Washington Man Charged With Starting Spokane Fire
(Bloomberg) -- A 37-year-old Washington State man has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with one of the wildfires that is devastating Spokane
(Bloomberg) -- A 37-year-old Washington State man has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with one of the wildfires that is devastating Spokane, the County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Aaron Farinacci, of Spokane, was taken into custody at his house Monday after one warrant was issued for his arrest and a second one was posted to search his premises, the Spokane Sheriff’s Office said.
Farinacci was arrested without incident. Farinacci was charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, which has destroyed hundred of homes, officials said. The investigation into that blaze, as well as Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, remains ongoing. The three major fires surrounding Spokane have burned more than 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) as of Monday morning and have not been contained, according to InciWeb, a federal fire tracking website.
There are 17 total fires currently active across Washington, Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove told reporters Monday, burning more than 262,000 acres in the state. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said the Trump administration approved his request for an emergency declaration, which was granted in full except for debris removal request, according to a Tuesday statement. The declaration covers six counties, including Spokane, and three tribes, and allows for federal resources to support evacuations, emergency shelters, food and water and search and rescue operations.
In Spokane, a metro area of about 600,000 people near the Idaho border, local officials said roughly 700 structures have burned in the past 48 hours. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. (Updates with federal aid announcement from Governor Ferguson.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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