(The Center Square) – A 37-year-old Spokane man is facing formal arson charges after allegedly confessing to starting dozens of wildfires across Spokane County over a year-long period, culminating in a massive 3,200-acre blaze that has destroyed hundreds of structures so far.
According to court records filed Wednesday in Spokane County Superior Court, Aaron Farinacci was arrested and charged following an investigation into the fast-moving Old Trails fire.
Detectives with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office stated in an affidavit of facts that probable cause exists to hold Farinacci responsible for the catastrophic wildfire, as well as a series of serial arson incidents dating back to July 2025.
By Aug. 2, the Old Trails fire had swept through roughly 3,200 acres near Old Trails Road and Euclid Road, destroying more than 400 structures and remaining at zero percent containment. As of Thursday, the fire has destroyed more than 900 structures, authorities said.
Investigative documents reveal that Farinacci’s alleged actions were deliberate and heavily calculated. Authorities say Farinacci monitored weather conditions through a wildfire tracking app and intentionally selecting days with severe weather warnings, court documents show.
On Aug. 1, knowing that Spokane County was under a Red Flag Warning and a Particularly Dangerous Situation advisory, he anticipated wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour before setting out to ignite the brush near active railroad tracks, according to authorities.
Investigators noted that Farinacci brought time-delay ignition components with him and timed the fire to maximize spread, remarking to detectives that conditions were ideal to start the blaze and “let the fire take its course.”
The location was chosen to maximize damage, according to the report.
“He decided to light the fire at this location because he knew it ‘was gonna get bad.’ By ‘bad’ he meant it would be a large fire, but claimed he did not intend for it to get as large as it did,” according to the report.
During police interviews, Farinacci reportedly admitted that his serial arson spree began on July 4, 2025. Over the following five weeks alone, he claimed responsibility for setting approximately 25 separate fires using lighters, primarily targeting brush areas near his residence at the Copper River Apartments, along the Spokane River, and throughout the Centennial Trail, documents show.
Among those incidents was the July 6, 2025, Aubrey White fire near mile marker 30 of the Centennial Trail. Court documents state that after igniting the fire, Farinacci sat on a nearby boulder, injured, expecting authorities to track the trail of flames directly to him. He was briefly contacted by law enforcement at the scene but not arrested at the time.
Farinacci also confessed to starting the Fort George fire on Aug. 11, 2025, in the Equestrian area of Riverside State Park. That 15-acre fire triggered evacuations for local RV parks and horse arenas.
Law enforcement personnel had stopped Farinacci on a park bench shortly after the incident, taking photos of his Arizona identification card and a package of Bic lighters, documents show.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement described Farinacci as detail-oriented and highly knowledgeable about fire behavior, local wind patterns and emergency response procedures.
He admitted to planning a secondary strategy to provoke a fatal police encounter if cornered, but ultimately decided to feign innocence during his initial contacts with deputies. Farinacci later accompanied detectives to physically point out multiple ignition points from his previous arsons.
Farinacci was also previously convicted of manslaughter in Arizona.
He is being held on a $1 million bond. He remains in custody as formal court proceedings move forward in Spokane County Superior Court.
This story originally appeared in The Center Square.
