Kathmandu— A man previously imprisoned for murdering his father has been charged with setting the largest wildfire to hit Washington state’s second-largest city, Spokane. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the blaze that destroyed hundreds of buildings and forced tens of thousands from their homes.

Community Tip Leads to Arrest

A tip from a concerned citizen who noticed a nervous man near burning grass led authorities to Farinacci. Sheriff John Nowels said the community member’s alertness was crucial in identifying and apprehending the suspect. When major crimes detectives began investigating, they found that the fire had started where witnesses reported seeing Farinacci. He denied setting the fire but was detained with matches and a lighter on him.

Devastation and Evacuations

The Old Trails Fire has burned through 16 square miles, destroying at least 700 buildings and forcing about 67,000 people to evacuate. Some residents returned to find their homes completely destroyed, with only chimneys standing in some cases. Miriam Sim, 76, said there was nothing left to save from her home where she had lived since 2005.

Hundreds of people have lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.

Firefighting Efforts Intensify

More than 1,000 firefighters, including those from out of state, have arrived in Spokane to combat the fires. The number is expected to double in the next few days as firefighting conditions worsen with winds picking up and temperatures reaching the 90s (32-37 degrees Celsius). Authorities warned against flying drones near burned areas to avoid delaying aerial firefighting operations.

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.