Damin Anthony Pashilk was taken into custody last month suspected of starting multiple wildfires in California. Authorities believe that Pashilk started the Clayton Fire, which destroyed over 100 structures and nearly 4,000 acres in Lake County, California. The fire is believed to have cost over $10 million in damages. The devastation of the California wildfires plagued the nightly news for weeks if not months, leaving many people homeless, their things burned to ash. The aftermath was like a warzone: burned out cars, houses reduced to rubble.
The Lake County District Attorney has been building a case against Pashilk for the past two years. They believe that he started or attempted to start multiple fires on at least 11 different dates. The District Attorney charged the 40-year-old with 15 counts of felony arson as well as four misdemeanors. He is currently being held on $5 Million bail. According to a Cal Fire News Release the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection worked closely with the Sheriff’s Office and Lake County District Attorney’s Office to arrest Pashilk in connection with the horrific Clayton Fire and others believed to be set by him.