Crews battle Spokane fires. Latest news on containment, evacuations
Three major wildfires continued burning around Washington state’s second-largest city on Aug. 6, entering their sixth day after destroying hundreds of homes and other structures and forcing tens of thousands of evacuations.
Fire crews from across Washington remained focused on the Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, which together make up the Spokane Complex fires. Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place in parts of the region as firefighters worked to strengthen containment lines.
More than 100 Washington National Guard members have been deployed to assist with the response, while over 1,400 firefighting personnel have been assigned to battle the blazes, officials said. The Autumn Lane Fire remained the most active of the three wildfires as of Aug. 5, though the Spokane County Sheriff's Office said crews had "successfully held the fire within its established footprint" while reinforcing containment lines.
An estimated 600 to 1,100 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and as many as 1,824 structures are threatened, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 60,000 people have been evacuated.
Authorities have arrested Aaron F. Farinacci, a 37-year-old Spokane resident, on a first-degree arson charge in connection with the Old Trails Fire. Authorities have not identified the causes of the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, which remain under investigation.
Here's the latest update on the fires.
See containment percentages on the Spokane, Washington, wildfires
The Spokane Complex fires have burned more than 10,500 acres since igniting on Aug. 1, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
As of Aug. 5, the three fires had reached the following containment levels:
- Autumn Lane Fire: 13% contained
- Old Trails Fire: 13% contained
- Fairview Fire: 5% contained
What to know about the suspect in the Old Trails Fire
Farinacci was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree arson after he was accused of starting the Old Trails Fire.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said a witness reported seeing a man, identified as Farinacci, kneeling down in the area where the fire started and looking "nervous." He was found with matches and a lighter, though court documents say he denied starting the blaze.
According to an affidavit by investigators, Farinacci was contacted by law enforcement on at least two previous occasions in 2025 in relation to fires. He was previously convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting his father in 2010 in Arizona.
Farinacci made an initial court appearance on Aug. 4 and was expected to be arraigned on Aug. 6.
Wildfires worsen air quality in the West
Air quality has worsened for nearly 600,000 people in the areas surrounding the Spokane Complex wildfires, officials said.
As of Aug. 6, the air quality within a 50-mile radius of the fires was recorded at levels that were between unhealthy for sensitive groups and very unhealthy for all people. Smoke impacts were covering parts of northeast Washington and northwest Idaho. The smoky conditions had improved some from earlier in the week, when hazardous air quality was recorded by several area sensors.
Smoke from other fires throughout Washington state and Oregon was impacting air quality more broadly in the Pacific Northwest. On the morning of Aug. 6, Seattle and Portland ranked among the top 10 cities with the worst air quality in the world, according to IQ Air's tracker.
Wildfire map shows Spokane blazes
See where wildfire smoke is spreading in US
Contributing: Marc Ramirez and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY