farinacci.
Deputies said they found Farinacci carrying a butane lighter and a box of Gofire brand rain-ready, heavy-duty waterproof matches. The affidavit says the box originally contained 25 matches, with 14 remaining. Farinacci told deputies he bought the matches several days earlier and used them to light cigarettes if his lighter stopped working.
Fire investigators ruled out trains and nearby electrical infrastructure before concluding the blaze was consistent with an open flame from a lighter or match, the affidavit states.
Nowels said the first-degree arson charge reflected the evidence investigators currently have but cautioned that additional charges could be considered as the investigation continues and authorities assess the full scope of the fire’s destruction.
The sheriff credited observant residents with helping investigators quickly identify the suspect.
“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,” Nowels said.
Ana Dillon told Fox News Digital strangers are rarely seen on the family’s dead-end road, making the man her father spotted near the tracks immediately stand out.
“There’s only two houses on this street,” Dillon said. “If anyone is on this street, we most always call Crime Check. No one should be on this road. It’s a closed road. Anyone standing and kneeling down by the train tracks that’s not a city worker is a red flag.”
Moments after her father returned home, Dillon said she looked outside and saw “a huge cloud of white smoke, then black smoke” before calling 911.
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“The fire was coming toward us, so we packed up everything, everyone and animals,” Dillon said. “As we were leaving, they had caught that guy. My dad and son had to do a drive-by ID. Then we found out the next morning they let him go.”
Farinacci made his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon, where a judge set bond at $1 million and adopted prosecutors’ requested release conditions.
If released, Farinacci would be prohibited from possessing lighters, matches, torches or other fire-starting devices, have no contact with witnesses identified in the probable cause affidavit and remain within Spokane County unless otherwise authorized.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
