Man arrested for starting devastating California wildfire

Pashilk is suspected of starting several fires in Lake County over the past year, including the Clayton Fire, which has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed more than 175 structures.

Cal Fire Incident Commander Barry Biermann says the blaze in Lower Lake about 90 miles north of San Francisco grew 50 acres away from homes and into an area scorched by a wildfire past year.

Andrea McMullen cries as it is announced that Damin Pashilk was arrested on arson charges for allegedly sparking a wildfire that exploded over the weekend in a Northern California town, in Middletown, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 15.

The community is still reeling from last year’s devastating Valley Fire that killed four people, destroyed more than 1,300 homes and burned through more than 76,000 acres. 1,500 more structures are listed threatened.

“What I’d do to him, you don’t want to know”, said Butch Cancilla, who saw his neighbor’s home catch fire as he fled on Sunday.

It’s not clear how authorities tied Pashilk to the Clayton fire, or to any other fires, except that that he had been under investigation for about a year.

A heat wave and gusty winds also put Southern California on high fire alert.

Lisa Corrine Wilsey and her husband are nervously waiting to find out if their Lake County home was spared by the wildfire raging through the area. As of Monday afternoon, it was only 5 percent contained.

In the meantime, PG&E is working to get the power turned back on for at least 700 Lower Lake residents.

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.

Roughly 1,600 firefighters are battling the blaze Tuesday through warm temperatures and light winds.

Firefighters work to contain embers on the remains of a house destroyed by the Clayton Fire in Lower Lake, Calif.. A majority of last year’s “fire survivors” already fled the area leaving behind their homes and businesses.

Lower Lake was evacuated in a devastating wildfire past year.

Wildfires hit Lower Lake for the first time in generations past year when three major blazes blackened towns and mountainous wildland close to the town. It burned through more than 74,600 acres (30,189 hectares) near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes after it began on July 22.

The fire in Lake County is one of nine major wildfires being fought in California.