Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee pointed to climate change as a driving force behind the fast-moving Spokane wildfires, just before authorities arrested a convicted killer accused of igniting one of the blazes. Inslee, who led Washington from 2013 to 2025, posted a video Sunday afternoon addressing the fires, which have scorched more than 10,000 acres and were still listed as zero percent contained as of Tuesday morning. Wearing a royal blue hoodie and speaking outdoors, the 75-year-old Democrat said the destruction unfolding in eastern Washington underscored the immediate dangers of a warming climate. He repeated that argument on CNN and in the caption to his post. “Three enormous wildfires are raging in Spokane. Thousands of people are evacuating, not knowing if they’ll come back to a home or nothing but ashes. Climate change isn’t some faraway threat. It’s happening right now, to our neighbors and friends. We have to fight for them,” Inslee wrote. A day later, 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson for allegedly starting the Old Trail Fire in Spokane.
Argument over dishes turns deadly
Farinacci’s arrest came almost 15 years after he admitted to killing his father during a family dispute over washing dishes, according to earlier reporting by the East Valley Tribune. In October 2010, when Farinacci was 21, he argued with his parents, Jeffrey and Beth Farinacci, at their home in Mesa, Arizona, after they asked him to clean the dishes, the outlet reported. Police said at the time that Farinacci went into his parents’ bedroom, locked the door and took a gun from a nightstand.
Father fatally shot after entering home
Jeffrey Farinacci, 48, later entered the room after finding a spare key. As the door opened, his son shot him, according to the report. Jeffrey called out to his wife, but when Beth approached, Aaron allegedly pointed the gun at her. She backed away, and Aaron fled the home before police found him outside another residence suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Jeffrey was rushed to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Hospital, where he died roughly an hour after the shooting.
Witness links Aaron to fire scene
Aaron Farinacci pleaded guilty in 2012 to killing his father and received a 12-year prison sentence. He was released in 2020 and discharged from probation in December 2024, according to 12News. In the Spokane wildfire case, investigators moved in after a witness reported seeing a man near the origin point of the Old Trail Fire shortly before flames broke out around 10 a.m. Saturday, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said. The witness told deputies the man appeared to be staring at trees before crouching near grass along the roadside, Nowels said.
Suspect found with lighter and matches
According to Nowels, the witness said the man then “stood up and looked very nervous” before walking away. Investigators later concluded the fire began in the same spot where the witness said Farinacci had been seen. Authorities said they found waterproof matches and a butane lighter on him. Farinacci was detained and questioned before initially being released Sunday, but by Monday evening he was back in custody. Jail records reviewed by the Daily Mail showed he was being held on a $1 million bond.
Thousands displaced as fires devastate neighborhoods
The Old Trails Fire is one of three major blazes devastating the Spokane area and has been described as among the most destructive in Washington state history. Fire officials said the Old Trails Fire, Autumn Lane Fire and Fairview Fire have destroyed more than 700 structures. More than 65,000 residents were forced to evacuate, though some have begun returning as powerful winds subsided, The New York Times reported. Entire neighborhoods have been left in ruins, with residents describing the scene as a “war zone.” No deaths have been reported, but officials said Monday they were still working to contact 14 people. “These are people who may have called for help evacuating, and many of them likely did get evacuated. They are people we’re just trying to confirm are fine,” Nowels said at a news conference. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown urged residents to hold on to hope while acknowledging the long recovery ahead. “Everybody wants some certainty. They want to get back and have that moment of reckoning where they know whether their house is still there or not. We have hope, and we also need patience,” Brown said.
