A Washington man has been arrested on suspicion of starting one of the catastrophic wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee around Spokane.
Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested Monday and booked on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three major blazes burning around Washington’s second-largest city, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.
The fires have destroyed at least 700 buildings, scorched about 12.5 square miles and forced roughly 67,000 people to evacuate. Authorities have not identified a cause for the other two fires.
Sheriff John Nowels said investigators were led to Farinacci after a witness reported seeing a nervous-looking man crouched near dry grass close to where the fire later ignited…