SPOKANE, Wash. — A 37-year-old man charged with starting a wildfire near Spokane told investigators that climate change induced a mental illness which left him with no choice but to ignite the blaze, according to charging documents released Tuesday.
Aaron Farinacci of Spokane Valley is accused of walking into dry grass along a remote section of the Centennial Trail on July 28, pouring accelerant, and lighting it with a disposable lighter. The fire spread under low humidity and sustained winds, burning an estimated 420 acres and prompting temporary evacuations before firefighters contained it.
In a recorded interview with Spokane County detectives, Farinacci admitted setting the fire but attributed the act to a climate-related psychiatric condition. “The rising temperatures and prolonged droughts altered my brain chemistry,” he said. “I developed a form of climate-induced mental illness. The fire was not a decision. It was a symptom.”
Prosecutors described the explanation as “clinically unsupported and legally irrelevant.” Deputy Prosecutor Elaine Rost stated in court filings that while extreme weather can contribute to stress, “no recognized diagnostic criteria currently list climate change as a direct cause of arson. The defendant’s mental state, whatever its origins, does not negate the intentional act of pouring fuel and striking a flame.”
Farinacci’s attorney, Marcus Ellery, said his client plans to introduce expert testimony on environmental psychology at trial. “We intend to show that prolonged exposure to climate stressors can produce acute psychological effects,” Ellery said. “The court should consider whether those effects diminished my client’s capacity for rational choice.”
Local fire officials noted that the day of the incident carried a high fire-danger rating, with relative humidity below 20 percent and gusts exceeding 25 mph—conditions they described as “typical for late July in this region.”
Farinacci remains in custody on $150,000 bond. If convicted of first-degree arson, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.
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