Lake County >> After a short appearance in court on Friday morning, Damin Pashilk’s trial has been pushed back again to August 11 at 9 a.m.
Pashilk has been in custody for almost a year since he was accused of 17 counts of arson for allegedly starting the Clayton Fire that tore through Lower Lake and the surrounding area in August of last year.
Upon being arrested he was also in possession of methamphetamines and driving with a suspended license, which added to the charges he faces.
The fire caused more than $10 million in damages and burned over 4,000 acres in the county. The fire lasted for a little over a month. When it was finally extinguished, the blaze had destroyed over 300 structures and damaged 28 other properties in the area, adding to the destruction of the fires from the year before. Pashilk was arrested in September after an investigation that also linked him to several other fires that erupted around Lower Lake in the weeks leading up to the Clayton Fire. The other fires were quickly doused, but led authorities to believe and arsonist was involved.
With the trial continuing to be placed on hold, his sentence to prison is still to be determined.
His bail was set at $5 million when arrested and, if convicted, Pashilk could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
