Chilling details have emerged about Aaron Farinacci, a convicted felon who was arrested on an arson charge in connection with the Old Trails Fire in Spokane, Washington. He is suspected to have started that fire that has now burned thousands of acres and hundreds of homes.
The announcement was made by Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels in a news conference Monday night, August 3. A person reported seeing the suspect looking nervous, and ten minutes later, smoke was rising from the area.
Also Read | Spokane County power outage map, updates: Avista customers hardest hit as wildfire forces evacuations
A man matching the description was questioned on the day of the fire, but later released. He had waterproof matches and a butane lighter.
Authorities later pieced together evidence and positively identified the man. They developed probable cause that the man was kneeling in the grass at the spot where the fire had begun.
New details emerge about Aaron Farinacci – five things to know
- According to Arizona’s Family’s CBS affiliate in Spokane, KREM2, Farinacci is a convicted felon in Arizona for manslaughter and premeditated murder. Associated Press records revealed that he killed his own father in a fight in Mesa before trying to take his own life in Mesa.
- Farinacci, 37, was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire.
- Farinacci is now being held on a $1 million bond.
- Farinacci was a resident in Spokane. He has no previous history of arson. It remains unclear if Farinacci had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
- The fire Farinacci allegedly started is one of three burning in the Spokane area, and is considered to be the top fire priority in the nation. According to Sheriff Nowels, there is no indication that Farinacci was responsible for the other fires burning in Spokane.
The Old Trails Fire
The Old Trails Fire started Saturday afternoon, August 1, near Airway Heights. It quickly pushed through Riverside State Park and into neighborhoods in north Spokane. The fire burned hundreds of structures, including entire neighborhoods. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes. The blazes have burned more than 10,000 acres as of Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}The Old Trails Fire started Saturday afternoon, August 1, near Airway Heights. It quickly pushed through Riverside State Park and into neighborhoods in north Spokane. The fire burned hundreds of structures, including entire neighborhoods. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes. The blazes have burned more than 10,000 acres as of Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Spokane County wildfires: Shocking viral video shows several houses on fire, ‘Memories lost forever’
The Old Trails Fire was being fueled by extreme fire weather conditions, CNN reported. It had burned nearly 3,000 acres on Saturday, Washington State Forester George Geissler said at a news conference. About 4,000 buildings were threatened in the area at the time.
Level 3, the highest level of evacuation order, was issued for several areas in the Spokane area. Residents were urged to “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions.” An evacuation shelter was also opened at a community college.