Washington: Authorities in Washington state have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of deliberately igniting one of the three wildfires that forced more than 65,000 people to evacuate over the weekend in Spokane County.
According to reports, the suspect, identified as Aaron F. Farinacci, has been charged with one count of first-degree arson. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said investigators believe the Old Trails fire was intentionally started using either matches or a butane lighter to ignite dry grass.
The Old Trails fire was one of three major blazes, along with the Fairview and Autumn Lane fires, that swept through parts of Spokane on Saturday and Sunday, destroying hundreds of structures and triggering large-scale evacuations.
Deputies stopped Farinacci about 1.5 miles from the fire’s origin shortly after receiving the report. They questioned him, verified his identity with the reporting witness and released him at the scene as emergency responders prioritised evacuation efforts while the fire rapidly spread.
According to the police, the deputies were unaware at the time that the incident was being investigated as a suspected arson case. Investigators later reviewed body-camera footage from the initial encounter, which helped identify Farinacci as the suspect.
When he was arrested on Monday, Farinacci was allegedly carrying a butane lighter and waterproof matches.
The wildfires have destroyed more than 700 structures, with authorities expecting the toll to rise as damage assessments continue. No deaths have been confirmed, although officials were earlier trying to locate 14 people who had requested evacuation assistance during the fires.
Farinacci is being held on a USD 1 million bond. It was not immediately known whether he had obtained legal representation.
