Spokane arson suspect held as fires move 65,000 out

Authorities in Washington state arrested 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci on Monday on suspicion of first-degree arson over the Old Trails fire, the biggest of three wildfires burning around Spokane.

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said Farinacci was held on a $1 million bond after a witness allegedly saw him kneeling near grass where the fire began. Nowels said the suspect was found with waterproof matches and a butane lighter, and was not believed to be connected to two other major fires in the area.

The three fires have burned 8,026 acres around Spokane, according to InciWeb, a federal interagency fire information system. Authorities said aerial checks showed an estimated 700 to 1,110 structures had been lost since the fires broke out over the weekend.

Local officials said no one had been reported hurt so far. Nowels said authorities were trying to contact 14 people they had not been able to reach by cell phone, but that they were not yet presumed missing.

Nowels said the evacuation estimate was potentially as high as 65,000 people. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said officials were assessing damage and possible reignition block by block and could not yet say when residents would be allowed back, adding that some returns could take weeks.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on August 1, citing drought conditions and high temperatures that were worsening wildfires. State natural resources chief David Upthegrove said 16 major fires were burning across Washington, covering 262,000 acres.