The man accused of starting Spokane's devastating Old Trails fire has admitted to setting far more than a single blaze. According to court documents cited by FOX 13 Seattle, Aaron Forrest Farinacci, 37, told investigators that he was responsible for starting 25 wildfires in all across Spokane County. The disclosure emerged as new details from the case file reached the newsroom on Thursday afternoon.
As a result of those admissions, Farinacci is now being charged with additional counts of first-degree arson. He had originally appeared in court on Tuesday for a first appearance tied to an initial first-degree arson charge in connection with the Old Trails fire, one of the larger fires burning in the Spokane area. His bail in that initial case was set at one million dollars.
The Old Trails fire is the blaze that investigators have most directly linked to Farinacci. That fire alone led to roughly 400 structures burning down, and it forced many residents out of their homes as it spread. It is part of a broader wildfire emergency that has kept tens of thousands of people in the Spokane area away from their properties.
According to earlier reporting on the case, Farinacci told investigators that he had planned the wildfire for weeks and deliberately waited for ideal weather conditions before setting it. That account was drawn from the police investigation, and many residents in the Spokane area have expressed frustration on hearing that the destruction may have been intentionally set.
Questions had already been raised about the suspect's history before the latest admissions. Farinacci had been questioned in connection with arson investigations in Spokane County in the past, as recently as 2025, in two separate instances. That prior scrutiny has now taken on new significance with his reported confession to setting dozens of fires.
Farinacci also carries a serious criminal history that predates the wildfire case. He was previously tied to a premeditated murder in 2010, a case in which he ultimately accepted a lower plea deal and admitted to manslaughter before being released. He later ended up living in the Spokane area, where the current fires unfolded.
Farinacci was due back in court for his arraignment as the additional charges were being processed. FOX 13 Seattle reported that it would carry the arraignment as the proceedings developed, noting that the fresh court filings were still arriving even as the hearing approached. Investigators are expected to continue detailing the full scope of the fires attributed to him.