NPR
npr.org › 2026 › 08 › 04 › g-s1-137274 › suspect-arrested-wildfires-spokane
Arson suspect makes first court appearance as Spokane wildfires rage on
August 4, 2026 - Spokane wildfire arson suspect makes first court appearance Aaron Farinacci, a 37-year-old convicted felon, is accused of "knowingly and maliciously" causing the Old Trails Fire, the most destructive of the three blazes burning around Spokane, ...
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › cy0j5nyxk68o
Spokane wildfire arson suspect waited for dry, windy day to start blaze, police say
Aaron Farinacci is accused of setting the Old Trails Fire, the largest of three burning around the city that have destroyed hundreds of buildings.
Published: August 7, 2026
02:16
Man arrested, suspected of arson in San Diego fire that burned ...
02:35
Spokane Arson Suspect Says He Waited for Windy Day to Set Fire ...
01:43
Washington state arson suspect appears in court as wildfire rages ...
Man charged with arson for with setting Spokane's largest wildfire
04:45
Experts examine psychology behind wildfire arson and fire setting ...
Experts examine psychology behind wildfire arson in Utah
NBC News
nbcnews.com › news › us-news › arson-suspect-indicted-2-felony-counts-deadly-los-angeles-palisades-fi-rcna237937
Arson suspect indicted on 2 more felony counts in deadly Los Angeles Palisades Fire
October 17, 2025 - Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is accused of "maliciously" starting a fire on New Year's Day that killed 12 people and scorched the Pacific Palisades.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/reno › wildfire arsonist arrested by washoe county sheriff's office this weekend
r/Reno on Reddit: Wildfire Arsonist Arrested by Washoe County Sheriff's Office This Weekend
September 1, 2026 -
Over the weekend, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies observed a vehicle enter the roadway from a vacant dirt lot off the roundabout at Dandini Boulevard and Spectrum Boulevard without its headlights on. Deputies then noticed a small brush fire burning in the area the vehicle had just exited.
Deputies immediately moved to extinguish the fire. The source of the fire appeared to consist of multiple split wooden logs stacked in a teepee formation within the surrounding sagebrush. Fire personnel were requested to ensure the extinguished fire posed no additional threat.
A short distance away, deputies located the vehicle at a nearby business and made contact with the driver. Following an investigation, deputies arrested 29-year-old Damien Pineda-Contreras in connection with the fire.
During the investigation, deputies located multiple split wooden logs, matches, lighters, charcoal lighter fluid and tumbleweed fire starters inside the front cab of Pineda-Contreras’ vehicle.
Pineda-Contreras was transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility, where he was booked on a felony charge of third-degree arson.
Fox News
foxnews.com › us › washington-wildfire-arson-suspect-previously-charged-first-degree-murder-records-show
Washington wildfire arson suspect previously charged with first-degree murder, records show
Spokane wildfire arson suspect Aaron Farinacci was previously charged with first-degree murder before pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2010 Arizona homicide.
Published: August 4, 2026
WDSU
wdsu.com › home › news › suspected arsonists complicate battle against la wildfires
Wildfires in Los Angeles: Arson arrests and ongoing investigations
December 11, 2025 - Authorities arrest arson suspects amid devastating LA wildfires
PBS
pbs.org › newshour › nation › man-charged-with-arson-in-spokane-told-police-he-planned-to-spark-wildfire-for-weeks
Man charged with arson in Spokane told police he planned to spark wildfire for weeks | PBS News
August 6, 2026 - 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.
NBC News
nbcnews.com › weather › wildfires › are-arsonists-responsible-los-angeles-wildfires-rcna186949
Are arsonists responsible for the L.A. wildfires? What we know so far
The Eaton Fire, the second largest to wreak havoc in Los Angeles, is not one of those likely to have been started by an arsonist, the experts say.
Published: January 16, 2025
Los Angeles Times
latimes.com › opinion › story › 2026-10-08 › palisades-eaton-arsonist-cruelty-to-animals
Contributor: Charge wildfire arsonists with cruelty to animals - Los Angeles Times
2 days ago - called for convicted arsonist Brian McGlover to face cruelty to animals charges for his role in igniting Riverside County’s Cranston fire, writing that “anyone who deliberately sets fires is signing a death warrant for wild animals, who ...
AP News
apnews.com › article › wildfires-spokane-washington-suspect-arson-charges-f9e3d98df0c20a16d2f9b083efd99ab3
Man charged with arson in Spokane, Washington, told police he planned wildfire for weeks
Police say a man charged with starting one of the wildfires in Spokane, Washington, that have destroyed hundreds of buildings planned the crime for weeks and researched when the weather would be best for igniting it.
Published: August 7, 2026
US Forest Service
research.fs.usda.gov › treesearch › 37036
Wildland arson: a research assessment | US Forest Service Research and Development
Arson is predictable in short and long timespans, as its rate is heavily influenced by weather, climate, fuels, and recent information on other nearby and recent arson fires. These results could be used to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and wildfire management resources.
Los Angeles Times
latimes.com › california › story › 2025-10-02 › serial-arsonist-line-fire-conviction
SoCal serial arsonist who started 44,000-acre wildfire was caught by a license plate reader
October 2, 2025 - Justin Halstenberg of Norco was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison on Wednesday for igniting the Line fire in Highland in 2024, which led to six firefighter injuries and 44,000 acres of San Bernardino County mountains being scorched.
People
people.com › alleged-wash-wildfire-arsonist-previously-killed-dad-12033796
Alleged Wash. Wildfire Arsonist Previously Killed Dad
August 4, 2026 - Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested and booked on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with one of three massive wildfires fires ripping through eastern Washington State
Wildfire Today
wildfiretoday.com › tag › arson
arson – Wildfire Today
While fictional arsonists are depicted ... in rapid succession, real-life arsonists are usually unskilled offenders who use matches or other simple devices to set small fires that may escalate in frequency and severity....
NYTimes
nytimes.com › 2025 › 04 › 24 › nyregion › arson-new-jersey-wildfire.html
Man Charged With Arson in Vast New Jersey Wildfire - The New York Times
April 24, 2025 - A New Jersey man was charged Thursday with starting a bonfire this week that sparked the Jones Road Wildfire, one of the largest wildfires in the state in almost 20 years, officials said.
The Guardian
theguardian.com › us-news › 2026 › aug › 06 › washington-state-wildfires
Accused arsonist studied how to maximize Washington wildfire’s harm, police say | Washington state | The Guardian
August 8, 2026 - Court documents allege Aaron Farinacci, who faces slew of arson charges, set 25 fires in Spokane area over past year
PBS
pbs.org › newshour › show › man-charged-with-arson-as-washington-wildfires-devastate-spokane-area
Man charged with arson as Washington wildfires devastate Spokane area | PBS News
Firefighters in eastern Washington are struggling to gain the upper hand on the wildfires devastating the Spokane area. The three blazes have forced tens of thousands to flee and destroyed more than 700 buildings. Authorities arrested a man suspected of starting the fire considered to be the ...
Published: August 5, 2026
NBC News
nbcnews.com › science › environment › california-arson-threat-climate-change-rcna171393
In California, heat and dry conditions make arson a more potent threat
Wildfire arsonists tend to be men, often young.
Published: October 7, 2024
NBC Los Angeles
nbclosangeles.com › news › local › la-arson-arrests-wildfires › 3605576
LA arson arrests over small fires amid wildfire danger – NBC Los Angeles
January 15, 2025 - Two people were arrested in connection with small fires in L.A. One told officers she "enjoyed causing chaos and destruction," the other said "he liked the...