US arrests suspect over Spokane wildfire as tens of thousands flee blaze

What the report says

US authorities have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of starting one of three wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing local officials. Aaron Farinacci was charged with first-degree arson and is being held on $1 million bond after a witness reportedly saw him in the grass near where the Old Trails fire is believed to have started.

The arrest came as firefighters continued to battle fires that have spread across the area near the Idaho border. Al Jazeera reported that the blazes had burned a combined 8,026 acres, with aerial assessments suggesting 700 to 1,110 structures may have been destroyed since the fires began over the weekend. Spokane is a city of about 230,000 people.

Officials said around 65,000 people have been displaced by the fires. No injuries had been reported at the time of the report, though authorities were trying to reach 14 people they had not been able to contact by phone. Sheriff John Nowels said those individuals were not currently considered missing.

The report also placed the fires in broader context, noting that scientists link more frequent and intense wildfires to climate change and that eastern Washington had recently experienced a very warm winter and severe snow drought, conditions that can contribute to wildfire risk.