SPOKANE, Wash – The man arrested for allegedly starting a massive Spokane wildfire talked to several investigators right after the fire started, but wasn’t arrested until three days later.
The investigation is detailed in the affidavit of facts supporting arson charges against Aaron F. Farinacci.
Farinacci was arrested Monday night and booked on a $1 million bond.
According to the affidavit of facts, a man was driving on East Euclid Saturday afternoon around noon. He saw a man on the side of the road, looking at the tree line.
10 minutes later, he drove by again and saw the same person, bending over and facing the trees.
The person driving said the man in the trees, described as bald and wearing a green t-shirt and backpack, was acting “nervous”.
The man drove home and a few minutes later, his daughter noticed smoke rising from the trees.
The driver then went back to the spot and told arriving police officers what he had seen.
Spokane Co. Sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Mosher said he confronted the man matching the description and detained him.
Sgt. Mosher said the man identified himself as Aaron F. Farinacci. He was wearing a green shirt that said “who needs luck, I have charm.”
Mosher checked Farinacci’s criminal history, handcuffed him and read him his rights. Then, he asked the original reporting party if Farinacci was the man he saw earlier in the trees.
The witness confirmed that it was.
Sgt. Mosher said he questioned Farinacci who agreed to speak with him. When the sergeant told Farinacci people saw him in the trees, he reportedly said the witnesses “didn’t know the whole thing.”
Farinacci had a fanny pack that contained cigarettes, a butane lighter and a box of heavy duty waterproof matches.
Farinacci told investigators he lives in the apartments at 2816 W. Elliott Drive and walks the same loop every day.
He said he was walking along the tracks, but denied starting the fire.
Deputies released Farinacci and continued their task of evacuating people.
In the affidavit, detectives said the arriving deputies had been in the area to help with the evacuation process and didn’t know the origin of the fire or any past contacts police had with Farinacci related to arson.
A fire investigator from the Department of Natural Resources also ran into Farinacci the day of the fire.
Marc Titus said in court documents that he saw a man walking away from the fire in the area of Euclid and Trails.
He said the man identified himself as Farinacci and said he had just talked to police.
Titus notes that it wasn’t until the next day the origin of the fire was known.
“He was able to determine the location of the fire start was the same location where [the witness] reported seeing [Farinacci].”
Titus writes that he was able to determine the cause of the fire was an open flame to vegetation, “such as would be expected by a lighter or a match.”
Titus notes that he remembered a man of similar description being contacted about a fire in the equestrian area of Riverside State Park on August 11, 2025.
Titus forwarded pictures of the man questioned in that incident, who happened to be wearing a green shirt that said “who needs luck, I have charm.” The person questioned in that fire was also carrying an ID identifying himself as Aaron F. Farinacci, along with a lighter.
When they questioned him, investigators say Farinacci was on a bench, seemingly out of breath, “possibly from running.”
One month before, investigators questioned Farinacci for an arson call on July 8, 2025.
It’s not clear from the affidavit what happened in either of those cases.
Investigators noted Farinacci has a criminal history that includes a conviction for manslaughter in Arizona.
Online records show Farinacci was convicted of killing his dad and was released from prison in 2010.
He’ll face a judge Tuesday afternoon in Spokane County Superior Court.
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