Edge Rewrite
restyle Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

Jump to content

Old Trails Fire

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old Trails fire
Part of 2026 Washington wildfires
Panorama showing Old Trails Fire (middle left) and Fairview Fire (middle) as seen from near Spokane Valley on August 1, 2026 at 8:05 p.m.; the smoke is blowing northeast
Date
  • August 1, 2026 – present
LocationSpokane County, Washington, United States
Coordinates47°39′32″N 117°25′30″W / 47.659°N 117.425°W / 47.659; -117.425
Statistics
StatusOngoing wildfire
Perimeter13% contained as of
August 5, 2026
Burned area3,621 acres (1,465 ha; 6 sq mi; 15 km2)
Impacts
Evacuated65,000
Structures destroyed700-1,100
Ignition
CauseUnder investigation
Map
Map
Perimeter of 2026 Spokane Complex Fire (map data)

The Old Trails fire is an ongoing wildfire in Spokane in Spokane County, Washington. On August 1, 2026 the fire spread to just over 3,500 acres (1,416 ha),[1] the primary cause of its rapid pace winds of 35–40-mile-per-hour (56–64 km/h). Its ignition point is unknown. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency, and given the extreme conditions and twelve large fires already burning statewide, the National Weather Service issued its first-ever "particularly dangerous situation" Red Flag Warning for Central and Eastern Washington.[2]

A secondary fire, the Autumn Lane brush fire just northwest of Spokane, by Monday afternoon, August 3, 2026, had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,300 ha).[3] As of August 5, 2026, firefighters estimated that both the Old Trails fire and the Autumn Lane were 13% contained.[4][5] The Old Trails Fire, Autumn Lane Fire, and the related Fairview Fire have been designated the Spokane Complex Fires;[6][7][8] it has received international coverage.[9][10][11][12][13]

Progression

[edit]
The large smoke plume seen from the nearby KOTX NEXRAD doppler radar.

The fire started west of Spokane around 12 p.m. PDT on August 1 near the city of Airway Heights. Given the abundance of fuel and winds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), the fire grew rapidly and jumped the Spokane River.[14][15] At 3:30 a Level 3 (mandatory) evacuation was issued in Spokane affecting thousands of people. By 5:20, multiple homes were fully involved, and explosions occurred in the Indian Trail Neighborhood. 40,000 people in Spokane were without power, many as a precautionary measure.[16]

As of early Sunday morning August 2, 640 structures were confirmed impacted, mostly in Spokane proper,[17] and the VA hospital had been evacuated.[16]

By late Monday afternoon, August 3, the Autumn Lane fire had grown to 1,000 acres (400 ha) to become the single largest fire of the complex.[18] 65,000 people had been evacuated from Spokane and environs, 700 homes had been confirmed destroyed, and some 900 firefighters were working the Spokane Complex; over 5000 were responding to 15 fires throughout the state.[19] In total the Spokane Complex had burned 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2).[20]

Evacuation and closure of institutions

[edit]

The Spokane Veterans Health Administration hospital and its Spokane satellite facilities were evacuated on August 1.[21] The same day, people sheltering at Spokane Falls Community College were moved to the Spokane Convention Center when power was lost.[22] Fairchild Air Force Base issued a "limited evacuation order for military personnel, civilian employees and families" who were in designated evacuation zones.[23][24] On August 3, 2026, Spokane Superior, District and Municipal Courts issued an emergency order to shut down certain court operations and continue jury trials to August 10.[25]

Arrest

[edit]

On August 3, Aaron Farinacci was arrested[26] and charged with first-degree arson. The probable cause affidavit filed in Spokane County Superior Court states that the fire investigator "determined the cause of the fire was consistent with an open flame to vegetation such as would be expected by a lighter or a match."[27] His bail was set at $1,000,000.[28][29]

In 2012, Farinacci was charged with the 2010 murder of his adoptive[30] father.[20][31] He ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in December 2020.[27]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Salhotra, Pooja (August 2, 2026). "Wildfires in Spokane, Wash., Force Thousands to Evacuate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Fast-Moving Old Trails Fire Forces Mass Evacuations and State of Emergency in Washington". JQJO.
  3. ↑ Team, FOX 13 Seattle Digital (August 1, 2026). "Wildfire burning in Spokane, WA prompts evacuation orders". FOX 13 Seattle.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Maps: Where are the wildfires burning in Spokane County?". KREM. August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  5. ↑ King, Rob (August 5, 2026). "Firefighters gain some containment on all three Spokane wildfires". KXLY. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  6. ↑ Randolph, Mary (August 3, 2026). "Washington's wildfires are a warning for the entire U.S.: Dry conditions and climate change are putting forests across the country at risk for disaster". Scientific American. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Trio of wildfires described as 'worst natural disaster' Spokane has faced". The Seattle Times. August 2, 2026.
  8. ↑ Grant, Natalie (August 2, 2026). "Spokane Complex Fire devastates Indian Trail neighborhood in northwest Spokane". KXLY kxly.com.
  9. ↑ "حرائق غابات بأمريكا تدمر 700 مبنى وتدفع 64 ألف شخص للنزوح". الجزيرة نت.
  10. ↑ "野火扩散 华州斯波坎5000居民撤离". 世界新闻网.
  11. ↑ "Incendies dans le nord-ouest des Etats-Unis: un homme soupçonné d'avoir provoqué l'un des feux dévastateurs de Spokane arrêté". August 5, 2026 – via Le Monde.
  12. ↑ उपाध्याय, अमन (August 4, 2026). "देखते ही देखते अमेरिका में राख बन गए 700 घर, वॉशिंगटन पुलिस ने एक आरोपी को दबोचा; 67 हजार लोग बेघर". Navbharat Live.
  13. ↑ Afp, Efe (August 2, 2026). "Emergencia en EE. UU.: voraces incendios arrasan la ciudad de Spokane y obligan a evacuaciones masivas". El Tiempo.
  14. ↑ "Spokane in Washington: Brände bedrohen US-Großstadt". news.ORF.at (in German). August 2, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in eastern Washington". AP News. Associated Press. August 2, 2026. Archived from the original on August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "'When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock': Thousands evacuated in north Spokane as wildfire crosses river into city". The Spokesman-Review. August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  17. ↑ "'The top fire in our nation': Old Trails destroys 640 structures as 'potential for lives to be lost' remains". The Spokesman-Review. August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  18. ↑ Duggan, Alexandra; Pentasuglio, Julia (August 3, 2026). "Autumn Lane fire, now the largest in the Spokane Complex after growing 1,000 acres Sunday night". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  19. ↑ Herda, Lexi (August 3, 2026). "Spokane Complex Fires: 700 homes destroyed, 65K evacuated". KIRO 7 News Seattle.
  20. 1 2 Koch, Mitchell; Press, The Associated; staff, Gray News (August 4, 2026). "Man who killed father in Mesa suspected of starting Washington wildfire". AZFamily. Phoenix, Arizona: KTVK.
  21. ↑ Shannon Moudy (August 3, 2026). "Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center closed through at least August 4". Spoane: KREM-TV.
  22. ↑ Julia Pentasuglio (August 2, 2026). "'It really is that bad': Spokane Convention Center shelter becomes oasis for fire evacuees". Spokesman-Review. Spokane. After the Red Cross' original shelter location at Spokane Falls Community College lost power Saturday evening, the convention center opened around 7:30 p.m. Spokane Transit Authority buses transported people, many from assisted living homes and retirement homes, from the college. Lines of cars backed up traffic downtown. Evacuees were ushered into the massive empty convention hall as volunteers hustled to set up cots and coordinate medical needs for the 406 people who spent the night. By Sunday morning, the room was transformed into a full-blown disaster relief operation...
  23. ↑ Meridith Depping; Mazie McNamara; Daniel Fortin; Mark Rattner (August 4, 2026). "'A tremendous tragedy': thousands evacuated, hundreds of structures destroyed in Spokane Area Fires". Spokane: KHQ-TV.
  24. ↑ Gary Warner (August 3, 2026). "Major wildfires force evacuations at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane". Stars and Stripes. Washington, D.C.
  25. ↑ "State of Emergency Services Updates". Spokane County official website. August 3, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Spokane County Court Viewer". cp.spokanecounty.org.
  27. 1 2 Tsui, Karina; Yan, Holly; Boyette, Chris; Von Quednow, Cindy (August 4, 2026). "Man charged with arson in 1 of 3 wildfires torching Washington's Spokane area". CNN. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ Staff, KOMO News (August 4, 2026). "Spokane man arrested on first-degree arson charge in Old Trails Fire". KOMO.
  29. ↑ "Detention Services - Inmate Roster". cp.spokanecounty.org.
  30. ↑ "Court records detail troubled past of Spokane fire suspect". NBC News. August 4, 2026.
  31. ↑ Luck, Melissa (August 3, 2026). "Convicted felon arrested for arson in connection with massive Spokane wildfire". KXLY kxly.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Trails_Fire&oldid=1367915342"