Spokane fires burn 10,280 acres; arson suspect held

Three wildfires around Spokane, Washington, had burned 10,280 acres by Tuesday, August 4, while a 37-year-old man was being held on a first-degree arson charge linked to the largest blaze.

InciWeb, a federal interagency fire information system, gave the latest burned-area figure for the three fires. Authorities said aerial checks showed an estimated 700 to 1,110 structures had been lost since the fires broke out over the weekend.

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said Aaron Farinacci was detained over the Old Trails fire after a witness allegedly saw him kneeling near grass where the fire began. Nowels said Farinacci was found with waterproof matches and a butane lighter and was being held on a $1 million bond.

Nowels said the suspect was not believed to be connected to two other major fires in the area. Local officials said no one had been reported hurt so far.

Authorities were trying to contact 14 people they had not been able to reach by cell phone, but Nowels said they were not yet presumed missing. He said the evacuation estimate was potentially as high as 65,000 people.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said officials were checking the city block by block for damage and possible reignition, and could not yet say when residents would be allowed back. Some returns could take weeks, she said.

Authorities said late Monday that firefighters were using cooler temperatures, higher humidity and thick smoke to make significant gains against two of the fires. Cooler weather was expected Tuesday, but officials expected temperatures to rise again by mid-week.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on August 1, citing drought conditions and high temperatures that were worsening wildfires. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources also asked people to stop flying personal drones over the blazes, saying they could interfere with firefighting aircraft.

Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the Spokane fires followed one of the warmest winters on record for eastern Washington, which led to severe snow drought. Scientists say human-caused climate change is creating conditions for more frequent and intense wildfires through increased heat, extended drought and drier vegetation.