Staff Reports
The big, new development out of Spokane is simple and unsettling: authorities arrested 37‑year‑old Aaron F. Farinacci on suspicion of first‑degree arson in the huge Old Trails Fire — and Sheriff John Nowels revealed investigators had contacted the same man twice during separate fire inquiries earlier in 2025. That piece of news should set off alarm bells in any town that expects public safety to come before bureaucracy and spin.
What happened: arrest, evidence, and the sheriff’s briefing
Spokane County deputies say an eyewitness saw a man acting nervously near the ignition point of the Old Trails Fire and later identified Farinacci. Deputies found him with a backpack and a fanny pack that reportedly contained heavy‑duty waterproof matches, a butane lighter and cigarettes. He was booked on suspicion of first‑degree arson and a judge set bond at $1 million. Sheriff John Nowels credited a citizen tip for the arrest and described how detectives reviewed body‑camera footage and ruled out other ignition causes before making the charge.
Why the prior 2025 contacts matter
Here’s the part that ought to make folks in Spokane and beyond furious: Nowels told reporters that Farinacci had been contacted by investigators twice in 2025 in connection with other fires — questioned but not charged. That raises a straightforward question: were those earlier inquiries thorough, or did bureaucracy and weak prosecutorial choices let a dangerous pattern go unaddressed? We don’t yet have the prosecutor’s file or the sheriff’s probable‑cause affidavit, so we can’t say for certain. But citizens deserve answers about why a man eyed in multiple fire probes was not detained or monitored more closely.
Mental‑health background and public‑safety responsibilities
Records and earlier reporting show Farinacci served time after a deadly episode in Arizona and has a history of psychiatric hospitalizations and probation that ended in early 2024. Mental‑health struggles do not excuse violence or destruction. They do, however, require a system that actually manages risk. If someone with a volatile past is walking around with matches and a lighter and no effective supervision, that is a failure by the institutions meant to protect the public — whether the gap was in law enforcement, the courts, or community mental‑health services.
What to watch next
Investigators and prosecutors need to produce the probable‑cause affidavit, the sheriff’s press‑briefing video, and the records from those 2025 contacts so the public can see what happened and why charges were delayed until now. Until a court proves guilt, reporters and citizens must avoid shotgun claims. But there is no avoiding this: hundreds of families lost homes and tens of thousands evacuated. That wreckage demands a clear accounting from officials who had chances to act sooner. Spokane residents deserve transparency, and those in charge of public safety owe them straightforward answers — not excuses.
