Forged & Risen Gold Special Episode| Spokane on Fire: A Community That Fought Back

Damion Cox: Hello everyone, I'm Damien Cox, and after taking some time away, I'm back behind the microphone. Today is a special edition about the 2026 Spokane fires. Fires that changed neighborhoods, forced families from their homes, and left people wondering what they would have when the smoke cleared. I took some time away, but sometimes something happens that you simply can't ignore. What happened here in Spokane is one of those moments. This isn't just a story about wildfires. It's about fear loss, unanswered questions, and the firefighters who ran toward the flames while everyone else escaped. But most importantly, it's the story about Spokane. When disaster hit, people showed up. Neighbors opened their doors. Strangers helped strangers. Businesses donated. Volunteers worked. Families took in families. I'm Damian Cox. I'm back. This is Spokane on Fire. Let's begin. Beginning August first, Major wildfires erupted across Spokane. The old trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires spread rapidly through extreme heat, dry vegetation, low humidity, and strong winds. For thousands, Saturday became a fight to get out. Families grabbed children, pets, and medications, evacuations followed, and hundreds of structures were destroyed or damaged. Then came the question who started these fires? Authorities arrested thirty seven year old Spokane man Aaron Farinacci and charged him with first degree arson in connection with the old trails fire. Prosecutors say Farinacci initially denied starting the fire, but later confessed and said he planned the old trails fire for weeks. Authorities also say he admitted to starting other fires. Prosecutors say Farinacci described as many as twenty five other fires he allegedly started around Spokane dating back to last year. with evidence reportedly connecting him to at least four. But there is an important distinction. Farinacci has been charged and accused. Authorities have not established that he started all three major Spokane fires. The causes of the other major fires remain under investigation. Then firefighters faced another threat. In the sky, drones. Authorities reported twenty-six civilian drone incursions into restricted Spokane fire areas in one day. including four drones reportedly directly in the path of firefighting aircraft. A helicopter or air tanker may be flying toward a wildfire to drop water, only to encounter a recreational drone. Unauthorized drones can force aircraft to stop flying, and aerial operations were repeatedly interrupted. Every interruption matters. If you're not an authorized emergency operator, don't fly your drone near a wildfire. Keep it on the ground. But while some people were creating danger, Thousands of others were running toward it. Firefighters worked through heat, smoke, wind, and exhaustion. Law enforcement helped evacuate neighborhoods. Volunteers opened shelters. Firefighters from outside Spokane came to help. More than one thousand five hundred personnel from more than twenty states and over one hundred jurisdictions joined the response. And then Spokane did what Spokane does. People help people, neighbors opened their homes, Families helped families find somewhere to stay, people donated food, water, clothing and pet supplies, and people who had very little still asked, What can I do? That's what makes a community. When your neighbor loses everything, you ask, Are you okay? Then how can I help? For many families the disaster won't end when the flames are gone. That's when rebuilding begins. A house isn't just a building. It's birthdays, family dinners, photographs and memories. When that house burns, you're not just losing walls, you're losing pieces of your life. That's why Spokane has another job now. We have to keep showing up. Not just while the cameras are here, but for the weeks and months ahead. Donate if you can, volunteer if you can, and check on anyone who lost everything. Sometimes you don't need money. Give your time, give a meal. Listen. Remind someone you're not alone. This past week. Spokane saw destruction many of us never imagined this close to home. Homes disappeared, families evacuated, and people lost everything. But above all, we saw Spokane firefighters, police, emergency crews, volunteers, businesses, neighbors, strangers, people who didn't know each other yesterday, helping each other today. The fires may have changed lives forever, but they didn't destroy the heart of this community. Spokane has been tested. We're hurting. But we're still standing. And when the smoke clears, we're going to rebuild together. To every family who lost something, we see you. To every firefighter, volunteer, and neighbor who stepped up, thank you. I'm Damien Cox. This has been a special episode about the Spokane fires, the people affected, the questions, and the community that refused to let tragedy have the final word. Until next time.