The man accused of igniting the Old Trails fire told detectives he had been planning the blaze for two weeks, according to court records that also describe him confessing to a much broader pattern of fire setting than investigators initially suspected.

Aaron Farinacci, 37, was arrested Monday evening on suspicion of first-degree arson after witnesses reported suspicious behavior near where the fire began, close to the intersection of Old Trails and Euclid roads northeast of Airway Heights.

What He Told Investigators

Spokane County sheriff’s Detective Mike Drapeau documented the interview in court filings, and the language attributed to Farinacci is unusual in its directness.

According to Drapeau, Farinacci described fire as powerful and beautiful, and expressed a belief that things passing through fire undergo a kind of rebirth. The detective wrote that Farinacci made these statements during questioning following his arrest.

Drapeau also recorded a more calculating observation. Farinacci understood that arson is a relatively easy crime to escape if the person setting the fire has time. And, the detective noted, he had time.

That combination, an aesthetic fascination alongside an awareness of investigative difficulty, is what elevated the case from a single charge to something considerably larger.

A Much Longer List

The confession extended well beyond one fire.

Farinacci told detectives he had started 25 fires near his apartment complex, located close to the Spokane River north of the West Central Neighborhood.

Investigators have corroborated four of those so far. Among the confirmed incidents is the Aubrey White fire, which burned 41 acres on July 6, 2025.

The gap between 25 claimed and four verified is significant. Corroboration in arson cases requires matching statements to physical evidence, incident reports and timelines, and many small fires may have been recorded as accidental or unexplained at the time.

The Courtroom Response

Farinacci appeared virtually from the Spokane County Jail on Thursday afternoon for his second court appearance of the week, wearing light green jail clothing with a buzz cut.

Superior Court Judge Jeremy Schmidt made three substantial rulings during the hearing.

He raised the bond to $2 million. He added four additional counts of first-degree arson based on the new information. And he approved a competency evaluation.

Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam had requested the bond be doubled, citing the gravity of the charges.

Farinacci sat alongside Colin Charbonneau, his attorney and director of the Spokane County Public Defender’s Office. The gallery was partially filled, with the jury box occupied by media and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office detectives.

The Defense Strategy So Far

Charbonneau’s approach has been consistent across both appearances this week.

As he did Tuesday, he reserved argument on probable cause, bond and release conditions. That is a standard move early in a case, preserving the ability to contest those issues later once the defense has reviewed the full evidentiary record rather than responding to allegations in real time.

His one affirmative request was the competency evaluation, which Schmidt granted.

Why the Competency Question Matters

A competency evaluation addresses a narrow legal question: whether a defendant can understand the proceedings against him and assist meaningfully in his own defense.

It is not a determination about mental state at the time of the offense, which is a separate inquiry, and it is not a plea. The two are frequently confused.

If a defendant is found incompetent, proceedings pause while treatment is provided, and the case resumes only if competency is restored. Given the statements recorded in the court filings, the evaluation is an unsurprising step for defense counsel to seek.

The Case Is Paused

Superior Court Judge Andrew Van Winkle has placed the case on hold pending the evaluation.

A stay hearing is scheduled for September 4, which will likely be the next meaningful checkpoint in the proceedings.

What Comes Next

Several threads will determine how this case develops.

Whether detectives corroborate additional fires from the 25 Farinacci described, which would potentially add further counts. Whether the competency evaluation clears the way for the case to proceed on schedule. And how the defense responds once it engages substantively on probable cause, particularly regarding the admissibility and circumstances of the post-arrest statements.

The Old Trails fire was the largest of three blazes that destroyed hundreds of structures and forced roughly 67,000 people from their homes. The charges now pending reflect not just that single event, but a claimed pattern stretching back more than a year.