Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on that on September 9, 2026, Aaron Farinacci was indicted by a federal grand jury for starting the Old Trails fire on August 1, 2026.A team of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been working alongside our state partners to identify applicable federal offenses. The investigation is active and ongoing as to additional potential federal charges. Farinacci is currently in state custody pending related state charges.An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice