Spokane man faces additional arson charges after allegedly confessing to 25 fires

A 37-year-old man arrested in Spokane on suspicion of first-degree arson is accused of igniting the Old Trails fire on Saturday and of starting 25 additional fires around Riverside State Park since July, according to a prosecutors' memorandum filed in Spokane County Superior Court. Detectives have verified that he was responsible for at least four of those incidents, including a July 6 blaze that burned more than 1,200 acres and forced evacuations.

The suspect was taken into custody Monday at his West Spokane apartment and booked on a $1 million bond. He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday. A public defender has not responded to requests for comment.

Investigators say a nearby resident reported seeing the man near the Old Trails fire’s origin point on Saturday, describing him as “nervous.” He was stopped twice later that day by sheriff’s deputies and a state fire investigator but released both times. After his arrest, a sheriff’s detective reported the man told him he spent about two weeks planning the Saturday fire, choosing a windy, hot, and dry day to maximize its spread. He allegedly said he “feels fire is powerful and beautiful” and that arson is “an easy crime to get away with.”

Prosecutors are seeking four additional counts of first-degree arson and indicated the investigation into the other fires is ongoing, with the possibility of further charges as more information emerges. The three Spokane-area fires combined have burned more than 15 square miles, destroyed or damaged nearly 850 structures, and forced more than 60,000 residents to evacuate. Level 3 “Go now” evacuation orders remain in effect in parts of Spokane County, and shelters are operating at the Spokane Convention Center, the Spokane County Fairgrounds, and Jenkins High School.