A 37-year-old former convict, Aaron Farinacci, has been arrested in connection with a devastating wildfire in Spokane, Washington, which destroyed almost 700 buildings and forced more than 65,000 people to evacuate.
Mr Farinacci, a Spokane resident, was taken into custody by a SWAT team on Monday without resistance after investigators reportedly found evidence linking him to the blaze.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said detectives traced the fire’s origin to the same location where witnesses had earlier reported seeing Farinacci shortly before the flames broke out.
“Detectives determined that the origin of the fire was exactly where witnesses had seen Mr Farinacci kneeling in the grass,” Nowels said.
The suspect reportedly became a person of interest after a witness told authorities they saw a man near the Old Trails Fire area before it started. The witness said the man was moving around the location, studying the trees and occasionally bending down to touch the grass.
According to Sheriff Nowels, the witness described the man’s behaviour as suspicious, saying he appeared nervous while at the scene.
Farinacci is expected to face a first-degree arson charge along with other related offences. He is scheduled to appear before a court on Tuesday.