“That an arson investigator can find within two days it was arson, but it took a year to confirm the (cause of the) Valley Fire?”. Evacuated residents applauded the arrest and expressed outrage that the fire that destroyed many of their homes was deliberate act.
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It seemed like someone was targeting the tiny town of Lower Lake – a community that had narrowly escaped three major fires that burned around it a year ago.
Temperatures in the area are expected to climb to near 100 degrees Tuesday, with easterly winds of about 10 miles per hour, making fighting the fire challenging. Kyle Lewis is one of those who consider themselves lucky having been evacuated from his home past year.
Ranch hands used hoses to wet down fences and anything else that could burn.
“And we have months and years ahead of us for the full recovery to make sure that you folks are back in you homes”, Lake County supervisor Rob Brown said.
Damin Pashilk, 40, faces 17 counts of arson over the so-called Clayton Fire, in the foothill community of Lower Lake, and other fires nearby over the past year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.
Pashilk, who spent the night in a Lakeport jail, was scheduled for arraignment Tuesday.
The Clayton fire has burned over four-thousand acres and destroyed more than 175 structures.
The fire was burning in an area of grassy woodland with heavy brush that was hard for fire-fighters to access, Cal Fire said. Cancilla still doesn’t know the fate of his own home and spoke at a center for evacuees set up at a high school.
“There are a lot of people who are down here, down on their luck”.
More than 175 structures have been destroyed, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.
Authorities charged a man from Clearlake, CA, with 17 counts of arson, including involvement in the latest blaze that started Saturday, called the Clayton Fire. “They have to build a case that is going to be successful, it’s complex”.
The Sacramento Bee reported that people listening to the police announce Pashilk’s arrest Monday shouted that he should be burned or hanged for the fires he’s linked with.
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About 1,600 firefighters from throughout the state are battling the blaze. It was 20 percent contained. It’s working with other local organizations to quickly respond to immediate needs. It was 10 percent contained.
