SPOKANE, Wash – The man accused of setting the Old Trails Fire that burned hundreds of Spokane homes has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says federal agents from ATF and the FBI have been working on the case to identify applicable federal offenses.
Aaron Farinacci now faces federal arson charges.
The indictment says Farinacci “maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire, real and personal property used in interstate commerce, and real and personal property used in activity affected interstate commerce, thereby resulting in personal injury to firefighters performing duties…”
Farinacci admitted to Spokane Police that he started the fire on August 1st, along with 25 fires in the same general area over the last year. He’s charged in Spokane County Superior Court with multiple counts of arson.
Farinacci is a convicted felon who served prison time for killing his father in Arizona.
The Old Trails Fire was one of three major fires that exploded August 1st, leading to the evacuation of 65,000 people and the loss of hundreds of homes.
If convicted of the federal charges, Farinacci faces up to 40 years in prison.
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