this morning, out of control. >> a long, nervous night on the fire lines in southern california, major blaze burning close to neighborhoods and moving right down to the ocean, fierce flames fanned by hot, dry winds. we have the very latest. backup plan. alarming new developments from boston marathon day. that was not the first time the bomber's initial target was and now know where they built those bombs. >> serious questions about soap. could a key ingredient actually be harmful. even bad for your health. what millions of us need to know. a surprise visitor. what happens when a sea lion saunters into the office? good friday morning. i'm reena ninan in for diana perez. >> i'm john muller.

we begin with that early and dangerous start to the wildfire season in southern california. the biggest is this one, out of control, a blaze that burned more than 8,000 acres in ventura county from the mountaintops to the pacific coast highway less than 10% contained. >> abc's devin dwyer has the breaking details. >> reporter: overnight the inferno erupted like a volcano sending flames and billowing smoke into the skies around los angeles. the fires are to the northwest and east fanned by punishing santa ana winds. the raging flames feasting on bone dry brush made worse by extreme early springtime heat. >> the water! >> reporter: hundreds of firefighters are battling to get the blaze contained. >> our idea is to hit it hard, hit it fast and keep it as small as possible. >> reporter: hosing down homes and businesses unable to save them all. >> we lost everything. our spa, my cat, everything is gone. >> reporter: this morning, thousands of homes are still

under siege even wildlife is on the run. these foxes, raccoons and deer fleeing the fast-moving flames. at cal state university in camarillo, the campus was evacuated, classes canceled. >> heavy, dark smoke around the campus. really hard to breathe. hurts your eyes, ash coming down and everything. pretty disgusting. >> reporter: a few miles away the fire ignited a store of farm pesticides, the explosion adds insult to injury. an ominous start to the fire season, a 60% increase compared to a normal year. >> i started getting emotional because i don't want to lose my house, you know, and they say pack your stuff. what do you decide to take and what to leave behind. >> reporter: experts say the fire extends to the southwest and mountain states and with drier conditions predicted, it will only get worse. devin dwyer, abc news. those images from the tinder dry west museum like they are

coming from outer space to those in northern and central states. >> busy digging out of 16 inches of snowfall that pounded minnesota and wisconsin. all that wet, heavy snow and bone-chilling temperatures combined to cripple power lines and shut down roadways across several states. well, any end in sight? let's find out, accuweather jim dickey is part of our extreme weather team. >> still tracking snowfall this morning. you see the band of snow stretching from kansas city up into canada. just to put it in perspective, kansas city, missouri, averages zero inches of snow in may. we're going to shatter that. the highest total over an inch for the month of may, likely sighing anywhere from 3 to 6 in the kansas city area. through these early morning hours, the snow winds down but looks to stall out and produce flooding rainfall across the region through saturday. john and reena, back to you. >> all right, jim, thank you. there are new details this morning about the boston bombers' original plot, the marathon was apparently not the initial target. >> sources say dzhokhar tsarnaev

told the fbi that he and his brother tamerlan were planning to launch the attack at a july 4th event in boston but he said they built the bombs much faster than expected so they changed their plans. he also said the explosives were put together in tamerlan's cambridge apartment. >> this morning tamerlan tsarnaev's body is no longer at the morgue. it was claimed by his uncle last night and moved to a funeral home outside of boston. tamerlan spoke with his wife on the phone shortly after the surveillance was released and the fbi wants to talk to katherine russell about that conversation. >> some newtown families and other victims are expected to be on hand in houston when the nra begins its annual convention hoping to keep pressure on the group over a failed gun control bill and senators who voted against that bill are facing a growing backlash in their home districts from voters. jeff flake posting on facebook he says his public image is now,

quote, somewhere just below pond scum. the fbi has added a woman to its most wanted terror list. she is joanne chesimard, also known as assata shakur convicted of killing a new jersey state trooper 40 years ago at a traffic stop been on the run since 1979 when she fled to cuba. the reward for her, $2 million. well, maryland has become the first state south of the mason-dixon line to abolish the death penalty. in more than 50 years, the governor signed the bill into law yesterday. it does not affect the five men on the state's death row, but the governor can commute those sentences if he chooses. the state's last execution was in 2005. and it's official. beginning august 1st same-sex marriage couples can get married in rhode island. the governor signed the new law in front of hundreds of cheering supporters. the new law does allow religious institutions to set their own rules and says religious leaders will not be obligated to officiate any marriage ceremony.

>> president obama has wrapped up talks with mexico's recently elected president. they covered a range of issues from trade to illegal drugs and, of course, border security. but for now at least the details are still under wraps. abc's mary bruce traveling with the president. >> reporter: president obama arrived yesterday in mexico city where the economy tops the agenda during his three-day tour of latin america. the issue of immigration reform, however, will be hard to ignore. >> i'm optimistic about us getting this done because it's the right thing to do. we've seen leaders from both parties indicate that now is the time to get comprehensive immigration reform done. if we're going to get that done now is the time to do it. >> reporter: with congress poised to overhaul the nation's immigration laws mr. obama will have to tread carefully while he's here. any public comments he makes could impact the delicate negotiations back home. although immigration and border security will consume much of the conversation, the trip is intended to focus on economic relations and trade between the u.s. and its southern neighbor.

security concerns in the fight against drug trafficking are also high on the to do list. mr. obama is hitting the ground running spending the afternoon in his first extended meetings with mexico president who just assumed office five months ago. this is a shortstop in mexico for mr. obama. later today he heads to costa rica. mary bruce, abc news traveling with the president in mexico city. >> there are now two popes living at the vatican. pope benedict now emeritus returned home since his resignation. here he is being welcomed by the current pope francis. uncharted waters for the catholic church. it should make some interesting conversation now and then, you would think. >> absolutely. a look at the weather right now around the nation, another day of heavy rain, also some flooding in the southeast with less severe but still wet conditions that will stretch from the great lakes, the best conditions in the country right now are in the northeast. it will be unseasonably cool in most of texas and oklahoma

panhandle with highs only in the low 60s. cooling but still warm and very dry 80s and 90s in the west. coming up a buyer's market as mortgage rates hit a new low. business news is next. then the a-list arrest, the video goes viral overnight. reese witherspoon's confrontation with police, you'll hear it coming up. we're monitoring the breaking news, a massive wildfire burning in southern california.

we get a critical sign today about the health of the hiring market. the april jobs report comes out in just a few hours. now, experts estimate that only

about 135,000 jobs were created last month, much lower than the 200,000 needed to drive unemployment down to prerecession levels. now, despite the pessimism about the jobs market, stocks surged yesterday. the dow, s&p and nasdaq all up about a percentage point. the s&p is just three points away from the important milestone of 1600. the clothing industry in bangladesh is on edge as more american companies consider pulling out following last week's factory collapse, which has now left more than 500 people dead. disney, our parent company, has stopped production in the country. and there's word other major retailers including walmart and levi strauss were already backing away from similar factories because of concerns about safety standards. and a boost this morning for the housing market and the entire economy. a new record low for mortgage rates. the average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage dropped to a rock bottom 2.56% this week. the rate for more than -- the more popular 30-year fixed, that fell to a near record low of

3.35%. well, the oracle of omaha has tweeted for the first time. billionaire businessman warren buffett has joined twitter. i beat him by about a couple of weeks. his first message said simply, "warren is in the house." he's already gained 250,000 followers. buffett has been famously reluctant to embrace technology claiming he doesn't even have a computer in his office. somebody is probably sending those tweets. >> i'm going to follow him. before your morning shower hear the new questions about soap and a key ingredient. and a sign of progress from ground zero that had even the construction workers tearing up. see life in the best light. outdoors, or in. transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. so you see everything the way it's meant to be seen. maybe even a little better.

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the 8,000-acre fire forced the closure of the pacific coast highway and threatened thousands of homes. let's check the road conditions across the country this morning. the major trouble spots will be in the southeast where heavy rain is likely to cause flooding in some areas. there will be lingering snow showers that could slow things down around minneapolis and kansas city. and if you're flying, airport delays are possible today in minneapolis, kansas city, miami and memphis. a medical alert now, antibacterial soap used by millions of us every day now under government scrutiny possibly for doing more harm than good. >> the fda is now reviewing the chemical triclosan found in everything from soap and body washes to toothpaste. recent studies in animals show the chemical's ineffective and even harmful leading to early puberty and other health issues. we'll have much more on this later on "gma." all right. some frightening moments for travelers at houston's biggest airport. people were sent running for cover after a man with an assault rifle opened fire in the ticket area shooting into the ceiling after being confronted by a homeland security agent.

that man apparently took his own life. police say he left behind a note saying "the monster within is getting stronger." six months after hurricane sandy, a home that became an iconic image of the fierceness of the storm, finally coming down. crews began demolishing a home on the jersey shore that had been swept into the water. friends and family say the house served as a haunting reminder of the hardship sandy caused. across the hudson river in lower manhattan, a spectacular site at the scene of the 9/11 attacks. earth cam captured the spire that will top the new world trade center as it was hoisted to the roof of what will become the tallest tower in the western hemisphere. here's reporter tim fleisher of wabc in new york. >> to see this go up and cap it off, it's a beautiful moment for everybody, and, you know, not just for new yorkers, but america. >> reporter: this moment more than an amazing construction effort placing this spire on top of the world trade center bringing this world trade center to its symbolic pinnacle of 1776

feet. this 22-ton structure houses state-of-the-art lighting and assembled represents the 17th and 18th segments that make up the crowning glory of this building. >> it's here. our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims of september 11th, and you can't knock us down. >> reporter: unfurling the american flag for these workers, it's a different kind of topping off event common on construction projects put in place with the last steel beam. >> yes, it is totally different. i'm sure a lot of people are happy. this will be a great day. >> reporter: finally, the 75-foot spire was hanging free and began to move more than 104 stories, it will travel skyward guided by two very long ropes. the spire, which arrived in the area in several sections, was brought to lower manhattan by barge and then assembled at the ground level of the site. it's being hoisted to a temporary work platform where it will then be readied over the next several weeks before then being placed on its permanent platform. its beacon and all the

electronics, state of the art, and once it reached the top, the large crane swung the spire back over to the roof where we now anxiously wait for its installation and the lighting of the beacon. >> what a moment that's going to be when they light that beacon. right? >> absolutely. so emotional too. you see those workers. >> yes, absolutely. >> years of their lives. >> big, tough guys choked up. they've come a long way. >> absolutely. all right. this morning we are getting ready for the greatest two minutes in sports better known as the kentucky derby run, which will be run tomorrow afternoon. the nba playoffs are also in full swing. we get the latest highlights from espn news. and a good friday morning to everyone. i'm matt barrie with your "sportscenter" update. a big night in the nba thursday. the golden state warriors looking to advance in the playoffs. david lee was supposed to miss the remainder of the preseason with a right hip flexor. he was back, only played a minute and a half, not effective. steph curry was. drills the three over ty lawson in the third. seconds later, curry again. curry had 14 points in the third quarter alone.

nuggets down, 2. under 20 seconds to go, wilson chandler drives, can't hit, loose ball goes to the warriors. they advance, 92-88. they will take on san antonio in the next round. nets taking on the bulls. game six in chicago. bulls looking to close this thing out. fourth quarter, nate robinson embarrasses kris humphries. it was so fun, let's take another look at that. big guy, little guy, never works out well for the big guy. just under four to go. nets up 2. joe johnson, good look to brook lopez, better finish. ten seconds to go now. bulls down 3. inbound to the nets' basket. the pass to marco belinelli is long. joakim noah tracks it down. he steps out of bounds. nets hold on to win, 95-92. we are going to a game seven. another big night in the nba coming up on friday night. four games either on espn or espn2. all of them game sixes, tuck in

at home. it's going to be a good one. i'm matt barrie with your "sportscenter" update. all right. some baseball news, sort of, hundreds of pooches and their owners taking over rangers ballpark in texas last night. >> including this guy, clearly bundled up against the chilly night air. it was 43 degrees in arlington. that's the third coldest start in the ballpark's history. about 700 dogs were there to watch. >> that says it all. >> oh, totally. look at that. >> i'm kind of chilly. take me home. i don't know why that's the dog voice but that's the dog voice i came up with. >> not bad. >> good. up next, "the pulse," the surprise visitor. what this little guy was doing inside a san diego office. and the explosive video of a movie star's arrest. you'll hear it next. i'm so happy to be marrying your mom. you know that, right? uh-huh. i know this hasn't always been easy for you. and i'm really happy that you're in my life, too.

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time to check "the pulse," stories people are talking about today. first up the must see dash cam video. >> oh, boy. it shows actress reese witherspoon and her husband jim toth pulled over on suspicion of dui in atlanta. the officer handcuffs toth, who was driving, and that's when witherspoon got into the act. listen. >> i have to obey your orders? >> yes, you do. >> i have done nothing. >> reese, reese. >> i have done absolutely nothing. >> reese. >> i am now being arrested and handcuffed? >> yep. >> do you know my name, sir? >> i don't need to know it. >> you don't need to know my name? >> not quite yet. >> okay. you're about to find out who i am. >> oh, boy. reese sat down for an exclusive interview with "gma's" george

stephanopoulos and admitted she had been drinking and said she was embarrassed and very sorry. she did say a great heartfelt apology. an unexpected visitor took some california office workers by surprise. >> yeah, a wayward sea lion wandering in from the beach pops into the chamber of commerce lobby there in imperial beach. the curious pup went from room to room perching himself near a window until animal control officers arrived. >> they took him to seaworld's rescue center, and the people there immediately recognized him. he had been rescued before and was just released earlier this week. >> i hope he's not sick. otherwise, give him some treats. all right. domino's pizza is embracing technology in a whole kind of new way. customers can now watch in realtime as pies are being made. dominoslive.com uses five cameras, and they track the action at a domino's in salt lake city. >> it features a dough many ka, a toppings cam, even an oven cam, and they promise the live cameras won't influence the

pizzamaking process, and there won't be any acting. if it works, they'll expand the pizza cam to more cities. >> for some of you, your local news is next. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally. i use bounce outdoor fresh sheets because fresher is better. everyone knows that. i'll tell you what -- i'm just crazy about freshness. [ cow moos ] mmm. [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce? [ woman ] mmm, mmm, fresh.

>> abc7 news starts right now with breaking news. >> good morning. 4:28. >> the breaking news is in lafayette where a fatal accident shut down a stretch of highway 24. >> leyla gulen is following the impact. >> that's right. we are tracking the fatality blocking all lanes on westbound 24. we have pictures. the accident shows a car was traveling in the wrong direction and got on the freeway and traveling eastbound in westbound lanes. westbound traffic is stopped. for those morning commuters who are trying to make the drive to lafayette, at central lafayette the ramp is shut down. all lanes are closed. there is in word when it will

re-open. now traffic is slowing a bit. volume building as folks try to make the commute. westbound 24 at central lafayette shows all lanes blocked because of the fatality. >> mike neck -- mike nicco has the forecast. >> it is dry this morning. in the afternoon hours today it will not be so remain with as yesterday. oakland is a city that could set a record high. mountain view will warm from 74 to 89. inland we are around 83 in the north bay to 92 in the east bay and it will be sunny at the coast and this is the last sunny and warm day. it will be 70 to 74. >> happening now in southern california, more residents in ventura county are forced from their homes as the brushfire grows out of control threatening thousands of homes.

abc7 news reporter katie marzullo is in the newsroom. >> the spring fire damaged 15 homes. there are no injuries and none are destroyed. the fire is a massive fire. 8,000 acres are burning, 12 square miles. it is only 10 percent contained. the flames are threatening 2,000 homes and 100 commercial properties. evacuation orders are in effect if several neighborhoods. >> i pulled to my home and seeing flames in the back of the house the natural response is fear but coming up on the firemen they were cool and collected and felt they had a 95 percent control of the situation. >> the fire officials say the fire topped the ridge and reach the pacific coast highway. they had to close the road for a se