Man charged with arson in Spokane told police he planned to spark wildfire for weeks

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane County detective who interviewed the man accused of starting one of the city's wildfires said the man confessed, described his planning process and explained how he created a device to ignite the blaze. WATCH: Man charged with arson as Washington wildfires devastate Spokane area Detective Michael Drapeau said in a court filing Wednesday that Aaron Farinacci told him that he planned the Old Trails fire for about two weeks. He researched the weather to predict a day that would have "high winds, low humidity, sort of high heat." Farinacci also researched a well-known serial arsonist and purchased items to make a "time delay device" for igniting a wildfire using notebook paper, matches, a cigarette and a rubber band, the detective said. The fire Farinacci was charged with sparking is one of three burning in the Spokane area that have burned more than 850 homes and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. He picked Saturday, Aug.

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