00:02This morning, investigators say they've arrested a man they believe started one of the three wildfires still burning in Spokane,
00:09Washington.
00:10Spokane County Sheriff's investigators arrested 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci Monday on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with
00:18the Old Trails fire.
00:19He's being held on a $1 million bond.
00:22Investigators say a witness reported seeing Farinacci kneeling in the grass where the fire is believed to have started.
00:28The sheriff added Farinacci has a prior manslaughter conviction out of Arizona.
00:34And by the way, it is a continuing and ongoing investigation.
00:38We will be looking into any other crimes Mr. Farinacci may have committed in the past.
00:45We will also be looking into other charges that may come about as the facts and circumstances of the Old
00:54Trail fire come to light and come to be known.
00:57Just know that this charge is what we have probable cause for right now.
01:03Meanwhile, today, firefighters are racing to take advantage of their best weather condition in days before hotter, drier weather returns
01:11later this week.
01:12Fast-moving flames have destroyed more than 700 homes, businesses, and other buildings.
01:18Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders.
01:22The fires are still uncontained, but lighter winds and cooler temperatures today are giving crews their first real opportunity to
01:29slow them down.
01:30The scenes across Spokane are staggering.
01:34Burned-out neighborhoods, twisted cars, and in some places, only chimneys left standing.
01:40Among those returning home, Lizzie Davis.
01:43She returned to see the house she grew up in relegated to just charred ruins.
01:48My dad had actually just finished paying off the house.
01:51Yeah.
01:52He worked really hard for that.
01:58And I'm really grateful for everything that he was able to provide for my family.
02:05It was a beautiful home.
02:07It really was.
02:10It's a very, very hard loss.
02:13Wow, just heartbreaking.
02:15Officials say they've received hundreds of reports of missing people, though most have now been accounted for.
02:21And so far, there have been no confirmed deaths or major injuries.
02:25Forecasters warn the break in the weather will be short-lived, with those hotter, drier conditions expected to return in
02:32days threatening to reignite the firefighters' battle.
02:36Sometimes the most interesting part of a story never makes it into the headlines.
02:40That's why we created Unbiased Updates off-script, an exclusive show where we turn off the prompter for smart insights
02:48about the stories shaping your week.
02:50There is evidence, right, that it's foreign actors who are creating these accounts.
02:56Unscripted conversations, transparent reporting, and the context behind the headlines from the people who know the stories best.
03:03No spin or agenda.
03:05That website was only created one day before announcing his candidacy.
03:09Unbiased Updates off-script, Thursdays at Straight Arrow.
Comments