# Spokane wildfire suspect confessed after planning blaze for weeks, police say 2026-08-07T00:50:35+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Aaron Farinacci, 37, has confessed to starting Spokane’s Old Trails Fire after planning it for weeks, according to police and court documents. Investigators say he studied weather forecasts, sought strong winds and low humidity, and assembled a time-delay ignition device. A witness told police he saw Farinacci near the spot shortly before the fire began. The fire was one of three near Spokane, Washington. India Today reports more than 850 homes were destroyed and tens of thousands evacuated. Bloomberg puts the combined damage at roughly 700 buildings and 70,000 evacuees. Farinacci faces a first-degree arson charge and is due in court for arraignment. Police say the fires burned more than 10,000 acres, while 16 large fires remained active across Washington. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in - livemint.com Tags: arson case, Evacuations, Spokane wildfire, Washington Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/police-say-spokane-wildfire-suspect-confessed-after-weeks-of-planning/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/police-say-spokane-wildfire-suspect-confessed-after-weeks-of-planning/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.