Pawnee Fire, burning in NorCal's Lake County, now 11,500 acres

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. -- The Pawnee Fire in Lake County has increased in size to 11,500 acres, but fire crews have made progress with 5 percent containment, Cal Fire officials said.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a State of Emergency for the area while 1,500 firefighters battled the flames on the ground.



VIDEO:Pawnee Fire rages through Lake County


Of the 1,500 people evacuated, only a handful of people are staying at the Red Cross shelter in Lower Lake. The community has been hit with so many wildfires, they know the drill and have figured out where to stay. Others are camping.

The fire had burned around 8,200 acres as of 7 a.m. Monday and there was 0 percent containment, fire officials said. The fire was being driven by low relative humidity, erratic winds and above-normal temperatures, but fire officials said overnight humidity should be around 60 percent.

PHOTOS: Pawnee Fire rages through Lake County



The blaze, which started at 5:21 p.m. Saturday, has destroyed 22 structures, damaged four others and has threatened 600 more, fire officials said.

There have been no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

Fire departments from around the Bay Area, including Alameda County, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward and Oakland, have sent crews to battle the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Click here for more information on Brown's state of emergency.