SPOKANE, Wash. — Authorities on Monday arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of starting one of the devastating wildfires tearing through eastern Washington state, even as many residents returned to discover whether their homes had survived the flames.

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Aaron F. Farinacci, who was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire. He is being held on $1 million bond. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

The fire, which ignited Saturday, is one of several burning in and around Spokane, Washington's second-largest city. Collectively, the blazes rank among the most destructive in state history, having destroyed at least 700 structures and forced roughly 67,000 people to evacuate. The scale of destruction places the Spokane-area fires alongside major Washington wildfire events such as the 2015 Okanogan Complex, which burned roughly 300,000 acres and was at the time the largest in state recorded history, and the 2023 Gray Fire near Medical Lake, which destroyed hundreds of structures in the same general region.

Residents Return to Ruin

Earlier Monday, some residents returned to find their homes leveled by wildfires that had erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend, coating yards in charred debris. In some cases, only chimneys remained standing.

"There's nothing to save," said Miriam Sim, 76, 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.

The fires had jumped roads and rivers, burning approximately 12.5 square miles (about 32 square kilometers) by Monday. Smoke and haze filled the sky. Although calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to aid firefighters, conditions were expected to turn hot and dry again by midweek, raising concerns about renewed fire spread in an already volatile landscape.

In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a heat-twisted boat, and melted plastic recycling bins littered the streets. Across the road, lawns remained green and houses were spared, as residents kept hoses and sprinklers running to protect their properties.

Congressional Delegation Seeks Federal Emergency Declaration

"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," Washington state's entire congressional delegation wrote Monday in a letter urging President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.

An approved presidential emergency declaration would unlock federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including funding for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and grants to help displaced households with temporary housing and repairs. The bipartisan letter — signed by both of Washington's U.S. senators and its entire House delegation — underscores the unusual severity of the disaster for a metropolitan area of more than 500,000 residents.

No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far. Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing persons, but by Monday all but 14 had been cleared. Authorities said the outstanding reports more likely reflected people who had not been in contact since evacuating rather than individuals truly missing or in danger.

The Spokane-area wildfires remained completely uncontained, according to fire officials. More than 1,000 firefighters — many from out of state — had arrived by Monday, and that number was expected to double in the coming days.

The fires were among dozens burning across the Western United States, stretching the capacity of federal, state, and local agencies. At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) have burned across Washington, which has been contending with severe drought and a meager snowpack that left vegetation and soils unusually dry heading into peak fire season. Authorities also warned the public not to fly drones near burned areas, noting that such activity could force the suspension of aerial firefighting operations.

Families Lose Homes and Possessions

Angela and Wayde Deatherage, both 49, evacuated shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday with their son, grabbing a few bins of family photos and heirloom rings but little else. Approximately 30 minutes later, their security camera began sending fire notifications to Angela's phone.

Wayde Deatherage took back roads and returned by early evening. He stopped at the end of the street and called his wife: "Our house is done."

Deatherage, however, was not done with his neighborhood. He propped a hose against another house to keep the property wet. That home survived.

The couple returned to their own property on Sunday.

"It's just ash," Angela Deatherage said of the home where they had lived for nearly 22 years. "It's like our house sunk down in the basement. ... There's just so much loss for so many people."

Karen Faggioli, 61, had expected to return to her home. She recalled how other recent fires had been brought under control. But a relative texted her the news: her house and three vehicles had been destroyed. A daughter also lost her nearby home.

"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."

Friends and relatives of fire victims posted online appeals for money, clothing, and basic necessities.

Fires Spread Across Idaho, Oregon, and Utah

Spokane was far from the only region struggling to contain wildfires. In western Idaho and eastern Oregon, a lightning-caused fire that has burned more than 530 square miles (about 1,370 square kilometers) of grassland continued to grow on Monday. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the blaze threatens more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.

In central Utah, a wildfire quadrupled in size over the weekend, reaching nearly 109 square miles (282 square kilometers) by Monday afternoon. More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to law enforcement. Heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines, though forward progression slowed toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town's southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred.

Spokane Mobilizes Emergency Response

In Spokane, approximately 400 people were staying at the city's main convention center, which was converted into an emergency shelter. Spokane Public Schools opened a free emergency drop-in camp for children on Monday. Trials at the county court were postponed to Aug. 10.

Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane.