All articles tagged with #arson
A string of attacks including arson, explosions, tire burning and a robbery struck Thailand’s three southern border provinces—Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat—late Saturday night, damaging government vehicles, telecom towers, signs, CCTV cameras, and a 7‑Eleven, prompting security teams to inspect the affected areas.
Sunao Takami, 58, who killed five people by setting fire to an Osaka pachinko parlor in 2009, was hanged in Japan—marking the first execution under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government after a 2011 murder/arson conviction and a 2016 Supreme Court upholding of the death sentence. The case highlights Japan’s continued use of capital punishment amid global criticism and calls for greater transparency, as executions are carried out in secrecy. Japan remains one of the few G7 nations with the death penalty, alongside the United States, a point noted in the coverage.
San Diego police arrested 30-year-old Brandon Glasgo on an arson charge connected to the Sorrento Fire, which started Sunday in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and burned about 130 acres, prompting evacuations for zone SDC-1444 and a temporary evacuation point at 4161 Eastgate Mall. By Sunday evening the fire was about 25% contained, with around 160 firefighters and Cal Fire aircraft aiding containment; Glasgo remains in custody on a $75,000 bail as investigators say they won’t disclose evidence. Evacuations and warnings for surrounding zones have since been lifted as containment improves.
Nine days after the Old Trails Fire ripped through Spokane, containment is about 50% with no casualties reported as victims begin a long recovery—from displaced families to destroyed homes—while relief blooms through donations, fundraisers and community support, and a suspect is charged with arson.
A Spokane man, Aaron Farinacci, 37, is charged with five counts of first-degree arson after authorities say he admitted to starting more than two dozen wildfires near his Spokane residence since July 2025, including the Old Trails Fire that burned over 3,500 acres and destroyed more than 400 structures; prosecutors say he planned the fires to stretch firefighting resources, monitored weather and wildfire conditions, and investigators say more charges could follow as the case continues.
An early-morning fire at Alan Webb Chevrolet in Vancouver, WA damaged 12 vehicles; firefighters contained the flames with no injuries reported, and investigators say arson is a possibility as they determine the cause, while reviewing prior gas-theft activity on the lot.
Police arrested 43-year-old Collin Terrazas in connection with the stabbing death of 34-year-old Dante Conley in northeast Albuquerque. Investigators say he broke into Conley’s home, spray-painted cameras, stabbed him around 4:30 a.m., and attempted to set the house on fire, then drove Conley’s SUV to a nearby location. License-plate readers tied Terrazas to the victim’s truck and a home in the South Valley; SWAT later captured him. He faces murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and tampering with evidence charges.
Orange County, NY police captured 32-year-old Thomas David Ryan, suspected of killing his father and setting his Greenville home ablaze to cover it up. A tip about an unoccupied Prius in Gilboa and subsequent search led to the arrest, with Ring camera footage reportedly showing Ryan fleeing the scene. The victim was 70-year-old Robert Ryan. Ryan has seven prior arrests and is on probation until 2028; his sister described a long history of mental illness and family struggles to get him help.
Aaron Farinacci, who previously served time for fatally shooting his father, is identified by authorities as behind one of several Spokane-area wildfires; he told investigators that since his release in 2025 he has started about 25 fires in the Spokane region, as fire crews battle the blazes and investigators piece together a broader wave of arson in the area.
France is facing its worst wildfire season in decades, with hundreds arrested—including minors—for arson or risky behavior as authorities trace fires to both deliberate acts and accidents; while climate change and ongoing drought fuel blazes, experts caution that most fires are human-caused and call for careful prosecutorial practice amid criticism of preparedness and response.
Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, a former inmate firefighter who served in California’s Conservation Camp Program, admitted to starting the Gann Fire in Calaveras County, a blaze that burned thousands of acres and killed Susan Solari, owner of Hinterland German Shepherds. Smith had previously worked as an inmate firefighter and faced prior legal trouble; he told KCRA he was cutting metal scraps to pay for his wife’s birthday and expressed remorse. He was booked on charges including recklessly causing a fire and operating equipment capable of sparking vegetation, though no formal charges have yet been filed.
Spokane, Washington faced unprecedented wildfires this summer, forcing about a quarter of the city’s 65,000 residents to evacuate as three large fires burn with under 40% containment. Roughly 900 buildings are believed destroyed, there have been no deaths or major injuries, and authorities have charged a suspect in an arson case connected to the fires while recovery begins amid forecasts of more dry, windy days.
Police in Northern New York are seeking 32-year-old Thomas David Ryan, described as armed and dangerous in connection with a homicide investigation tied to a deadly arson in Greenville; he may be in the Plattsburgh area and is believed to be driving a gray 2016 Toyota Prius with New York plate HNH7671. Residents should not approach him and should call 911 if spotted.
65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith was arrested on suspicion of recklessly starting the Gann Fire in Calaveras County, saying it was unintentional as he tried to earn money for a birthday dinner. The blaze grew to more than 10,000 acres, destroyed several structures and forced evacuations, with investigators referring the case to the district attorney for review. Smith had a prior 2019 misdemeanor related to burning lands.
Police say Aaron Farinacci deliberately started the Old Trails Fire in Spokane on a dry, windy day, the largest of three blazes that have destroyed hundreds of buildings.