goodness. the fire was caused by a car crashed into a utility pole. i spoke with two good samaritans. they sate driver was clutching her crest. >> there is when the first police officer also on westbound said get out of there. we ran. there are live wires around us. >> yes. yes. >> there is police and fire said they're lucky today in battling this blaze because streets, the streets acted as natural breaks. listen. >> there is streets didn't stop. today, the fire we had a gully at the bottom and a street at the top and on the right.

so there is a natural break for the fire. >> and the initial crash caused the utility lines and poles of the other lines, excuse me of the other poles along that street to collapse and that is why this fire chief says that caused a big fire. and we're told 7,000 people are with out power so that is the latest on oakland hills close call today and of course, the oakland fire storm on the minds of everyone here today and now to, my colleagues with another aspect of the story. >> you're right there is an idea of where i am. down below me is mountain boulevard where that car crashed. that caused that power pole to fall down to start to fire.

and take a look around. we're standing behind two of the three homes temperatures say they faced from the fire. and still, dozens of firefighters are on site. the flames came up to the back porches of the homes this, is where firefighters are still staged. the only person home when the fire broke out was an 81-year-old lois chambers. i spoke to her and her daughter just minutes ago. >> they knocked on the door to come out. and i can see white smoke around me. >> there is a meeting and i tried to get here and there is a fire going up the hill. only thing i can think is that our house is gone. >> and this is their house still standing. a dozen homes were evacuated

and firefighters told us they managed to stop flames inches away from the three homes and will be here searching. chambers told us she thought she'd neglected to pay the bill until she walked out and saw flames and smoke, they're relieved to have homes still standing. live in oakland abc 7 news. >> this was a close call, thank you. and another factor that is a huge help today, high winds were not a factor in that part of the oakland hills this afternoon. and there is a look at conditions for us. >> winds were not a factor, light winds today. and there is weather conditions mild. so there is 67 degrees, winds 20 miles per hour. breezy now, you can see humidity is not running low.

it's 48% in the vicinity of the fire. there are winds howling in other parts of the bay area and there is a wind advisory up for tomorrow. 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and includes sacramento valley. northwestern winds as high as 45 miles per hour will dry out the atmosphere. there are low humidity that is in effect starting at 11:00 in the morning and running until 10:00 p.m. they're facing fire weather conditions as that drops down. 10-is a% could possibly see it. there is a brush fire shult down part of interstate 5 north of los angeles. you're looking at strong winds fueled the fire, you can see flames swirling around there is helicopters assisted by

dropping water on the blaze. crews responded by creating breaks to limit the fire's path. chp closed the freeway because of visibility problems. so much smoke is in the air, no structures were threatened by flames. >> this is a day before graduation for heritage high school in brentwood but a group of seniors crawl scrawled graffiti and as part of a prank last week, administrators called this vandalism and we have the latest. >> there are a lot of seeners on pins and needle was their parents. it's not just end of the year jitters. for those suspended they're in the yet clear how it's going to affect their college careers. and some are worried they're going get pulled out of graduation today and line, tomorrow.

>> all morning thp has been a one man demonstration. he says his granddaughter among those dismissed for the pranks. >> i offered my services whatever damage, whatever they drks i'm going to repair it. the school just won't listen to me. >> red paint spelling out seniors and a lamb shackled to a post are a couple examples in what parents say is a tradition that went too far. >> parents planned with their kids on what they're going to do. you don't know whether it's water based paint or whatever. the surface may not come out. >> and her son was not part of the prank and says students should suffer the consequences of noft being able to walk the grad laigs line but should not have academic careers

derailed. >> whether or not holding it in one hour, one day, yes, kids need to be able to finish. >> this is video of the graduation practice. and outside, parents like jose were called to schools for the consultations to see if their children would graduate. >> and he he says students helped clean up the mess. and on the sign he lists 5 students but there is a possibility of more. >> there are some students told me there is another graduation planned tomorrow to parallel one here at the school. in a house, undisclosed. i understand there are more than 80 involved in the pranks and not yet clear today if they're more students added to the 51 suspensions and the

reason why is because the superintendent and principal were not available for our economy qe autos thank you. >> and there is a sonoma county man who went on a bike ride is in critical condition right now after a truck hit him from behind then took off just before 9:00 on petaluma hill road. the truck swerved in to see a man on the shoulder. he suffered major injuries. the hit and run truck should be easy to spot. >> vehicle going to have damage to is its right front head light and right front mirror which would be the passenger side mirror. we're seeing is that this is a dodge truck. and it's approximately the years of a 2002 to 2008 truck. >> this retired professor from sonoma state university. >> mees say they've named a suspect soon in an early morning shooting of a man outside of a car.

the shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. in a parking lot there is a investigators try owing figure out if it was random or, perhaps, gang related. there is family of a teenager shot to death hired an attorney known for bringing misconduct cases against police and investigating whether police used excessive force in the shooting. he was with a friend and police stopped him for yot, engaging in suspicious behavior, akortding to police gains ran, then pointed a gun at an officer who shot him. >> a judge rule there'd is evidence to charge two men for the aattack on brian stow.

that decision came after a preliminary hearing for louie sanchez and marvin norwood in los angeles. one witness, sanchez's sister recognized him as the person kicking stow but others dmot pinpoint sanchez and stow's attacker. >> it appears from the witness s they're describing a different individual other than louie sanchez. >> we know that it's lieutenant sanchez and his group, and not another group of fans as they suggest or mexicans as they tried to the suggest. >> stow continues to recover from severe brain injuries and likely requiring care for his life. >> the man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend the deputy city attorney while they vacationed in hawaii has reach aid plea deal. the bod and and police say the

juror attacked then jumped off a clip and survived. he pleaded no contest. and he now faces 20-40 years in prison, sentencing schedule for september 11th. and late this afternoon there is a settlement reached in the sexual harass many lawsuit against golden state warriors and former guard monty ellis. the former head of community affairs filed suit in december claiming she was wrongfully terminated after she complained about receiving unwanted sexual suggestive text messages. and they said the relationship was consensual. smith sought unspecified amount of damages and her attorney would not divulge detail autos technology caught two teenagers red handed. last month house broken into and an ipad stolen.

the thieves didn't realize the ipad was set to upload pictures taken to an i cloud, one showed a 15-year-old girl. a tracking application then led police to that girl's apartment. she and the 16-year-old boy admitted to the theft and have been booked on suspicion of burglary. >> and an alameda county judge ruled unpaid furloughs imposed on state employees were illegal. the judge ruled nearly 13,000 engineers and scientists were exempt from the furloughs and says they're entitled to back pay. >> there are none of the people paid out of general fund. whether furloughed or not has no affect. it's plail action at the time, and illegal. >> and there is a twist. two days carried over nearly days of governor brown's ten you're, his administration says it may appeal from the

ruling. >> there is an update on that bear cub controversy. what's happening to these two little bears after a man was accused of trying to sell them. >> i'm sandhya patel. heat heading to the bay aerk i'll let you know if it will get here in time for plans coming up. >> unearthing a lost chinatown. you can see the city, beneath a city. abc 7 news at 5:00 continues in just a moment. you can see

fish and game confiscated a pair of bear cubs from a man accused of trying to sell them. they are now being held inside of a wildlife care center. witnesses called fish and game when they saw the cubs. he claims he was trying to find them a good home not to sell them. and he says he shot the mother bear in self dpeens a new exhibit in san jess yeah's

institute of contemp rarey art is showcasing pieces of a forgot again chinatown. there is the story. >> this is like stepping into a traditional chinese home this, is made up of fragments of materials and lives. >> and this is sort of whispered to you. that is part of the community. >> relics from the city beneath the city. these were found during an excavation at this site in downtown san jose. and into 1860s this is the site outside of san francisco. >> this holds a key to understanding downtown san jose's early development autos students are sifting through thousands of pieces and more than half of them in store yj.

the value is in the history. and opening doors to discovery. >> what is like for a person living in chinatown to how did the community participate in urban develop snmt. >> and the community that once lived here. >> and they were transient workers. and and they go to the stores to buy their food. >> and and there is an activityic and to make this approachable and have meaning. >> there are all but the last one burned down and there are new lives and abc 7 news. >> interesting stuff. >> there is more information

and we're looking forward to a nice warm up this weekend. >> there is 90s by sunday and there is a warming trend tlchl is a lovely view from san jose. sunny skies and so much going on. the fair starts this weekend. san francisco giants are going to host the rangers. here is a view from our mount tamalpais camera. there is a shaky camera there so there is a windy afternoon. some areas, breezy. winds are keeping atmosphere mixed out nicely. taking a look at live doppler 7 hd there is a watching for rain down the road. winds gusting to 48 miles per hour out of the west at sfo.

they're experiencing delays of about 15 minutes to 30 minutes because of the winds. so there is fairfield, 35. temperatures 57 in half moon bay. to 77 degrees in antioch. most areas dropped off this afternoon there is clear, breezy tonight. fire danger increasing heading into weekend. especially the straight and dealta going under a red flag washing and a wind advisory for tomorrow. here is we're seeing breezy conditions. spring is a breezy to windy time of the year. set up is that low pressure inland. and there is wind flow creating breezy conditions.

winds stick around heading into saturday and you're going to see what's happening. the wind will be sarting to switch around and we're going to see warm winds developing. this is a wind that blows towards ocean. that is what is going to warm us up. nice-looking weather is ahead. tomorrow morning mid 40s and breezy, clear skies expected for saturday morning. there is 84 degrees in santa rosa. there is fairfield, concord all into low 80s. 77 in oakland. 79 in fremont. and peninsula into 70s and there is san francisco, half moon bay monterey bay, a mild day. and here is a look locally, tomorrow, warmer and very warm

inland and there is 70s showing up monday, and cooling trend starts on tuesday there is by friday, back to average. >> that is nice. >> up next, design enthusists won't want to miss finney's friday free stuff. your ticket to a show. >> and money's worth today. at 6:00 taking a look into car registration thefts. stealing your tags and there is a solution that could get new trouble. why at 6:00. we'll be right back here in just a moment. you can see

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>> all right, weekend is here. we want to start you off right. >> we do. michael is here what. do you have? >> dinner and a show?

>> yeah. we'll take it. yeah. >> okay. let's start with this. check out this monster, there is a signature cafe family-sized entrees. they serve four. so throw in a salad you're ready to go. and they go for about $9 you don't need to pay for that. we're going to take care of that. >> can you cook it next time. >> they come pulled pork, spaghetti, chili and cheese tamales. now, perhaps you need to go out this weekend to do something you haven't done before. there it is. sf modernism show. just so you know this is one that used to be art deco show. okay. well, they spread it out. now, you can see there is from

20s up through 50s and 60s so you have jetson-looking stuff. it's very fun. it's a fun show. only costs $10 to go but why spend that money? we'll take care that have for you. we'll give you two free tickets to go to this show. >> cool. >> great deal. this is almost two pounds. >> there is you can call now or at any time you can go to abc 7 news.com there are three additional items. >> and still head high school seniors notice a big oops at their graduation. >> what word was misspelled on all of the diplomas. stay with us.

coming up at 6:00 we're going hear from an east bay man who became an insent stant hero today. new live courage coming up at 6:00. >> down side of prison cut backs. thousands of x-cons on the streets, no longer under supervision. >> a vehicle that is part car, part motorcycle. kpt that makes it and hoping to change the way we get around. >> and finally here should have been a trophy but turned into a spelling lesson. >> there are thousands had the word "program" misspelled it was discovered after commencement began. the printer is replacing the diplomas but the county is going to have to pay $6500.