. >> reporter: damin pashilk is held an $5 million bail tonight. cal fire called him a serial arsonist and today all the charges were revealed dating back more than year. >> reporter: ducking his head away from cameras damin pashilk was charged with 14 counts of arson in connection with fires in lake county dating back to last summer. the most recent fire, the clayton fire, burned 4,000 acres and 175 homes in lower lake, landed him in cuffs. it is clear from the complaint against damin pashilk that he had been on the radar for more than a year. >> we are looking at all fires. >> reporter: he says concerns over a weak case might have kept investigators from charging him earlier. something mirrored by the sheriff. >> you have one shot at this. if you take it too soon you jeopardize bringing someone to justice. >> reporter: among the problems with investigations is the evidence burns up. the counts against damin pashilk allege he started torre fires on highway 20 -- two fires on highway 20. he lit another fire on fire 20. the pattern continued last su

. >> damin pashilk is facing 17 counts of arson in connection with several fires in the county over the past year . including this light and fire which has forced thousands from their homes. >> we talked with residents after the arrest. >> reporter: the clayton fire has torn through much of lake county and tonight the sheriff sent a message for those who live here. >> it is my pleasure to announce the arrest of damin pashilk . we were able to arrest him on 17 counts of arson. [ applause ] >> reporter: cheers from evacuees he learned that a suspected serial arsonist is behind bars in connection with the clayton fire and other lake county fires within the past year. >> i told the da and the cal fire prosecutor that if they do not have into the wall, i will. >> and arsonist to me amounts to domestic terrorist. >> reporter: she is concerned about her home. she was out of town when the clayton fire started. she got back and was unable to get to her house. but witnessed claims nearby. >> i stood there and watched it burn. it is all gone. i have in here a year and a half. >> reporter: she is h

all for one person's foolishness, sad. >>> more details are expected tomorrow when damin pashilk will face the judge for the first time. joe vazquez, kpix 5. >> this is the latest from cal fire the clayton fire is 35% contained. the flames burned 4,000 acres and destroyed 175 structures. full containment is expected by the weekend. >>> the clayton fire is also keeping police very busy. catching looters. these three people were arrested in clear lake. some homeowners say it is the reason they ignored the evacuation orders and stayed put. he says he sat on his porch and watched police officers chasing after looters. >> i hurt a motorcycle fire up and haul butt. police department behind him. >> pg&e says 700 customers are still without power. it should be restored by the weekend. >>> big surf, poison oak, 415 cases. fire grew 76,000 acres and destroyed 57 homes and responsible for one death. tonight the fire is 60% contained. we will continue to monitor the california wildfires. we will have the latest on air and online on www.cbs5.com. >>> shake up at university of california at berkele

damin pashilk faces numerous charges. he is a construction worker born in san francisco, he is behind bars this morning in the lake county jail. residence have been telling us they did believe the fire was intentionally set. >> alex is right here in lake county. show us some of the damage. >> reporter: good morning. i think there is sort of a sense of disbelief that someone would intentionally set a fire. we are in the hurt -- we are in the heart of lower lake. as i step out of the way you can see the burned cars. this is part of an auto repair shop. also in the midst of all of this there are some homes behind the businesses. now this morning we are getting word and there is a sense of relief that the police have arrested that man who they say is suspected of setting this destructive fire. [cheering] you can here the irruption from the crowd last night during a meeting. after the sheriff and cal fire chief told everyone in attendance that they have a man in custody in connection with the clayton fire. damin pashilk was ar

. >> he has been identified as damin pashilk. this is his photograph. he is 40 years old and lives in clear like. the massive clayton fire is not the only fire he is accused of starting. >>> with give you an update against the fire in lake county. it is only 5% contained. you can see some of the fire aftermath in lower lake. 175 homes and businesses have been destroyed. 1500 more are threatened. the fire is burning near highway 29. evacuations have been ordered. >> there is a lot of relief that the suspected arsonist is behind bars. >> there was good reaction when the arrest happened. >> reporter: is -- you talk with people who learned of the news and many of them said, we are not surprised. this evening behind me in lower lake you can see the damage from these fires and it is extensive. the clayton fire has through much of lake county and the sheriff had a message for those who live here. >> it is my pleasure to announce the arrest of damin pashilk . we were able to arrest him on 17 counts of arson. >>> cheers from a vacuum is who learned in arsonist i

damin pashilk is behind bars, charged with 17 counts of arson, a crime he is accused of committing not just with the clayton fire but several others over months. >> we cannot certify if there were multiple emissions of a single fire but it's safe to say he is responsible for numerous fires over the last year. >> reporter: the learned about the fires while serving -- pashilk learned about the fires while serving on the fire lines in trinity county and since his release from jail, records show he has had six parole violations. >> a lot of the details are being withheld because we want to make sure that we have a good prosecution and that the criminal justice system takes its place. >> reporter: meanwhile, his actions shock the community. people have used pashilk's facebook page to lash out. one woman said "i thought our county was burning down. i thought i was paranoid thinking it was arson because i didn't want to believe someone could do this." another post said "go get him, folks." another called him a piece of you know what for starting the fires. two weeks ago pashilk also joined a

damin pashilk will go before a judge tomorrow. we tried to reach out to him but got no response. scott, the california governor has declared this area a state of emergency, which means victims will get some much- needed funding to start picking up the pieces. >> pelley: mireya villarreal, thanks. now to louisiana. the flooding death toll rose today to 11. more than 30,000 people have been rescued. more than 11,000 are in shelters tonight. have a look at this. this is a school in hammond, louisiana, before the floods. this is the school now, surrounded. omar villafranca has the latest. >> reporter: the historic flooding continues to spread throughout the state. nearly 90% of the homes in denham springs suffered flood damage. as the water flows downstream, towns like sorrento are being submerged. volunteers and rescue teams are still looking for stranded residents. >> this is our low spot on this street. >> reporter: tanya whitney's sorrento street was completely flooded. >> very long road ahead. we just, you know, try to do the best we can do. you know, i said a lot of the local p

: and a cheer went up. 40-year-old damin pashilk of clearlake arrested for a string of arsons suspected of setting 17 fires in the last year alone including the layton fire which has burned already 125 -- clayton fire which has burned already 125 structures. this woman recognized the man as an acquaintance before her house went up in flames. >> she believed he burnt her place. she showed me his face and now they say they arrested him as an arson. >> reporter: authorities believe pashilk set the fire off clear creek road on highway 29. ryan lewis knows his mother's home is a loss already, though with pashilk behind bars, he says lower lake can begin healing. >> lower lake is my home and to see it burned to the ground is very heartwrenching. >> reporter: pashilk is expected to be arraigned wednesday. cent contained tonight. >> the clayton fire has burned about 4,000 acres, more than 6 square miles. the fire is 5% contained tonight. late today governor brown declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. the fire forced st. helena hospital to shut down. the medical staff are continu

. >> it is my pleasure to announce the arrest of damin pashilk. age 40 of clear lake. [ applause ] [ cheers and applause ] >> law enforcement believes 40-year-old california resident, damin pashilk is responsible for the clayton fire and several smaller fires. they have b >> could this clayton fire have been prevented? >> the clayton fire could have been prevented had this individual not started it. >> cal fire chief ken pimlot confirms pashilk was in cars traited when he received fire fighting training from his agency. selected nonviolent inmates can some times be called on to help containment efforts. pashilk in the program two months before being paroled. damin pashilk will go before a judge tomorrow. got no response. the governor declared this state of emergency. victims will get much needed funding to start picking up the pieces. >> mireya villarreal, thanks. >>> now to louisiana, the flooding death toll rose today to 11. more than 30,000 people have been rescued. more than 11,000 are in shelters tonight. have a look at this. this is a school

damin pashilk judge tomorrow. we tried to reach out to him but got no response.ed this state of emergency. victims will get much needed funding to start picking up the pieces. >> mireya villarreal, thanks. >>> now to louisiana, the flooding death toll rose today to 11. more than 30,000 people have been rescued. more than 11,000 are in shelters tonight. have a look at this. this is a school in hammond, louisiana, before the floods. this its the school now. surrounded. omar villfranca has the the latest. >> reporter: the historic flooding continues to spread throughout the state. nearly 90% of the homes in denim springs suffered flood damage. as the the water flows downstream, towns like sorrento are submerged. still looking for stranded residents. >> this is our low spot. tanya whitney, sorrento street was flooded. >> very long road ahead. we fry to do the best we can do. a lot of the local people, you know, we band together. other out. we're all in the same boat. >> even though the storm wasn't a hurricane, louisiana governor john bell edward says it has been a c

they believe that damin pashilk is responsible. he lives two doors down from kayla's mother valerie. >> he is harmless. >> reporter: valerie says she has known the suspect for 27 years. >> i don't see him doing it. he wouldn't do that. he wouldn't put kids in danger, he wouldn't put the people in danger like that, i don't see it. >> reporter: they describe him as a handyman in and out of trouble with the law that officials say he served a five- year sentence in 2002 on drug possession and firearm charges. sources close to the investigation say they only recently received information tieing pashilk to the clayton fire and 16 other small fires set over the past year. >> we've been on high alert after a series of fires, even as of last week that we would have several fires off of highway 29. >> reporter: officials say he trained as an inmate while serving time in state prison and from april through july of 2007. >> i think that this will be even worse that ten years ago they would work to put out these fires to build their containment

police say damin pashilk set the clayton fire saturday north of san francisco. it destroyed 175 homes and businesses and forces thousands of evacuations. the ex-con who received firefighter training $5 million bail. tonight crews are using cadaver dogs to determine whether anyone was unail to a-- unable to escape. >>> people calling 911 after seeing this baby in a hot car but it is not a baby. it is a doll. officers broke into the car and performed cpr before realizing it was a doll. police say they will pay for appointment. a bear's trip to the dent and say the staff at the zoo -- dent and say the staff at the zoo were focused on keeping her sedated. she was brought in to get a tooth pulled. she will be more comfortable now that it is out. >> keepers are knowledgal and they know the -- knowledgeable and they >> she 16-years-old. >> one where you want to make sure you finish the job before they wake up. >>> the weather here. sounds like talking about a comfortable night of sleeping. >> after hot weather. >> it was so steamy last night. tropical air. hipt dos and

. >> police say 40-year-old damin pashilk deliberately started the fire and more than one dozen other fires over the past year. agencies are trying to speed up the time when residents can return home. alex savidge is live in lake county with how pg&e is trying to restore electricity to the area. >> reporter: good morning. the clayton fire is still burning in the area but there is a major effort to try to fix some of the damaged infrastructure. we have crews working in this open field behind us and what you see over there on the ground, those are transmission poles, they have 16 transmission poles that they are airlifting to some remote locations where they have power poles that burned down because of the fire. they are trying to fix the infrastructure as quickly as they can. let me show you some video of a helicopter coming in to lift up those poles to bring them to those remote areas i want to bring in lindsay, and i appreciate you taking the time. explain what the process will be and why do you have to use helicopters? >> that is a a great question. we have to use helicopters becaus

investigators believe 40-year-old, damin pashilk ignited the clayton fire about 80 miles north of san francisco. he also may be linked to several other wildfires over the past year. mireya villarreal is in the hard hit community of lower lake. >> it is my pleasure to announce the arrest of damin anthony pashilk. age 40 of clear lake. on 17 counts of arson. community welcome the news of the arrest after wildfires destroyed more than 170 strek churs and displaced hundreds of families. >> i'm excited that -- that he is now in jail. because now it is not going to happen any more. >> in our 17 counts of arson related to numerous fires in lake county over the past year. >> reporter: law enforcement would not say which fires the counts referred to. last year this same region was burned by three other major wildfires. the rocky fire. the jerusalem fire. and the fatal valley fire which investigators recently concluded was caused by faulty wiring. meanwhile, the clayton fire continues to burn. >> this fire and the fires last year are really the new norm. large fires that grow very quickly and d

damin pashilk is in jail this morning as we're learning more about him he was once a firefighter himself when he was in prison. he served five years for drugs and firearms charges. during that time, the state trained him as an inmate firefighter. at one point he was deployed to the fire lines in trinity county. since his release he has had 6 parole violations. today he face charges that could increase his punishment if he is convicted because of the number of homes and businesses that were destroyed in the fires he is accused of setting. more than a dozen in and around the area where the clayton fire is burning today. >> can't release the details of whether or not there were multiple ignitions of a single fire but it's safe to say that he is responsible for starting numerous fires near lake county over the lease year or two. >> reporter: the people who live in and near the clayton fire are relieved obviously that a suspect has been caught but they are trying to understand how one person could do so much damage to the community. we'll hear from one of them in the next half-hour. pashilk's

this is a closer look at damin anthony pashilk, the suspect arrested in the fire. 40-year-old was arrested in connection with numerous fires in lake county the last year. he has a long criminal history in the county. including recent arrests for drugs and parole violations. he reported the occupation to be a construction worker in san francisco. >> once in a while journalists get to deliver if news and that happened for amy hollyfield yesterday. a woman thought her parents' home inside the fire zone was lost. she could not go back and check for herself. [ inaudible ] who would not feel for the woman. the whom was not on the the official list in lower lake that survived the fire. because the media is allowed behind the fire lines, amy hollyfield took the address, went to check it out, and broke the good news. my gosh, touching to were what. we are so glad amy hollyfield could do that. there are 4,000 people still like that woman, waiting for word their home. firefighter say they are working as quickly as they can to keep residents informed. >> wow, incredible story.

authorities now say they've arrested damin pashilk.ted more than another dozen fires as well over the past year. pete suratos has been following the story for more than 24 hours now. pete, we've also just learned that crews are trying to make progress as they announce the fire is 20% contained, up from 5% earlier this morning. >> reporter: that's right. new numbers that it is 20% contained. yesterday we showed you main street. there were the businesses that were burned down as a result of this clayton fire. and right now we're seeing this now, guys, daylight now. we're at quarter horse lane. you see this home in this area has been reduced to just rubble. remember that fire started on saturday on clayton creek road just off highway 29 and has since destroyed at least 175 structures. the fire burning close to 4,000 acres and many of the structures effected on sunday when those winds and high temperatures led to spot fires and lower lake. according to cal firing looking at $10 million worth of damages in the area. leaving families homeles

damin pashilk was arraigned. he passed out just before the hearing. million bail. >>> changes in commute habit on the golden gate bridge. more people are driving across the span while the number of commuters taking the bus dropped 2% since last year. a shortage of bus drivers and a high number of canceled runs apparently caused riders to lose confidence in the system. >>> a major recall to tell you about. some high school football teams are going to need new gear on the gridiron this fall. julie watts joins us now with word of a helmet recall that could be critical for young players. >> reporter: this is a huge safety issues. these helmets can crack putting players at greater risk of head injury. the consumer product safety commission issued a recall for 3 models. they were all either new or reconditioned between may of last year and march of this year. what's really troubling here though is in the most recent guidelines, the highly regarded virginia tech helmet ratings gave these models five out of five stars. so your child -- of your child plays foo

arrest has been made in connection with the large fire burning announced they arrested 40-year-old damin pashilk. they say pashilk is being charged with 17 counts of arson in connection to the clayton fire as well as several other fires across lake county over the past year. the clayton fire has burned more than four-thousand acres and destroyed more than 175 structures. officials surveyed the damage yesterday.. following historic flooding across southeast louisiana. the hard-hit areas could only be viewed by helicopter. several roads remain appear to be damaged or destroyed. in all.. 7 people died.. and more than 20-thousand had to be rescued. the state governor estimated the total damage will exceed their $6-million dollar threshold and the u-s government is stepping in to help. several tornadoes touched down in indiana yesterday.. this tornado was spotted in a neighborhood about 20 miles west of indianapolis. emergency crews tracked the funnel cloud.. to make sure of damage.. but ?no? reports of injuries. the arizona cardinals are in san diego.. and team 12's cameron cox is there with the lat

damin anthony pashilk was in court yesterday. he entered the courtroom with his back continued to the cameras. documents show evidence against damin anthony pashilk comes from eyewitnesses, surveillance cameras and the high-tech tracking device. investigators say it linked pushmataha county to 17 act -- it linked damin anthony pashilk to 17 counts of arson. in five cases, the g.s.a. tracker puts pashilk at the scene of the arson fire at time of ignition. all the soberanes fire in monterey county is still burning this morning. it is now scorched 79,000 acres and 60% contained. evacuation orders are in effect. 57 homes have been destroyed. 400 are still threatened. a bulldoze are operator working the fire was killed. >> in the east bay, five people are out of the their home after an early fire in concord at a duplex on glen brook court shortly before 3:00 a.m. the firefighters say it started inside the kitsch were. everyone made it out. >> incredible video shows the c.h.p. rescuing a woman sick while hiking. the 66-year-old believe

wildfire that has burned 4-thousand acres and destroyed 175 homes in northern california. 40-year-old damin pashilk faces 17 counts of arson for his role in starting the clayton fire, and several other california wildfires in the past year. thousands of structures are still threatened. so far the blaze has caused over 10 million dollars in damages and left dozens homeless. another big arrest this morning in new york city. the man accused of gunning down an imam and his assistant in broad daylight as they left a mosque has been taken into custody on murder charges. 35-year-old oscar morel faces two counts of second degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. morel was caught on surveillance fleeing the area of the shooting. police are still searching for a motive. also in new york, police are looking into whether usain bolt's victory celebrations may big scare at kennedy airport. surveillance video from inside terminal 8, showed travelers starting to act disruptive while watching bolt's race. police say that set off a chain reaction with some others running away from the commotion. nearly 10

the man in custody, damin anthony pashilk has been arrested a dozen times before.is in lake county with the emotional meeting where the arrest was announced. amy? >> i am hearing there is a lost anger in the community. authorities say that people have been coming up to them and saying they should release the suspect to the community so real justice can be handed out. they angry, look at this damage, they can nut believe they are not hearing someone may have set this fire on purpose. this is the suspect we got in to the newsroom of the 40-year-old damin anthony pashilk of clearlake. evacuees applaud when authorities announced his arrest. he has been been under investigation for month than a year. >> a lost anger. and relief. knowing who caused it because there were questions. authorities accused him of set this fire, the clayton fire but they will not specify what other fires they believe he has set and the community has a lot of questions about that. the clayton fire has burned 4,000 acres and destroyed 17235 structures. 4,000 people are still evacuated the suspect

the suspect damin pashilk is set to be arraigned tomorrow./// ((brian loftus)) >>> more than 14- hundred new teachers are getting ready to teach. the clark county education association is hosting it's annual new hire orientation today. hundreds of new teachers will attend, with current teachers welcoming them, and explaining the new professional growth system. /// >>> and school supplies are on their way to more than 18 at risk schools in clark county... we want to thank our viewers who graciously donated sp much, for the kids. 8 news now teamed up with smith's and silver state schools credit union to collect items for more than 3- thousand students/// >>> the campaign trail continues to heat up... why lawmakers could soon look back into hillary clinton's 11 hours of testimony before the house select committee on benghazi. a now, the valley's news leader./// ((you're watching the valley's news leader with brian loftus, kirsten joyce and ((brian loftus)) unveiled his plans for stopping terrorist attacks. he says his main priority would be centered around screening immigrants. "i call it e

. >> it is my pleasure to announce the arrest of damin anthony pashilk on 17 counts of arson. [applause] the announcement of damin anthony pashilk's arrest was met with cheers, relief and outrage. >> a lot of anger and relief. >> reporter: and there was also pain. >> it's hard to look at that man and know he is the one that caused all of this. >> investigators say damin anthony pashilk is the one that started the massive fire that burned over 400,000 acre and destroyed nearly 200 homes and businesses. >> our life and all of our neighbors look what they have to come home to it's horrible. >> reporter: sample sample is a serial arsonist and started other fires including one rages outside of los angeles and moving toward las vegas. >> it is a tragic day however when we identify any individual who intentionally starts a fire and a fire like this it was devastating. >> now despite the devastation there was a huge sigh of relief that a suspect is in custody and due in court tomorrow. live in the center i'm dan channel six action news. >> thank you, dan. one person is in critical cond

: law enforcement believes 40-year-old california resident damin pashilk is responsible for the clayton fire and several smaller fires. they've been investigating him for the past year. >> reporter: cal-fire chief ken pimlot confirms pashilk was incarcerated when he received firefighter training from his agency. in california, selected nonviolent inmates can sometimes be called on to help containment efforts. pashilk was in the program for two months before being paroled. damon pashilk will go before a judge tomorrow. we tried to reach out to him but got no response. scott, the california governor has declared this area a state of emergency, which means up the pieces. >> pelley: mireya villarreal, thanks. now to louisiana. the flooding death toll rose today to 11. more than 30,000 people have been rescued. more than 11,000 are in shelters tonight. have a look at this. this is a school in hammond, louisiana, before the floods. this is the school now, surrounded. omar villafranca has the latest. flooding continues to spread throughout the state. nearly 90% of the homes in denham springs s

but what's it looking like for started a fast moving fire in california.. 40 year old damin pashilk of lake county was arrested monday night. he's accused of starting the fire. officials say he worked as an inmate firefighter in the past. he had also been under investigation for a year before his arrest. a state of emergency has been declared as a result of the wildfire. as crews work around the clock to control the fire. " "this largest as it's gotten and destructive, is only one of eight large fires we're battling. we have nearly 9,000 firefighters from across the state, local city, county fire departments all helping out with those fires. and we're just here in mid-august." " the clayton fire began saturday... more than four thousand acres have already been destroyed. fires-- also burning in colorado this morning. one firefighter there caught a fire tornado on camera-- this was taken a fire tornado---- is a whirlwind caused by a fire that's usually made up of flame or ash. the beaver creek fire started burning on june 19 - and isn't expected to be fully contained until october. 30 t

--''damin pashilk'', enfrenta 17 cargos por incendio provocado..do de iniciar mas de doce incendios en el ultimo aÑo.. --su fianza se estableci en cinco millones de dolares.. lorena/campan --en el sur de california, el incendioblue cut'continua ardiendo s control el condado dsan bernardino.. --en solo 24 horas ha destruido mas de 30-mil acres de terreno seco y varias estructuras.. --al menos dos bomberos han resultado lesionados.. --se ha ordenado la evacuacin de unos 82-mil residentes del area mientras el gobernador jerry brown ha declarado estado de emergencia en el condado.. --- pasamos con gabriela delln y los detalles de esta ola de incendios que azotan nuetro estado, porque somos la autoridad en el tiempo --- gabriela live lorena/vots --en oakland autoridades investigan un incendio con --en oakland autoridades investigan un incendio con consecuencias mortales y queaden negocio... tale full vo --el incidente ocurri anoche, al parecer un hombre armado lanzaba objetos a la licorera ''seminary market and liquors" ubicado cerca del colegio "mills"

we have learned damin pashilk does have a criminal record.rrested at least a dozen times before for weapons, drugs, parole violations. he is expected in court on wednesday. jonathan: that will do it for us at 5:00. but coming up next at "abc7 news at 6:00" -- d.c. long-time chief of police retiring from the department. tonight a look back at the career of cathy lanier and what is ahead for her. a human trafficking bust involving local hotels. police say the suspects had dozens of victims. the investigate that is happening now. a beloved man died when a car crashed into a mcdonald's where he was having breakfast. the touching way his legacy will live on. that's coming up next. >> now "abc7 news at 6:00". on your side. maureen: first a police chief cathy lanier are tire in september. she was -- cathy lanier will retire in september. she was with them for 26 years and ten as the chief. the next job is with the nfl. stephen tschida has her legacy. stephen: maureen, chief cathy lanier's announcement surprised a lot of people. next month she will l

his nam is damin pashilk. 17 counts of arson is what he is charged with. a resident of lake county.residents found out last night. like you said, the breaking news is a fire is 20% contained. which is good news. the air certainly smelling better here. less of ash this morning than yesterday. but so many homes destroyed. 175 commercial properties. residents, cars, completely blown out and melted down. and this is an area of california that really has been lucky in years past. last year, during the third worst fire in california history, this town was spared. fast forward 12 months and that is not the case and the reason is arson is so important and the charges significant to the community is that the community is looking for answers. they had major wildfires and minmy minor fires on the anniversaries and bringing question to the table for officials. so right now, 20% contained. the winds not picking up this morning and this suspect damin pashilk is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow, tomorrow. >> jo ling, thank you. >>> coming up, sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith. a last-

damin pashilk is in jail this morning as we're learning more about him. he was once a firefighter himself when he was in prison. he served five years for drugs and firearms charges. during that time the state trained him as an inmate firefighter and at one point he was deployed to the fire lines in trinity county. since his release, records show he has had 6 parole violations. the charges he is facing today carry enhancements that could increase his punishment if he is convicted. that's because of the number of homes and businesses destroyed in the fires he is accused of setting. more than a dozen in and around the area where the clayton fire is burning today. >> i can't release details of whether or not there were multiple ignitions of a single fire but it's safe to say that he is responsible for starting numerous fires here in lake county over the last year or two. >> reporter: the people who live in the area are relieved a suspect is cause. they are trying to understand how one person could do so much damage to the community they love. we are going to

former construction worker fainted before he appeared in front of a judge in lakeport. >> reporter: damin pashilk passed out and needed some water. when he walked in he turned away from news cameras and kept his face down. investigators say pashilk started 11 smaller fires as well as a huge clayton fire that has destroyed nearly 200 homes and burned thousands of acres. >> we are confident this is our guy. serial arsonist. alleged. the year-long investigation will prove that. >> reporter: authorities will not say how they identified pashilk but they did say they were staking him out long before the clayton fire and that they never caught him in the act. >> i want to make sure it's understood that if any of our investigators had seen him start a fire, he would have been arrested. >> reporter: they couldn't arrest him immediately without proof. >> if you take your shot too soon, you jeopardize bring someone to justice who truly needs to be brought to justice. >> reporter: he lost his own home in a fire in 2013. but it's unclear why he allegedly set a string of fires back a year. >> if i knew what th

damin pashilk faces 17 arson- related charges. >> the clayton fire has burned 3900 acres, destroyed 175 buildings and is threatening 380 others. ktvu's alex savidge explains what crews are now doing in the devastated town of lower lake was residents start to return. >> reporter: there is a lot of work that has to be done before evacuees can return. fire crews are still going through some of these burned out areas and making sure there are no more hot spots. nothing else that could reignite. we have been seeing calfire crews coming through and trying to pull out belongings from some of these burned out homes and businesses to save whatever they can for people once they return. there is also the issue of power. pg&e trying to get power restored in this area. i want to bring in bryce bennett with calfire. talk to me about how soon all of those evacuees might be able to return to lower lake. >> it's hard to say. we have so many different agencies working on so many different things. water, sewer, the power lines. everything. we need to make sure it's safe for the public to re-enter this are

weekend and destroyed about 300 structures including 189 single- family dwellings. 40-year-old damin pashilk is charged with deliberately setting that clayton fire as well as other small fires. >>> are meteorologist mark tamayo -- our meteorologist mark tamayo is at the local hospital and has more. >> reporter: doctors have noticed more reports over the past day or so. people are smelling the smoky air. that was the case earlier today. the air quality is a big issue in the bay area right now. we will pan out and show you looking toward san francisco, this is what you would expect this time of year, the fog making a come back. but as you pan off to the east, you can see all of the haze across the valley locations. we have a weather pattern that trapped of the pollutants and the smoke which have been -- has been drifting into the bay area. you have been hearing about a little pull reports of fires -- about multiple fires being reported. the bottom right portion of your screen shows this has been drifting closer to the bay area. most of the smoke in the lower areas closer to the ground is being

. >>> damin pashilk is expected in court today. he is accused of setting the fire. he is charged with 17 counts of arson and is suspected of setting more several fires over the past year. officials told the "los angeles times" he worked as an inmate firefighter while serving a prison sentence several years ago. the clayton fire destroyed 175 homes and buildings and, this morning, it is 35% contained. >>> some louisiana parishes suffering from the historic more rain is on the way today. flood alerts remain in effect this morning across the southern half of louisiana. the flooding is blamed for at least 11 deaths and more than 8,000 people are in shelters this morning. first responders rescued 30,000 people and 1,000 pets. 20 parishes have been declared major disaster areas. omar villafranca reports. >> reporter: the historic flooding continues to spread througho s nearly 90% of the homes in denim springs suffered flood damage. as the water flows downstream, towns are being submerged. volunteers and rescue teams are still looking for stranded residents. >> this is our

damin pashilk is getting ready to face a judge. he was a firefighter in prison. he served five years for drugs and firearms charges. during that time the state trained him as an inmate firefighter. at one point he was deployed to the fire lines in trinity county. since his relief, records show he has had six parole violations. today's charges carry enhancements that could increase his punishment if convicted because of the number of homes and businesses destroyed in the fires he is accused of setting. more than a dozen in the area around where the clayton fire is burning today. >> i can't release the details of whether or not there are multiple ignitions of a single fire. but it's safe to say he is responsible for starting numerous fires here in lake county over the last year or two. >> reporter: while there's widespread relief that a suspect is caught, many in lake county are trying to wrap their heads around the fact that one person could do so much damage. >> a lot of theseple are my friends and now they have nothing. all for one person's foolishness. >> repor

athorities announcing damin pashilk has been arrested. here is his picture. accused of being a serial arsonist, they're blaming him for starting over a dozen fires over the last year. cheryl, this is a huge development. how did they track him down? >> reporter: they're really not saying exactly how they tracked him down. we'll probably find out more about that mr. tin the coming d. right now i'm standing where two homes used to be. this home was renovated recently, and all that's left smoldering ashes and a burned out car. now, the arrest of a suspect brings relief to some victims, but sadness to an entire community. >> we're able to arrest mr. pashilk on 17 counts of arson. this individual is a fire setter. this individual is an arsonist. >> reporter: a expected arsonist who is now behindçó bars. >> it is a tragic day, however, when we identify any individual who intentionally starts a fire. >> reporter: cal fire chief telling a crowd of about 200 people that damin anthony pi pashilk is responsible for the clayton fire and several other fires over the past y

damin pashilk turning away from the cameras there. he did plead not guilty to 19 charges. he is accused of starting the clayton fire north of the bay area. charred 4,000 acres. caused $10 million in damage. >>> now to your most accurate forecast. a live look at abc 15 desert doppler. the valley is in the clear. showers and thunderstorms to the west. storms prompting a blowing dust that just expired minutes ago and to the north, scattered showers and thunderstorms in the higher terrain to track, blood advisory off to the east of sedona and oak creek canyon. picking up at this hour, the heavy rain in the red there on the radar. showers headed off to the northeast at this hour and we will track them for you throughout the afternoon and evening. in the meantime in the valley, a slight chance we could see showers over night. and we are under a ozone high pollution advisory. more tomorrow and the temperatures head thing to weekend in minutes. >>> one month and yet jesse wilson is still missing. what is worse with each passing day the story becomes more disturbing. we have offici

---el acusado, "damin pashilk", se presenÓ en corte el dia de hoy..n intento de incendio con relacion a otros 13 siniestros. ---su abogado insite en que "pashilk es inocente" ---hasta ahora el incendio "clayton" consumÓ 4-mil acres y 175 estructuras cerca de "clear lake". ---solo se ha logrado contener las llamas en un 40%. ---cal fire inforÓ que cerca de 700 personas continuan sin luz debido a este siniestro.---entre los daÑos causados se deben reemplazar tramos del tendido electrico y otros equipos. ---en millbrae arrestaron a una maestra de secundaria bajo sospecha de cometer actos lascivos con una menor. ---los agentes del orden informaron que "heather butts" tuvo relaciones inapropiadas con una joven en una auto.---a "butts" la detenida en su casa. ---funcionarios de distrito escolar se negaron a emitir cualquier comentario slbre.ecaslo la policia de san mateo detuvo el pasado 13 de agosto a "douglas aviles por posesion de armas de fuego ilegales, municiones, y chalecos anti- balas. -el 11 de agosto las autoridades realizaron una busqueda cerca d