Spokane wildfire: 37-year-old man arrested for arson in connection with one of the worst fires

A 37-year-old man was arrested on Monday (local time) on suspicion of starting one of the devastating wildfires that tore through Spokane, a city in eastern Washington, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate and leaving many wondering whether their homes had survived.

Here's what we know

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office identified the 37-year-old as Aaron F. Farinacci, who was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire. Farinacci is being held on a $1 million bond, news agency AP reported. He is expected to be presented before a court on Tuesday, according to Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam.

According to CNN, fire officials are still investigating the cause of the wildfires, with the probe into the suspect beginning on August 1 after a witness reported seeing a man near the spot where the fire started, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at a news conference. According to Nowels, the witness said the accused was "bending down near some grass" and, shortly afterwards, saw smoke coming from the area.

Nowels added that responding law enforcement officers made contact with the accused shortly after the blaze erupted, and he was later "detained, questioned, and ultimately released." He was also found to have waterproof matches and a butane lighter at the time.

The sheriff said, "A lot of the details that have come to light during the investigation were not known to the deputies who detained Mr. Farinacci that day," with investigators later using body camera footage from an encounter with Farinacci to help establish the case.

According to a statement from the sheriff's department, "Tips from citizens, along with information from Airway Heights Police Officers and Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies who responded to the initial call and conducted evacuations, proved to be extremely valuable to fire investigators, leading to today’s arrest."

The Old Trails Fire, which started on August 1, is one of several fires burning around Spokane, Washington's second-largest city. Together, the fires have become among the most destructive in the state's history, destroying more than 700 structures and forcing the evacuation of roughly 67,000 people.

Spokane residents return to massive devastation

Earlier on Monday, residents began returning to neighbourhoods devastated by the weekend wildfires, only to find many homes reduced to rubble amid scorched landscapes and ash-covered properties. In several areas, chimneys were all that remained standing.

A 76-year-old woman told AP, "There’s nothing to save," as she and her husband surveyed the ruins of their home, where they had lived since 2005.

Although no deaths or major injuries have been reported so far, the destruction was evident in parts of Spokane, where burned-out vehicles, a heat-warped boat, and melted recycling bins were left behind in one neighbourhood. Just across the street, however, green lawns and undamaged homes stood in stark contrast, as residents continued using hoses and sprinklers to protect their properties.

Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, noted that the county initially received reports of 300 people missing. By Monday, the number had fallen to 14.

Fire remains uncontained

Fire officials said the wildfires burning in the Spokane area remained completely uncontained. By Monday, more than 1,000 firefighters, including crews from several other states, had been deployed, with officials expecting that number to nearly double over the coming days.

The blazes are among dozens of active wildfires across the western US, putting increasing pressure on federal, state, and local firefighting resources. In Washington alone, more than 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometres) have been scorched amid severe drought conditions and an unusually low snowpack.

Together, the three fires had burned roughly 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometres) by Monday.

Authorities also urged the public to avoid flying drones near the fire zones, warning that such activity could disrupt or delay aerial firefighting operations.

(with agency inputs)