Authorities arrested a man on Monday on suspicion of setting one of the three devastating wildfires burning through the region.
Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, from Spoken, Wash., was charged on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of the blazes, Spokane County Sheriff's Office said.
Farinacci had waterproof matches and a butane lighter when he was detained, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at a press conference.
Officials have not said what may have caused the other two fires.
A statewide emergency was declared on Saturday and more than 67,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of the fires, which destroyed about 700 structures, including homes and businesses, over the weekend.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called it "the worst natural disaster our region has faced."
Around 3,650 homes are still without power, according to the data from utility company Avista on Tuesday morning.
None of the wildfires had been contained as of Monday, Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, said.
The county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but they had cleared all but 14.
Farinacci, a convicted felon from Arizona, was spotted by a concerned citizen "looking very nervous" and bending beside the grass where the Old Trails Fire started on August 1, Nowels said.
A short time later, the witness told police that they saw some smoke from the area where they had seen the male. The 37-year-old was arrested 1.5 miles from the site, but released shortly after initial questioning.
Later, when major crimes detectives started investigating using body-worn cameras, they again identified Farinacci and determined that the fire had started where the witness had seen him, which led to his arrest Monday, Nowels said.
"As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci," he said.
The Old Trails Fire in northwest Spokane had burned about 3,500 acres by Sunday morning, eventually jumping over the Spokane River and ripping through neighborhoods.
Together, the three fires burned about 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometers) by Monday. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across Washington, which has contended with severe drought and a paltry snowpack.
"Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers," the state's congressional delegation wrote Monday in asking President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.
Early assessments estimated that about 700 structures have been destroyed, according to Tom Stokesberry, a spokesperson for a California incident management team helping in Spokane. He cautioned that the figure includes outbuildings and that it was not yet clear how many were homes.
Some residents have returned to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend, covering yards in charred debris. In some cases, only chimneys were left standing.
"There's nothing to save," Miriam Sim, 76, said Monday as she and her husband, Daniel Sim, surveyed the ruins of the home where they had lived since 2005.
"At our age, do we want to rebuild?" her husband asked.
Karen Faggioli, 61, told Associated Press that she figured she would be returning to her home, but a relative told her that her house and three vehicles were destroyed.
"Why cry? What's crying going to do? I've been through so many tragedies myself," said Faggioli, who is recovering from breast cancer. "This is nothing. Like I told my granddaughter, 'We're strong — and now we get all new things.' I'm emotionally numb."
According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) burn ban map, fire restrictions are in effect across much of Washington state.
More than 1,000 firefighters, many from out of state, arrived by Monday to tackle the blazes. That number is expected to double in the next few days.
Calmer winds and lower temperatures have helped firefighters, but it is expected that it will become hot and dry again by midweek.
The National Weather Service forecast for Tuesday indicates warm and dry conditions in Spokane, with a high of approximately 28°C (82°F). Hazy skies are expected due to smoke from ongoing wildfires, resulting in poor air quality, while the lack of precipitation and continued dry conditions are expected to contribute to ongoing wildfire concerns.
Farinacci's first court appearance will be Tuesday, according to Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
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