Authorities arrest an arson suspect in connection with wildfires in Spokane

The rubble of a burned-out home smolders in the Balboa neighborhood of Spokane, Wash., on Sunday. Erick Doxey/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff's Office has arrested a suspect in connection with its investigation into the Old Trails fire, the most destructive wildfire of the three burning in and around this eastern Washington city.

Authorities say 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci, a convicted felon, was arrested at his home without incident and is being charged with arson in the first degree. The suspect's home was also searched.

Sheriff John Nowels said a tip from a citizen, who reported seeing a man "bending down near some grass" in the area where the fire started, led investigators to detain a suspect early in the investigation. The man, identified as Farinacci, was questioned and released but was arrested again later by major crimes detectives and investigators as more details emerged during the investigation, Nowels said in a press conference.

Nowels said authorities believe Farinacci used matches or a lighter to start the fire, both items found on him at the time of his arrest.

The suspect will make his first court appearance on Tuesday, according to county prosecutor Preston McCollam. It wasn't immediately clear whether Farinacci had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, according to The Associated Press.

Authorities said the cause of the fires is still under investigation.

The blazes have been fueled by high winds and temperatures and dry weather. Since last weekend, the wildfires have displaced 65,000 people, destroyed some 700 buildings and burned through 7,000 acres of land.