Pawnee Fire In California Forces Evacuations, Some Homes Lost

Flames raced through eastern Lake County on Sunday, devouring 7,700 acres and forcing thousands to flee for their lives in the first major wildfire to erupt in the North Bay since the October firestorm. By nightfall, the Pawnee fire had destroyed 12 structures and threatened 600 others in the Spring Valley area, a rural community northeast of Clearlake Oaks, Cal Fire officials said. A thick plume of smoke spiraled into the sky and showered ash over the region, including sections of Sonoma County 50 miles away. Erupting on the third day of summer, it served as a sobering reminder of fire’s unpredictable and explosive force in a region still scarred from the worst wildfires in California history.