Middletown, Calif -- An arrest has been made in connection with the Clayton Fire. 

LIVE on #Periscope: 081516 Cal Fire #ClaytonFire announcement 5 https://t.co/3Bou1HcC9M

— Lake County News (@LakeCoNews) August 16, 2016

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – As firefighters continued their work to control the Clayton fire on Monday, the extent of the devastation in and around Lower Lake became clearer.

The air in the neighborhoods of this small town continued to be thick with the smells of smoke and propane gas. All around there were ashes of homes and businesses.

Law enforcement officers continued to comb the streets looking for people with no good reason to be there.

Hundreds of firefighters worked to corral the Clayton fire on the outskirts of Lower Lake Monday, while still more worked closer to the more populated areas putting out spot fires and flare ups as they found them.

At midday on Monday Cal Fire Chief Public Information Officer Daniel Berlant provided a status report for the fire and shared advice on how people should respond to remain safe during wildfires.

Lake County News captured Berlant's report and a driving tour of the town.

After Berlant's report the video is intentionally silent.

Email John Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Live video of Clayton Fire Kelseyville Press conference.

LIVE on #Periscope: 081516 Clay ton fire meeting https://t.co/oPgkd8IMm1

— Lake County News (@LakeCoNews) August 16, 2016

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Konocti Unified School District's schools will remain closed for the remainder of the week while school officials plan for how to work around the impacts of the Clayton fire.

During community meetings on Monday, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg gave updates on the school district's situation.

Falkenberg said Konocti Unified's first day of school was to have taken place on Monday.

However, with the safety of students, teachers and staff in mind, Falkenberg said schools will remain closed through Friday due to the close proximity of the Clayton fire, which fire officials said continues to actively burn around Lower Lake.

Schools included in the closure are Burns Valley Elementary, East Lake Elementary, Lower Lake Elementary, Pomo Elementary, Lower Lake High School, Lewis Center, Blue Heron School, Carlé High School, Highlands Academy, Konocti Education Center and Clearlake Creativity School, Falkenberg said.

While the district's schools were not destroyed due to the fire, there was definite damage to some of the facilities, Falkenberg reported.

In particular he mentioned Lower Lake Elementary, where he said six to seven portable classrooms sustained significant smoke damage.

Falkenberg said a plan for the continuance of school operations next week is expected to be released by, or on, Friday.

He also addressed a controversy that arose over the weekend regarding Middletown High School and the fact that the school was not opened as an evacuation center for the Clayton fire. It has served as a shelter in previous incidents.

The sheriff's office reported that the school had “declined” to open as a shelter, which stirred up criticism of the school, particularly on social media.

Falkenberg attributed the decision not to open the school as an evacuation center to a “misunderstanding,” and urged people not to use social media to participate in the kind of criticism that has been aimed at the school over the last several days.

He added that the school was ready to open as another evacuation center if needed. Three evacuation centers – at Kelseyville High School, Twin Pine Casino and the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church – remain open.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two special meetings to give the community an update on the Clayton fire will be held on the evening of Monday, Aug. 15.

The meetings will take place at 6 p.m. at Kelseyville High School's football field, 5280 Main St., and at 7:30 p.m. at Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.

The goal of the meetings is to inform the public of the current fire situation and to discuss the impact of the Clayton fire on the community.

Representatives of Cal Fire and various Lake County government agencies will be on hand.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake Transit Authority buses are expected to begin rolling back out onto their routes on Wednesday following a temporary suspension of services due to the Clayton fire.

General Manager Mark Wall said Lake Transit suspended all of its regular transit services as a result of the local emergency declared on Sunday during the Clayton fire, which began burning in the Lower Lake area on Saturday evening.

The approach of the Clayton fire led to Lake Transit evacuating its Lower Lake headquarters facility, located on Highway 53, Wall said.

Wall said that as Lake Transit buses were evacuated from headquarters yard, some buses were sent to help evacuate patients from St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and transport them to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

Buses and drivers also assisted with evacuating residents of the Avenues, the area of Clearlake east of Highway 53, moving them from the Highlands Senior Center – which closed due to a power outage – to the emergency center in Kelseyville and elsewhere, according to Wall.

At one point a spot fire began burning behind the transit facility, according to fire reports.

While the fire burned up to the clear area around the Lake Transit bus yard, Wall said the facility appears to be safe thanks to the efforts of firefighters who defended the perimeter.

However, the transit authority's headquarters have lacked land line and power service, which Wall said they have been working to restore.

Local officials reported at Monday evening community meetings in Clearlake, Kelseyville and Middletown that Highway 53 was fully reopened.

In addition to that development, Wall said the solving of logistical problems and getting electrical and phone service up and running will help Lake Transit restore most of its services on Wednesday morning.

Until then, he said the main Lake Transit phone line, 707-900-1114, has been forwarded to a cell phone, and the agency is fielding calls for information and critical paratransit needs.

“We are thankful for all of the hard work of firefighters, utility repair crews, and of our own Lake Transit staff, some of whom continue to work despite losing their homes,” said Wall. “We are sorry that some of our neighbors in Lower Lake have been lost their homes, cherished pieces of history and other belongings.”

Lake Transit is updating service information on its Web site at www.laketransit.org . Visit the site for service updates or call 707-900-1114 and leave a message. Wall said Lake Transit will respond to messages when possible.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

Lower Lake, Calif – CAL FIRE law enforcement officers, in cooperation with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County District Attorney’s office, arrested a Clearlake man on suspicion of 17 counts of arson in connection with numerous fires in Lake County over the past year.  

Damin Anthony Pashilk, 40, was booked into the Lake County Jail for arson on Monday, August 15, 2016.  

While suspected of arson in many fires in Lake County, Pashilk is also implicated in the Clayton Fire, which has burned over 4,000 acres and destroyed more than 175 structures.  

Pashik was previously arrested in Clearlake for being a felon in possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance at an illegal grow site, as Lake County News has reported.

The arson charges Pashilk faces in the Clayton Fire will also carry enhancements due to the destruction of homes and businesses.  

State and Local law enforcement officers work diligently in arson cases to aggressively investigate and prosecute those suspected of intentionally starting fires.

“The residents of Lake County have experienced senseless loss and endured significant hardship over the past year,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director.  “Mr. Pashilk committed a horrific crime and we will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. My thoughts continue to be with the people of Lake County during this difficult time." 

As fire danger remains extreme across California, arson is a major threat to life, property and natural resources. Residents should be vigilant in their preparedness and aware of suspicious persons when a fire does start. 

If you witness someone suspicious make note of the time, his or her physical description, as well as any vehicle description, including the license plate number. 

Always contact law enforcement, never approach a suspicious person. Anyone with information about arson is urged to contact the CAL FIRE Arson Hotline at 1-800-468-4408. Callers can remain anonymous.

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – North Coast Opportunities (NCO) and Mendo Lake Credit Union have reopened the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund in response to the Clayton fire, which has already destroyed at least 175 structures in Lake County. 

Thousands of people remain under mandatory evacuation as firefighters continue to battle the largely uncontained blaze. 

Monetary donations are being accepted at all Mendo Lake Credit Union and Savings Bank of Mendocino County branches. 

Additionally, checks can be mailed to NCO at 413 N. State St., Ukiah CA 95482. Make checks out to NCO/Wildfire Relief, and write “Clayton Fire” in the memo. 

Donations are also being accepted via PayPal, which is linked to from NCO’s front page, www.ncoinc.org . More details about how to apply to the fund will be forthcoming.

NCO’s Volunteer Network is actively participating in immediate needs resulting from the Clayton fire. Interested volunteers should visit www.ncoinc.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab. Those without Internet access should call 707-462-3236. 

Due to a high volume of inquiries it may take some time for an NCO staff member to respond. 

Volunteers will not be deployed until evacuation orders are lifted and an all-clear has been received from EOC operations. It is essential that the affected area remains clear for professional first responders. Please do not self-deploy.

Individuals wishing to donate household goods or clothing are asked to wait until the needs of those affected are made known.

NCO is a 501c3 organization that serves as the Community Action Agency for Lake and Mendocino Counties.

In 2015, the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund was created in response to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires, and the fund disbursed approximately $1.6 million in direct aid to more than 1,000 survivors.

As it did last year, NCO will incur costs to administer this fund. However, NCO currently has some money available that can be used toward operating costs, and it will also be asking partner organizations to contribute to the fund’s administration. The goal is to direct all donations to fire survivors. 

“We are deeply saddened that our Lake County family is yet again dealing with the devastation of wildfire,” said NCO Executive Director Patty Bruder. “NCO and our partners are committed to helping in every way we can, and our hearts go out to everyone affected.”