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.
Advertisement
Damin Anthony Pashilk, 40, charged with 17 counts of arson in Lake County including the 4,000 acre #ClaytonFire.
Officials say they will seek prosecution “to the fullest extent” to seek justice in this “horrific crime”. The fire is burning in the same part of Lake County where three other wildfires burned a year ago, killing four people and destroying more than 1,000 homes. “The winery burned – places I’ve known for many years and knew the people who owned these places”, said another resident.
Between the four blazes, more than 1,400 of the 36,000 housing units in all Lake County have been destroyed.
Right now it’s only 5% contained.
A thousand homes are threatened by the fire, Cal Fire said, while 100 structures are damaged and 10 destroyed. No human injuries or fatalities have been reported, but some animals lost their lives in the fire.
The fire seemed calm Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighborhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 90 miles north of San Francisco, officials said.
In Lower Lake, houses have been razed by the flames, with only their brick chimneys still standing. It burned through more than 74,600 acres (30,189 hectares) near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes after it began on July 22.
In Southern California, residents were readying for a heat wave and gusty winds.
Last time, their property was spared. The nearby community of Clear Lake was also evacuated. “I don’t think any of us thought we’d be back where we are tonight”.
In central California, a wildfire near Lake Nacimiento, about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles, grew to more than 8 square miles.
A fast-moving Northern California wildfire has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced thousands to flee an area where drought conditions and high temperatures are making firefighting hard.
Advertisement
A fast-moving wildfire has destroyed at least 175 structures, including a historic firehouse and an antiques store, in a Northern California town.
