Man Detained After Fire Near Spokane Home

Paul Child and his grandson noticed a man behaving suspiciously about half a mile from their home near Spokane, Washington. The man stood nervously among tall grass and trees near a railroad as Mr. Child drove by.

When they arrived home, Mr. Child’s daughter alerted him to smoke nearby. “I ran out the door,” Mr. Child, 64, said. He suspected the man they had seen was responsible for starting a fire.

The family contacted 911 and prepared to evacuate. Mr. Child drove down the road to warn neighbors. Firefighters and a police officer arrived within 20 minutes to a fire that had grown out of control.

Authorities detained a man named Aaron F. Farinacci based on an affidavit. They asked Mr. Child to identify the man as the one he had seen earlier. He confirmed the man’s identity.