On Tuesday, three forest fires were still surrounding Spokane, in the northwest of the United States, where more than 700 buildings have been destroyed since Saturday. A suspect, suspected of having intentionally started one of the fires, was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention. None of the outbreaks have yet been brought under control, although the heat is expected to increase at the end of the week.

Published on: 05/08/2026 - 01:49

The fires in the northwest of the United States continued to smoke the city of Spokane on Tuesday, August 4, where residents are divided between astonishment at the hundreds of houses reduced to ashes and anger towards the suspect accused of starting one of the fires.

Entire neighborhoods have been razed by the flames, which have raged since Saturday in Washington state. More than 65,000 people had to be evacuated in the face of three fires surrounding this city of 230,000 inhabitants, located a four-hour drive from Seattle. The authorities have not yet reported any deaths.

One of them was apparently started voluntarily by a man arrested Monday evening in possession of waterproof matches and a butane lighter, after being seen by a witness near the place where the fire started, according to the authorities. This 37-year-old American, Aaron Farinacci, spent almost ten years in prison for killing his father, before being released in 2020. He was placed in pre-trial detention, with bail set on Tuesday at one million dollars.

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Heatwave and drought accelerated the spread of the fire

In Spokane, where at least 700 buildings went up in smoke, residents can't believe it. “It’s difficult to put into words this feeling of anger and disgust towards someone who doesn’t care about the fate of thousands of people,” Kimber Renz told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "It's revolting, it's awful. I hope he gets what he deserves."

This daycare director lost the house where she lived with her three children and her partner, and into which the family had just moved. Under the smoldering ruins, she found only a few pieces of garden furniture and metal cake pans. “It’s hard to see all your stuff disappear like that,” she says. "The grief comes and goes in waves. I cried a lot." “We try to be strong for our children,” she adds. “They are safe and sound, our dog and our fish too, so we are grateful to be alive.”

This weekend, high winds, scorching temperatures and the drought that has plagued Washington state for four years accelerated the spread of the flames.

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At 35 years old, with as many spent in Spokane, Kimber Renz is still stunned by the speed with which the fire jumped the city's river to engulf her neighborhood. “We thought we were safe,” she admits. “We had the river, so we didn’t think the fire would cross it and get here.”

This disaster comes after “one of the warmest winters recorded in the eastern part of the state,” said Daniel Swain, a specialist in extreme events at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The disaster corresponds to “a recurring pattern that we observe again, again and again,” observed the climatologist, comparing the situation in Spokane to the current fires in France and Spain, or to those of Los Angeles last year and Hawaii in 2023.

Firefighters' progress

None of the three fires, which have ravaged more than 4,140 hectares around Spokane, have yet been contained. The temporary drop in temperatures and winds allowed firefighters to make progress on Tuesday. But the mercury is expected to rise above 32°C again from mid-week, which worries the authorities.

“These conditions are expected to increase fire risks, with another period of critical fire weather forecast for the end of the week and weekend,” their latest bulletin highlights.

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Spokane is far from the only place engulfed in flames in the American Northwest, which is experiencing one of the worst fire seasons in its history. In Washington state alone, firefighters are battling more than 16 large fires. Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday that the Trump administration had approved his declaration of a state of emergency, which allows federal aid to be released to facilitate relief, accommodation and care for evacuees.

Neighboring Oregon, for its part, suffered more than thirty major fires. They ravaged more than 405,000 hectares in two weeks and caused the evacuation of thousands of inhabitants of rural areas.

With AFP

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