SPOKANE, Wash. — The 37-year-old man accused of starting the Old Trails Fire, which is part of a series of wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of structures and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across Spokane County, remains in jail on $1 million bail.
Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested Monday and made his first appearance in court Tuesday. Farinacci has a previous manslaughter conviction in Arizona, court records show.
WATCH: Spokane wildfire suspect appears in court
PHOTOS: Devastating wildfires tear through Spokane County
Arson investigation
At around 10 a.m. Saturday, a resident reported seeing a man bending down along the side of the road near Euclid Road and Old Trails Road, according to investigators.
The witness later saw the same man while driving home and contacted the Airway Heights Police Department.
An Airway Heights police officer located the man about 1.5 miles from where the fire started, questioned him, collected his contact information, and released him at the time.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office gathered evidence, built the case, and worked to locate Farinacci before arresting him on Monday. Authorities have not released additional details about the investigation or what evidence led to the arrest. The investigation remains ongoing.
At the court hearing on Tuesday, the judge ruled that Farinacci remain in custody on $1 million bail. He is due back in court Thursday for his arraignment.
Criminal history in Arizona
According to Arizona court records, Farinacci pleaded guilty in 2012 to amended charges of manslaughter, stemming from an Oct. 11, 2010, incident involving his parents.
Farinacci fatally shot his father after an argument over washing dishes, before running off and attempting to commit suicide, according to court documents.
Under a plea agreement in 2012, he began to serve a 12-year prison sentence on the manslaughter conviction followed by supervised probation on the aggravated assault conviction.
An image of Aaron F. Farinacci. (Arizona Department of Corrections)
Farinacci was released from prison in December of 2020 and discharged from probation in February, 2024, according to court records.
The discharge order states he failed to comply with conditions related to fines and fees, did not complete a mental health evaluation or domestic violence treatment, and received multiple reprimands from his supervising probation officer.
The court noted he had no outstanding warrants at the time of the discharge.
Spokane County wildfires
The arrest comes as the Spokane Complex fires continue to devastate eastern Washington.
Authorities said the fires have destroyed about 700 structures, many of them homes, and warned that number is expected to increase as damage assessments continue.
The fires have forced as many as 65,000 people to evacuate.
