Aaron Farinacci, 37, had previously been convicted in Arizona of manslaughter and aggravated assault before his latest arrest in Washington State.
PHOENIX — A man who was convicted years ago in the killing of his father in Arizona is now facing a first-degree arson charge in Washington State, where authorities say he ignited a wildfire.
Farinacci is accused of starting the Old Trails Fire in Spokane, a blaze that has forced more than 60,000 people from their homes.
According to records, Farinacci was convicted 14 years ago of manslaughter and aggravated assault after killing his father. He was released from prison in 2020.
He was arrested in Washington State on Aug. 3 on allegations that he started the wildfire.
“Mr. Farinacci is a convicted felon out of the state of Arizona,” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said. “Major crimes detectives in Spokane County were able to identify him. They developed probable cause and determined the origin of the fire was indeed exactly where the witnesses had seen Mr. Farinacci kneeling in the grass earlier that day.”
Court documents state that multiple witnesses reported seeing Farinacci in the area before the fire began, describing him as acting “nervous.”
The Old Trails Fire broke out on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 1. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said deputies launched the investigation that same day after a witness reported seeing a man near the area where the fire started.
According to records filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Monday, a witness was driving in the area of West Euclid Road on Saturday when he saw a man, later identified as Farinacci, standing on the north side of the train tracks.
About ten minutes later, the witness drove past again and reported seeing the man bending over and facing the tree line. The witness told authorities that when he drove past the second time, Farinacci stood up and acted “nervous.”
Soon after, the man says his daughter noticed smoke rising from the area and called 911 to report a fire. The witness then drove down to see where the fire was, and said it was in the same area where Farinacci had been.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that Farinacci was detained on Saturday about four miles from where the fire started. Court documents show that deputies found a pack of cigarettes, a butane lighter, and a box of heavy-duty waterproof matches in Farinacci’s fanny pack.
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When told that witnesses saw him in the area where the fire started, Farinacci told authorities that they “don’t know the whole thing.” Farinacci claimed he walks a four-mile loop along Government Way “almost every day,” but denied being in the area of the fire and denied starting the fire.
He was released as Spokane County deputies pivoted their attention to evacuation notices.
Records show that on Sunday, after the Old Trails Fire had continued to burn thousands of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes, fire investigators were able to determine the cause of the fire was “consistent with an open flame to vegetation such as would be expected by a lighter or match.”
As the investigation continued, detectives found that Farinacci had been contacted by Spokane police and the Washington State Patrol last year for two separate fire investigations. In one of those incidents, Farinacci was photographed wearing the same shirt he was seen in on Saturday, Aug. 1.
“As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci,” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at a briefing on Monday night.
Farinacci appeared in court on Tuesday. A judge set his bond at $1 million and set his arraignment for Aug. 6.
Farinacci’s manslaughter conviction
This isn’t Farinacci’s first time being accused of breaking the law.
He was convicted in Arizona for manslaughter and aggravated assault after killing his own father in 2010 following an argument between the two over cleaning dishes, records show.
Farinacci was released from prison in 2020 after serving a 12-year sentence, and then he was discharged from probation in December 2024.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said he’s aware of Farinacci’s criminal history.
“The individual we understand does have a criminal record,” Gov. Ferguson said. “It just takes a tragic situation, and makes it more heartbreaking to think that much of this damage could have been caused by an individual doing this on purpose. It adds to a really challenging situation.”
