WorldA man charged with starting one of the wildfires in Spokane, Wash., that have destroyed hundreds of buildings planned the crime for weeks and researched when the weather would be best for igniting it, police said.3 wildfires in area have burned more than 850 homes, forced evacuation of thousandsThe Associated Press · Posted: Aug 06, 2026 6:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Chimneys from homes lost during the Old Trails fire are shown near West Houston Avenue in Spokane, Wash., on Tuesday. (Matt Mills McKnight/Reuters)A man charged with starting one of the wildfires in Spokane, Wash., that have destroyed hundreds of buildings planned the crime for weeks and researched when the weather would be best for igniting it, police said.Aaron Farinacci expressed that "fire is powerful, beautiful, and that things that go through fire experience a kind of rebirth," Spokane County Det. Michael Drapeau said in a court filing on Wednesday, recalling his interview with him. Farinacci, 37, is charged with starting the Old Trails fire, one of three fires in the Spokane area that have burned more than 850 homes and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. He's due in court on Thursday for arraignment on a first-degree arson charge. Defence lawyer Colin Charbonneau did not immediately return messages seeking comment.Farinacci researched the weather to predict a day that would have "high winds, low humidity, sort of high heat" for starting the fire, Drapeau said. He also looked up the work of 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.WATCH | Sifting through the ashes in the wake of Spokane wildfires:‘We’re homeless’: Wildfires leave hundreds of Spokane, Wash., residents with nothingAugust 5|Duration 2:34Hundreds of Spokane, Wash., residents are sifting through what’s left of their homes after devastating wildfires tore through the community.Farinacci picked Saturday, Aug. 1, to start the fire because he knew winds would reach 80 km/h, Drapeau said.He said he knew it "was gonna get bad," the detective said, but Farinacci claimed he didn't intend for it to grow as much as it did.Paul Child, 64, has been credited with leading police to Farinacci. He was driving with his grandson along some railroad tracks when he saw a man standing there and looking toward nearby trees. About 10 minutes later, the man was still there."He was bent over in the brush, acting nervous," Child told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "You get the feeling this guy's up to something."Drapeau said Farinacci also admitted responsibility for 25 fires near his apartment building in the summer of 2025.