Updated

Updated · The Spokesman Review · Aug 9

Spokane Firefighters Save Row of Homes After 17-Hour Stand in 50-mph Old Trails Fire

Updated

Updated · The Spokesman Review · Aug 9

Spokane Firefighters Save Row of Homes After 17-Hour Stand in 50-mph Old Trails Fire

Q: What drove a local man to allegedly spark the devastating arson that melted firefighters' gear and destroyed 900 homes?

Investigators say the suspected motive was a mix of personal turmoil and an apparent fascination with fire, not any broader grievance disclosed publicly. According to court documents and police affidavits, Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, told investigators he had been struggling with “life issues” after the birth of his son in 2025 and became increasingly drawn to arson. Detectives said he described fire as “powerful” and “beautiful,” and believed things that pass through fire experience a kind of “rebirth.” Authorities say he began setting fires in 2025 and later admitted responsibility for numerous blazes. In the Old Trails case, investigators allege Farinacci planned the fire for about two weeks, studied weather forecasts to find a hot, dry, windy day, and researched a time-delay ignition method so he could leave before flames erupted. Court records say he chose the spot near Old Trails Road because he knew “it was gonna get bad,” though he later claimed he did not expect the fire to grow as large as it did. The Old Trails Fire became the most destructive blaze in the Spokane Complex, tearing through neighborhoods under wind gusts topping 50 mph. Firefighters described catastrophic conditions, including exploding propane tanks, burning gas lines and melting safety gear, as more than 900 homes and other structures were ultimately destroyed across the broader Spokane Complex fires. A mental competency evaluation was ordered, and the criminal case remains pending.

3 articles · Updated · The Spokesman Review · Aug 9

A 17-hour defense at Woodside and Conestoga saved a row of Spokane homes, including Bob Loomis’s house, after police forced residents to flee as the Old Trails fire overran the neighborhood.
Winds above 50 mph drove flames house to house like a blowtorch, leaving crews short of resources and retreating twice before Engine 18 and District 8 firefighters made their stand.
Firefighters worked through exploding propane tanks, igniting gas lines, melting goggles and dehydration; one probationary firefighter needed an IV before crews kept battling until about 8:30 a.m.
The Old Trails blaze, believed to have been intentionally set, is part of the Spokane Complex fires that have destroyed more than 900 homes and other structures.
Veteran crews called it a 'lifetime fire' and said their actions likely saved far more homes even as the disaster reshaped how they view urban wildfire risk.

Sources

The Spokesman Review1d ago

Spokane Firefighters Save Homes Amidst Old Trails Inferno

The Seattle Times1d ago

Spokane residents return to burned areas to take toll of losses | The Seattle Times

The Spokesman Review1d ago

Rifle club, church destroyed in Old Trails fire; other facilities damaged, threatened

How did split-second 'cowboy firefighting' decisions save a few lucky homes while entire Spokane neighborhoods burned to ashes?

What drove a local man to allegedly spark the devastating arson that melted firefighters' gear and destroyed 900 homes?

Spokane’s 2026 Firestorm: The Old Trails Arson, Mass Evacuations, and the Wildland-Urban Crisis

Overview

On August 1, 2026, extreme drought, heat, and high winds set the stage for a devastating wildfire outbreak in Spokane, Washington. Amid these dangerous conditions, Aaron Farinacci meticulously planned and ignited the Old Trails Fire, which quickly escalated and, together with other blazes, forced over 65,000 residents to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes. The fires triggered a statewide emergency, overwhelmed first responders, and exposed deep cracks in the insurance market as companies dropped coverage and residents struggled to rebuild. The trauma of loss and the psychological toll on both survivors and firefighters continue to shape Spokane’s recovery.

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