live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> sky 7 shows you the grass fire that raced through a hillside on mount hamilton outside of san jose at a time when the bay area is dealing with high fire danger. good morning, i am kristen sze. >> i have learned the authorities say the fire is suspicious that was recorded at 5:30 this morning in santa clara county. matt keller joins us from the

scene. is the fire under control, matt? >> i checked with cal fire and they say it is 100 percent contained. this is where the fire actually started: you can see the hilli'd is burned. a stolen vehicle crashed into the hillside and started the fire. another stolen vehicle was abandoned near. when firefighters arrived there were 20 acres burning and spread to 40 acres. >> because of the lack of rain and the drought conditions, the fuels are extremely dry and more what you would see in october and getting a fire at 5:30 in the morning, the end of december, in northern california, that is unheard of. >> resident up here said there is a real problem with stolen cars being dumped in the area, ten the last in but this is the first to catch fire.

firefighters will be out here for most of the day. they say that until we get significant rainfall, we are going to see situations and fires like this all across the state. the fire danger is real despite the calendar saying it is winter there is a lost dry vegetation. mike nicco is on the roof to explain. mike? >> it is dry, again, and hazy as we are under a "spare the air" day with that situation not help the air quality in the santa clara valley. let me show you why they were able to get this under control. up in the hills there, winds are only up to 7 miles per hour so the winds did not have an effect and the humidity in the air is running 80 percent right new and the winds headed into the valley, they are calm, almost near existent so the winds were the big factor in taking care of this fire. in san jose right new, you can

see high clouds and worst air quality on the 23rd "spare the air" day since november is in san rafael and then oakland and then cupertino. wood burning have been through midnight. san jose acknowledges 16" of rain a year and we have had 3.8", the driest ever in san jose. that is why we have the issues. the winds could come up this weekend and we could have heightened fire detainer. that is in the seven-day forecast. >> this morning, passengers were evacuated from a delta flight waiting to take off from san jose international airport. we have video of the plane taking off as it was determined "safe." it was headed to st. paul, minnesota. personnel spotted a flame coming from an engine tail pipe that flamed out. the airlines says it was a lavatory issue. passengers were put on other

flights. the boeing was among several planes delayed by thick fog. >> crews are putting the finishing touch on the biggest new year's eve celebration tonight. a massive fireworks show along the waterfront. amy hollyfield is in embarcadero with a preview and at look at the police presence. amy? >> yes, it will be quite a she. what a beautiful place to hold a fireworks show. but here it is: the show that will ring in the new year, 3,000 to 4,000 fire work devices launch at midnight creating 15-minute long show. >> it will be spectacular, exciting and bringing in the new year the right way the. >> employees will load the product into the tubes. 15 people are on the barge tonight but they will not be lighting the fireworks that is done by computer. the explosives will launch to a

soundtrack made especially for tonight. >> there is mirrors i justin timberlake and "can't hold us" and "get lucky." a little bit of popular stuff. >> they expect a huge crowd because the weather has been so nice. the police say that they will be out in full force, too, making sure that it is an alcohol-free event. >> this will be zero toll ran because this is a family event and they want kids to come out and the parents to come out, they want everyone to have a good time, a safe and happy new year. >> there will be a heavy concentration of officers at the water resident but they will have enough cops to cough -- cover the entire estimate. >> the department has received quite a bit of funding from the california transportation safety board. we have all the funding for those so we will be out enforcing the d.u.i. laws so do not drink and drive. >> if they catch you out here with a drink they will make you

pour it out and write you a ticket. zero tolerance policy tonight. they want to emphasize that. there are so many options around the city from comedy shows to hotel parties and something for everyone. we hope you have a very happy new year. let's talk about staying safe. aaa is offering free tows and a ride if any driver would has had too much to drink. they are available for anyone throughout the bay area from 6:00 tonight until 6:00 tomorrow morning with a tow up to ten miles. the number is on the screen. reservations are not accepted. >> local transit agencies are making it easier to not drive on new year's eve. muni is offering free rides from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. including all muni routes and even the cable cars. caltrain is extending hours with the final train departing from king street station at 2:15 a.m.

on january 1. bart provides additional service until approximately 3:00 a.m. >> officials are bracing for a protest, occupy oakland is planning an unpermitted demonstration starting at 9:30 tonight involving a march from the plaza to the north county james, occupy website is asking protesters to bring fireworks which are illegal. protests show solidarity with prisoners around the globe. >> the hospital that performed the surgery for the now brain dead 13-year-old oakland girl takes its own legal action vowing to do what is right after the girl's family won a battle yesterday to keep jahi mcmath on a ventilator. katie marzullo is at children's hospital, in oakland. >> i talked with the hospital spokesman and we know thin-year-old jahi mcmath remains on a ventilator at children's hospital oakland because the family won a temporary restraining order that will make the hospital keep they are on a ventilator at least

until next tuesday, the 7th. the hospital, though, in the meantime, has filed a motion opposing the restraining order and opposing all the motions that the family attorney has filed. the question is: what, if anything, could happen, between now and next tuesday? the hospital spokesman says that one thing is, jahi mcmath could be moved. that is what the family wants. they claim they found a facility in new york that will take her and care for her. children's hospital oakland does not believe that is the real possibility. >> she is deceased. nothing is going to bring her back. there is in facility that we know of that will accept a deceased person on a ventilator. that being said, if they can find one, we will do everything in our power. >> we want to get her away from children's hospital oakland and to a hand that wants to treat her and believes she can get better. >> that was her uncle. the family believes she is alive and most recently says she is

responding to touch and her mother's voice. if she is still here at children's hospital oakland next tuesday, and if the restraining order is not extended, the hospital says it will have the legal right to remove jahi mcmath from the ventilator. we have talked with the attorney for the family moments ago and he tells us that there is a hearing scheduled in federal court for next tuesday. alameda police are looking for a shoplifter caught on surveillance video. police say the woman entered a beauty store and store more than $1,000 in merchandise. if you know who this woman is or if you have any information, please contact the alameda police department. still ahead, the search for the cause of massive train derailment in fire and why a mayor says his town barely escaped tragedy. >> >> the bay area couple ringing in the new year trapped in antarctica with efforts to reach a ship stuck in the ice.

>> it is officially 2014, in thailand, bangkok celebrated a few hours ago with amazing fireworks. stay with us we will have more new year's eve celebrations from

to those whoworried...... poked and prodded... taken risks... and lived in a state of "what if?"... welcome to a new state... of health. welcome to covered california.

the place to find quality, affordable coverage. financial help for those in need. and nobody can be denied because of a pre-existing condition. enroll now at coveredca.com or call 1-800-752-6631. in san francisco police arrested a hit-and-run driver

driving an s.u.v. when he hit an asian work crossing the street. police are determining whether the person ran a red light. witnesses say the woman was in the cross walk and had the green light. she was taken to seven general hospital with fractures. she is expected to survive. the arrest of the driver occurred a couple of blocks away driving on a suspended license. >> in north dakota, the mayor of a town, he says, narrowly escaped tragedy when the train carrying oil derailed and exploded. fireball and plumes of back smoke were sent into the sky. most of the 2,400 residents stayed indoors to protect themselves. explosions continues after the derailment. >> couple is among the passengers stuck on a research ship in anarctica. the couple from richmond are among 74 people stuck in the ice

after a christmas blizzard. they are still waiting for help. now the latest on that story. >> what a way to ring in the new year: 74 people stranded on a research ship in in anarctica fa week are preparing to be rescued by air, stomping on ice, creating a pad for the helicopter they hope can evacuate them soon. it now appears their only option. we have just learned the ship cannot reach us. >> three ships have tried and failed to reach the stranded ship, unable to make their way through the ice we 13' thick and now one, a chinese vessel, carrying the rescue helicopter reportedly could be stuck in the ice, as well. but, still, plans are in place to send that helicopter to evacuate passengers who have been passing the days reading,

watching movies, and waiting for their unusual adventure to come to an end. >> we are look after each other as best question. >> they have to keep up the patience. the helicopter cannot head their way until the weather cleared which is not expected to happen before tomorrow. >> tough situation there. >> yikes. weather-wise, we are looking good for the fireworks but mike nicco, our weather expert will talk about that. >> i looked at the ferry willing thinking this would be a great seat to have tonight. i tell you how to dress appropriately if you are headed out during the midnight hour and what is in store for the first few days of 2014. >> mike, thank you. getting ready for the rose parade, the last minute preparations going on right now and why a group is calling for a boycott this year.

happening now, cities in asia and along the pacific are already celebrating the new year, with a light show limiting up the great wall near beijing with music and dancing to welcome the new year

>> covering benicia, san ramon and all the bay area, this is use 7.

happy new year from shanghai, a light show sing crow niced to "fireworks" from katy dancing. >> in australia, look at the dazzling fireworks show there. more than a million people gathered in sydney to watch the biggest fireworks show take off. >> and harper bridge, a colorful display lived up to the extravagant reputation. you can watch the times square ball drop right here on abc7. tune if to dick clark's new year's rockin' eve starting tonight at 10:00 and continues at 11:30 p.m. after abc7 news at 11. hundreds of volume -- volunteers are putting the final

town on the floats. most of the hand labor is done by hundreds of volunteers. on average it takes 5,000 hours to decorate every inch of an average 55' float. tomorrow, millions witness a first at the parade, and a long time couple are tying the knot on a wedding cake float. you can watch the 125th rose parade tomorrow right here on abc7. rose bowl stanford versus michigan state can be seen at 2:00 in the afternoon on espn. and we are headed to pasadena to cover the action at the rose bowl and you can get the play-by-play by following larry on twitter. we have to know what the

weather will be like the. >> decent all around for matter what you want just how much clothing you have to wear. yesterday, to give you an idea of what will happen, we set a record in oakland at 64 downtown and we tied that at san jose, at 66. last time we hit 66 on this date was 1958. long-standing tradition. and a little bit of moisture, a weak system that is trying to split the yeah of high pressure that is dominate our weather and you can see the band of clouds moving south of portland and another band across tahoe which is what is bringing us the excessive high clouds compared to yesterday and kicked in a little moisture this morning which is why we had the fog, and if we have fog tomorrow it is in the north bay valley and most of us will be clear tomorrow than this morning. right now, we still have quarter a mile at san carlos and two at

sfo and two in san jose, not hearing of any delays at the airports. temperatures are cooler right now because of the extra cloud cover, and antioch and fairfield and los gatos and half moon bay are in the mid-50's. this is how it looks from south beach across the bay area in hard to see oakland and east bay hills because of the haze, our 23rd "spare the air" day, another dry day and tomorrow will be dry going to 2014 with poor air today and tomorrow and thursday and mobile on friday and the models are not inconsistent or have a great handle on next week but there is a slim chance of rain. today, low 60's for most of us and we could hit 63 at oak, fremont, palo alto, livermore, cloverdale, 64 in morgan hill and santa cruz for the warm spot. the forecast if you are headed down near the ferry building, pier 14, fireworks, it will be a

nice night, not too cold as it is usually not in the city. temperatures in the upper 40's by midnight and the haze if you are trying to watch them from oakland or the other side of the bay the haze could inhibit you a little bit but if you are in san francisco, you will see them with no problem, the high clouds are way too high up in the sky to stop any of the fireworks from being seen. it will be cooler and we will have frost inland with low-to-upper 30's there. we will start off the new year in the mid-40's and half moon bay and san francisco. a couple of areas of high pressure dominating forecast, which aror run by the high clouds so they are called dirty high because of the short wave moving through and the area of low pressure to the west keeps the high clouds in the forecast the next couple of days but the storm track is so far north the dry pattern will linger into next year.

low-to-mid 60's tomorrow and we could get an offshore wind on thursday and friday so low-to-upper 60's and back to the mid-60's by sunday and into monday and, hopefully, tuesday, wednesday, thursday next week could be a slight chance of rain otherwise we will have the "spare the air" days well into the new year. be safe the enjoy the weather. >> we will do that. mike has been talking about king tides causing problems and here is an example. >> this is mill valley if marin county, flood all 9 time, unfortunately if you park very car in to lot if miller valley it is always a mess and flooded ther

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