Containment of Clayton fire in Lake County expands to 40 percent

Firefighters expanded the containment line around Lake County’s Clayton arson fire during the night to 40 percent, Cal Fire said Wednesday morning.

Officials also revised the size of the fire down from 4,000 to 3,929 acres, following a more detailed review of the overall fire zone.

Hundreds more firefighters joined the effort Tuesday, bringing the firefighting force to 2,372. Their focus Wednesday will be on strengthening and stretching the containment line while teams of inspectors continue to tally the number of homes lost and damaged.

Wednesday morning Cal Fire still was reporting 175 homes and businesses had been destroyed.

The fire started Saturday evening south of Lower Lake. On Sunday afternoon the fire raced into Lower Lake neighborhoods and downtown and then spread north toward Clearlake.

A Clearlake man is in custody, suspecting of starting this fire as well as several other Lake County fires in the last several months.

Damin Pashilk, 40, was slated to appear in Lake County court Wednesday afternoon to be charged on several arson counts.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.