Spokane Man Faces Charges for Planning Series of Wildfires

WHO:

AP News - Aaron Farinacci served about a decade in prison after killing his father in Mesa, Arizona, in 2010 and was released in 2020.

AP News - Farinacci's defense attorney is Colin Charbonneau, who is also the director of the Spokane County Public Defender’s Office.

AP News - Spokane County Detective Michael Drapeau wrote in a court filing that Farinacci described fire as "powerful, beautiful," and believed that things that go through fire experience a "kind of rebirth."

CNN - Paul Child, 64, observed Farinacci acting suspiciously before the fire and reported, “You get the feeling this guy’s up to something.”

AP News - Aaron Farinacci, 37, is charged with starting the Old Trails fire and four other smaller fires.

CNN - Paul Child, 64, is credited with leading police to Farinacci.

NBC News - Authorities describe Farinacci as the suspect in the most destructive fire in Spokane history.

WHAT:

KUOW - At least 900 structures have been lost in the blazes, and 67,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.

KUOW - The Old Trails Fire has burned thousands of acres in Spokane County and jumped the Spokane River before destroying neighborhoods.

NBC News - Farinacci is now charged with a total of five counts of first-degree arson, including one count in connection with the Indian Bluff fire that started on July 24, 2026.

USA Today - More than 10,000 acres have been burned, and more than 700 structures, including homes, businesses, and outbuildings, have been lost. An estimated 65,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

NBC News - Farinacci is now charged with a total of five counts of first-degree arson, including one count in connection with the Old Trails Fire, which ignited on August 1.

AP News - Farinacci is now charged with a total of five counts of first-degree arson, including one count in connection with the Old Trails Fire, which has destroyed over 10,000 acres and wiped out hundreds of homes.

CNN - The Aubrey White fire burned over 1,200 acres.

AP News - Farinacci admitted to starting the Aubrey White fire that ignited on July 6, 2025, which led to evacuations and road closures.

AP News - Farinacci is now charged with a total of five counts of first-degree arson, including one count in connection with the Old Trails Fire.

NBC News - Farinacci is accused of starting four other fires since July of the previous year.

AP News - The Old Trails fire and two other blazes have destroyed over 10,000 acres and led to tens of thousands of evacuations.

AP News - Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels stated that it will take weeks before residents can safely return to their homes in areas affected by the fires.

AP News - Farinacci is scheduled to be arraigned on five first-degree arson charges, with a bond set at $2 million.

CNN - Prosecutors indicated that the criminal charges against Farinacci “may be further amended as the full extent of the defendant’s criminal acts becomes known.”

AP News - Farinacci is charged with five counts of first-degree arson.

AP News - The Old Trails fire and two other blazes have destroyed over 850 buildings and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

CNN - The Old Trails Fire ignited on August 1 and is part of a series of wildfires that have burned over 10,000 acres.

AP News - Farinacci confessed to starting the Old Trails fire and admitted responsibility for 25 other fires since summer 2025.

WHERE:

KUOW - The fires have devastated the Balboa neighborhood in northwest Spokane.

AP News - The fires occurred in Spokane, Washington.

CNN - The Aubrey White fire was near the Centennial Trail in Spokane.

WHEN:

AP News - Farinacci is scheduled for a stay hearing on September 4, 2026, regarding his competency evaluation.

AP News - Farinacci was set to be arraigned on the charges on a Thursday.

AP News - Farinacci planned the Old Trails fire for weeks and chose to ignite it on August 1.

AP News - The Aubrey White fire ignited on July 6, 2025, and the Meenach fire started on July 8, 2025.

AP News - The Fort George fire occurred on August 11, 2025, and the Indian Bluff fire started on July 24, 2026.

WHY:

KUOW - Farinacci stated he knew the blaze "was gonna get bad" but claimed he didn't intend for it to grow as much as it did.

AP News - Farinacci indicated he started having difficulty dealing with “life issues” after his son was born in 2025 and began smoking marijuana.

AP News - Farinacci indicated he was dealing with personal struggles after the birth of his son in 2025, which contributed to his actions.

AP News - Farinacci described fire as "powerful, beautiful," and believed that things that go through fire experience a "kind of rebirth."

CNN - Farinacci indicated he was dealing with personal struggles after the birth of his son in 2025.

HOW:

KUOW - Farinacci described his planning for the fire as beginning two weeks prior to its ignition, specifically researching weather conditions for a day with high winds and low humidity.

AP News - Farinacci described his planning for the fire as beginning two weeks prior to its ignition, specifically researching weather conditions for a day with high winds and low humidity. He ultimately decided to start a fire on August 1, admitting he “knew for a fact it was going to be windy.”

AP News - Farinacci created a device to ignite the wildfire using notebook paper, matches, a cigarette, and a rubber band.

AP News - Farinacci described his planning for the fire as beginning two weeks prior to its ignition, specifically researching weather conditions for a day with high winds and low humidity.

AP News - Farinacci planned to start the fire on August 1 because he knew there would be strong winds reaching 50 mph (80 kph).

AP News - Farinacci researched weather conditions to determine the best time to start the fire, specifically looking for hot, windy days with low humidity.

AP News - He created a "time delay device" using notebook paper, matches, a cigarette, and a rubber band to ignite the wildfire.

CNN - Farinacci had marijuana or cigarettes on him to provide a legitimate reason for carrying a lighter and matches.

(UPDATED August 8, 2026 02:57 UTC)

The Old Trails Fire has wreaked havoc in Spokane County, destroying at least 900 structures and forcing 67,000 people to evacuate their homes. The fire has devastated the Balboa neighborhood and even jumped the Spokane River, while Farinacci has been charged with five counts of first-degree arson, including one related to the Indian Bluff fire that ignited on July 24, 2026. Farinacci admitted to planning for the fire two weeks in advance, researching weather conditions that would lead to high winds and low humidity, and he acknowledged that he knew the blaze "was gonna get bad."

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 19:48 UTC)

Farinacci is scheduled for a stay hearing on September 4, 2026, to discuss his competency evaluation as he faces five counts of first-degree arson, including one related to the Old Trails Fire that started on August 1. This devastating fire has burned over 10,000 acres and destroyed more than 700 structures, forcing an estimated 65,000 people to evacuate their homes. Farinacci admitted to planning the fire for two weeks, specifically choosing a day with high winds and low humidity, fully aware that conditions would be favorable for spreading the flames.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 14:11 UTC)

Aaron Farinacci, who served about a decade in prison for killing his father in 2010, is now facing five counts of first-degree arson, including a charge related to the devastating Old Trails Fire that has destroyed over 10,000 acres and hundreds of homes. He admitted to starting the Aubrey White fire on July 6, 2025, which burned over 1,200 acres and prompted evacuations and road closures, and he reportedly planned the fire for two weeks, creating a device from everyday items to ignite it. Farinacci is scheduled for a stay hearing on September 4, 2026, to evaluate his competency, following difficulties he indicated he faced after the birth of his son in 2025.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 10:45 UTC)

Farinacci is now facing five counts of first-degree arson, including one related to the devastating Old Trails Fire, which, along with two other blazes, has destroyed over 10,000 acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels has stated that it will take weeks before residents can safely return to their homes in the affected areas, while Farinacci is scheduled for a stay hearing on September 4, 2026, to evaluate his competency. He has indicated that personal struggles following the birth of his son in 2025 contributed to his actions, and he admitted to planning the fire by researching weather conditions two weeks before it ignited.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 05:34 UTC)

Farinacci is scheduled to be arraigned on five first-degree arson charges, with a bond set at $2 million, and prosecutors have indicated that these charges may be further amended as the full extent of his actions becomes known. A Spokane County detective revealed that Farinacci described fire as "powerful, beautiful," believing that things that go through fire experience a "kind of rebirth." Prior to the fire, a local resident observed Farinacci acting suspiciously and reported feeling that he was "up to something," while it was noted that he planned to start the fire on August 1, knowing strong winds would be present.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 03:53 UTC)

Aaron Farinacci, 37, has been charged with five counts of first-degree arson for starting the Old Trails fire, which has become the most destructive fire in Spokane history, destroying over 850 buildings and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Paul Child, 64, is credited with leading police to Farinacci, who confessed to igniting the Old Trails fire on August 1 and admitted responsibility for 25 other fires since the summer of 2025. Authorities report that Farinacci meticulously planned the fire, researching weather conditions and using a homemade device to ignite it, while he struggled with personal issues following the birth of his son.