communities. governor brown has declared a "state of emergency," and will meet with officials today. at least 400 homes have been destroyed and many more are threatened. mandatory evacuations are in effect and 17,000 have been forced out of their homes and self evacuation centers are open now and many schools are closed for the day. we are in the community of middletown which was especially hard hit. >> we are standing in front of one of 400 homes destroyed with just the foundation standing. the garage and all you see is the burned truck inside and the melted garage door. that is how we were able to figure out this was a garage. here is video of the fire from over the weekend, it is still bumping out of control. it is smoky here

burning in all directions. the focus is saving lives and saving property. there are some homes still standing among the ruins. i am lucky. i am lucky. i don't know why, but my house is still up. residents say the fire is a beast and running from i was terrifying. 400 homes have been destroyed, two apartment complexes, and ten businesses. residents say just horrified that it happened here and right here in a neighborhood not in a rural hillside but right here in downtown and it is shocking. >> thank you for that. hopefully the weather will help the firefighters today. >> more on how the weather will look. lisa is here for mike. >> general wind continues are from the west but so many fires

are burning the winds are erratic. temperature are in the 60s. we have the temperatures and the moisture going in our direction and the lower temperatures today, the humidity of 53 percent and right now the winds are calm. we will look if the temperatures today in the north by to be in the 70's, so 10- or 15-degrees cooler than yesterday with the south to southwest winds can you see from ten to telephone miles per hour throughout the day. a lot cloud cover today. a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. >> happy monday, everyone, and for those in the north bay not so happy monday with several road closures but no major stalls or accidents. highway 29 is closed because of the valley fire and further north, 29 at 175 and highway 29 at 53 at lower lake, all remaining closed. try to avoid the area if you can. kristen and eric? >> the latest cal fire estimate

of the fire shows how large it is, the fire started saturday nearlien valley south of glenn brook and has spread east to the adams area through pine grove and past middle town and southeast to hidden valley lake. thousands are forced from their homes because of the fires and mandatory evacuation orders include highway 175 and highway 29, north of calistoga, and highways 29 and 53 if lower lake and several communities including middletown and hidden valley lakes as we have told you. advisory evacuations have been issued along fine plat road in issued along fine plat road in healdsburg and in taking shelter. january -- janet has that story.

>> this is the second time evacuees are at the fair grounds which is devastating. though are pulling together and trying to keep their spirits high and helping each other out. the anybodies continue to grow as the threat of the fire remains. more people are headed here to the fair grounds. people we spoke with said while they are used to fires coming through their area, they say this fire by far is the worst of them all. it all started on saturday when they remain immediately evacuated with little time to grab personal belongings. most of the folks at the fair groups are from middle town the hardest hit areas in the path wave the valley fire. many who are now trying to get rest after the terrifying ordeal but others say they have not slept at all, thinking of the unknown. i cannot sleep thinking of my home, everything, my grandfather's home. you wonder, what is there?

what is fault there? you think about your friends and your family's homes and it is devastating. >> fire crews say it will be at least two or three day's people can head back, of course, and that is to survey all of the damage and to see if their home is, in fact, still standing up. red cross is asking for monetary donations and they say the need is great and they need to continue to supply people with food and water and whatever else they may need so if you can, they do ask for monetary donations. >> cal fire officials are cautiously optimistic that crews will make significant progress against the veal fire by this morning and they say that the cooler weather and lower winds are helping. officials also advise anyone in the path of a fire have valuable and keepsakes ready, set aside, in case the call for evacuation comes. the cause of the fire is still

under investigation. >> evacuated residents want to know when they can go become home but it is too soon to tell. last night, some expressed frustration at the number of homes lost. fowl say early on protecting property was not their top priority. >> the first 24 hours, we were in lifesaving mode going around with fire engines and could not put out the perimeter of the fire because there were too many lives to save, a lost homes to be evacuated is cars on the road that are burned and people fleeing and fearing ends were getting everyone out of the homes in a rapidly developing fire. >> governor brown will be at the statations center today for a brief on the fire. >> napa and lake county officials have a warning for evoke weeks do not post your address online, burglars are on the rule scamming fires, and

survivors on-line asking for addresses to go check on their homes in an effort to steal their belongings. sheriff deputies are patrolling the evacuated areas. >> cruise are containing the fire and evacuees are waiting to get home if they have a home to go back to. our reporter has more from hidden valley. >> as the wildfire continues to grow, fire crews are still fighting. this team from napa valley is mobilized along one of the main arteries connecting the communities setting backfires along highway 29 so that as it goes up the hill it actually the starve the aetch rolling fire of any fuel. in lower lake people who live in the evacuate areas are waiting to get back home. some have been in to see how bad it is. >> it is hell. basically. it is a ghost town. it is really scary. these people are being told that they can not stay here. >> you weed to evacuate to t

moose lodge in clear lake. >> for those that did not evacuate they are keep an eye on neighbor's property decided to feed the neighbors' animals. this we have five horses, seven goats and two mules and they just did not have a trail for it. it could take three trucks to unhold those. >> there is now power through the evacuated areas and they may not run. pg&e crews are cut down lines because they were damned and laying across the streets and highways. many evacuees had to leave bodes or livestock and they have been frantically trying to find out how they are doing. teams will head and the evacuated areas to help local agencies on the scene. though hope to most animals it of the danger zone. some let their an will mas loose in hopes they would run to safety open their own. >> a neighbor at the end of the road had to walk away from the authorities, two of them and i found out to her today that the

unable next to her was able to on the gate to his property and let them in this so they did not day. thank god. >> the goats in hidden valley lake survived the flames that destroyed their owner's home. neighbors dropped some fresh hay to file them the driver of this small pickup loaded two horses in the pack to escape the fire. this said "where this is a will there is a way." we get the first look at one the four firefighters injured battling the fire. the chief tweeted this photo, with firefighter rich around reff giving a thumb's up despite suffering burns. cal fire said all four firefighters suffered second hen degree buns aror and are expected to make full recoveries. >> with the tass on the value fire it is easy to forget the butte fire 25 percent contained. a new assessment on the damage shows 135 homes have been destroyed. the fire has burned 65,000

acres. this one of 20 active fires burning in the state. the emergency services chief for governor brown said the survivors are spreading faster than they have in 30 years. >> we will see if the weather will help slow down the valley fire. lisa? >> yes, certainly it should help. we have the clouds, cooler temperatures and the winds are from the west. trough moved through with mist and drizzle and we still have a chance of showers through the day. you can see a few returns to the north here, with clouds for most, and another area of low pressure allows for a cooler day for everyone with more showers off the central coast and we are this between systems right now. 61 if san mateo and mountain view and 63 in oakland, but we have plenty of moisture in place from all of the clouds over the weekend. with the lift coming in this afternoon, we can see showers. six degree cooler this morning in napa and five degrees cooler

in livermore. through the day today it will be cloudy and hazy in the north bay and better chance of showers in the afternoon and we are talking about 70 degrees in oakland today, mid-70s in san jose. then we get a break tomorrow, more widespread rain should arrive for wednesday and mainly in the north by, so, in terms of temperatures, 60s out the door and up to ten degree cooler today, and we will tack about cooler weather coming up tomorrow. sue? >> yes, we go back to the bay bridge toll plaza with no metering heights yet and remark is slowing nicely into san francisco and if you are headed from the east bay and to the planned new spokesperson not a big delay at all. we look at first reports of an accident that will gum up the commute from the central valley, west 580 befores have coe a lane is blocked here and you can see some of the red sensors out of tracy in the when direction with road work in the eastbound direction before the altamont pass and that is picked up at 9:00 this morning. we have 49er game tonight,

monday night football, at 7:20 in santa clara so expect delays around the ballpark and giants are also laying this evening, 7:15 and as usual traffic away the city is getting in and out jammed at game time because of the game. kristen and eric have more news. >> next, clean up on a large paint spill in the north bay and the impact it will have on traffic. >> if you take pictures or video of the massive valley fire, first, please do so from a safe place. you can share them with us on social media using # abc7now. speaking of safe, folks are being safe and traffic is light at the bay bridge toll plaza. this is weather and traffic during the entire break sour in during the entire break sour in the know as you begin

hey mom, i could use some basil. during the entire break sour in the know as you begin oh, sure thing, sweetie. life is eating out of a flower pot. wait where's the? right. it's being a food paparazzi. honey, your rump roast just broke the internet. as it should. and a takeout romantic. dessert! happy anniversary. life is mucho, and grande. life is eating, laughing, loving

and a place to enjoy it together. the abc 7 news app on the go, on your schedule, news that lives where you live.

>> welcome back. here is a graphic example of the devastation caused by the valley fire. this is a home on jefferson court in middletown on the street before the fire. now, after the fire. nothing remains but this charred car in the drive and debris from what was someone's home. authors say flames from the valley fire are unpredictable and breaking all the rules as can you see in this video from a hard hit neighbor. one side of street all homes were destroyed. just across the street, as we pan across, five houses are still intact. >> what was your man? >> find a structure to protect or block to protect and do our best and if we could not hold it we backed out and picked another line. >> fires say the fast moving fire forced them to make agonizing decisions about can homes could be saved. >> more on valley fire in a moment but, first, other news

this morning. in kentuckian embattled county clerk is back at work and this is from lexington kentucky, where kim davis returned to work after being jailed for five days for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couple. her deputies have complied. it is not clear if davis will interfere with the process now she is back at the office. >> marin county public works crews will return to enwhiching up a 300 gallon paint spill last week. >> we were there after a big rig flipped on its side and difficult terrain made it hard for crews to get in there. the paint used for highway lane markings must be cleaned off the rocks along miller creek before the county can give the wear the okay. tomorrow one lane of the road is closed for a few hours while crews haul off the debris.

>> make is off and lisa is here with a look at weather affecting the fires up in the valley fire area and our forecast. thank you is right. we are in for fall like weather and moisture as my wiper are coming into work. we have a couple of weather systems that would be favorable to bring some precipitation up to the north by, mainly, later today and into wednesday. all the moisture and the muggy air is over with. that system has moved on, off to the east with moisture in place and another system coming in from the pacific northwest and as a result, the onshore flow allowing are for the mist and the drizzle and showers to fort brag and sea ranch, more moisture in southern california with rain over the weekend and for us, we will look for the cloudy and hazy conditions today. not much in the way of sun until tomorrow account winds pick up tomorrow, as well, with 59 at half moon bay and 63 in oakland and 61 in mountain view and a look outside at the embarcadero,

it is 8:00, it is cloudy, temperatures are in the 60s today, downtown, and 59 in novato right now. grab the jacket, you may even notice a few sprinkles out there and be caught if a light shower and mainly in the north bay but a better chance is more widespread on wednesday. so, we have looking at this system with the cooler air and a slight chance of showers to really come in, on wednesday, and as for today, we are looking at the afternoon chance of rain and everyone is in the 60s and 70s so 10:00, notice we are cloudy and at noon, a chance to santa rosa, cloverdale, the fire areas and into the east bay, maybe a knew showers by the evening commute and it looks fine and tomorrow we are looking at clouds and breezy winds and higher elevation, showers and then it is wednesday more widespread showers and 73 in palo alto and 70 in oakland and 65 in the north bay, with low 70s santa rosa and 69 in santa cruz, and 80 in morgan hill the warm spot, and notice, the 70s

tomorrow right through wednesday and better chance of showers there and looking at we warmer and more dry conditions right on law next weekend into the mid-90s inland. sue? >> yes, everyone, we have an accident heading out of the central valley and this is westbound 580 befores have coe and traffic and speed slowing to 30 miles per hour as you make your way in tracy and we are looking at a drive time of 53 minutes between tracy and the dublin and pleasanton interchange. road work is in the lanes northbound and southbound 680 both directions although you may find slowing in the northbound direction. toward the valley fire, well look at the road closures, highway 29 at tubbs lane is closed and highway eastbound and westbound 128 is closed and further to the north, to lake county, highway 29 at 175, and lower lake hoist 29 at 53 remains closed and the best idea

is to stay clear of this area, fires have a tough job on their hands. kristen and eric? >> major upfriday is coming to siri and here is tech bytes. >> today, siri is getting to know you better, with reports claim that apple's voice assistance will be able to recognize its owner's voice preventing others from activating your iphone expected to debut a 9.1. nasa is bringing outer space to consider living room launching a new t channel, streaming live high definition video from the international space station starting in november. >> it is 30 years since nintendo released the first video game starring the mario brothers and 310 million copies of super mario brothers has sold an the world. mario actually debuted earlier in donkey kong

those are tech bytes. >> the diet that could help women reduce risk of developing breast cancer and the impact of valley fire on air here in the bay area and the precaution people are urged to take. stay tuned. we have traffic around the area we have traffic around the area and we are following the valley

ash rained down yesterday from the fire with a light dusting covering the car to danville under the ash, though; a black vehicle. a strong sea breeze should clear some of smoke. there is no serious health danger from the ash and smoke. >> use common sense. stay inside. if you smell strongly, keen the

doors and witnesses closed. this is not a good time to be outside exercising. we with be conditioned for those with breathing troubles or children or elderly. >> people have been tweeting pictures of ash and firefighters are asking you not to call 9-1-1 to report smoke unless you see an active fire. >> incredible closeup of flames arounding highway 29 near middletown as david was evacuating before the firefighters got there. if you can safely, safely share your photos and video with us to help us tell the devastating story, please do so using # #abc7now. you can see how hot the fire is burning in this nasa satellite image you can seat vietnam fire is -- you can see the valley

fire is brighter than the lights of san francisco and the fire from the butte fire is not so hot as the valley fire. >> cooling down and adding moisture to the picture would hope the firefighters. we will check with our meteorologist. >> that is what we have, mist and drizzle, as well, as you head out the door, upper 50s in the north day and we are looking at a better chance of showers toward the afternoon and southern california, as well, with the hazy conditions in the sierra nevada and at home, 80 in concord and in the 60s and 70s in the bay and 71 in santa rosa and 73 in palo alto and 74 in moment and then, dry and breezy tomorrow, more widespread chance of rain open wednesday and slowly warming temperatures and dry conditions through the weekend. sue? >> we have significant bart changes with the three car trains, extending trains during the commute hours adding service to oakland airport and we show up and go so hopefully that will ease.

in delays on bart at this hour. we have delays on 580 westbound with an accident before vasco blocking the last lane and traffic is slow out of tracy and you are look at 54 minutes before tracy to dublin dublin/pleasanton interview dream force technical conference we begins in san francisco tomorrow and the main artery is closed to traffic already. howard street between 3rd and 4th is closed through sunday with 150,000 memorial have registered to attend and hotel rooms are at a premium. sales force c.e.o. is residenting a luxury cruise ship to house 1,100 attendees. fill be docked at pier 37. >> doctors found the key to cutting your breast cancer risk in half. the key? olive oil, extra virgin with extra helpings most effective when added to mediterranean diet

based on fruits and vegetables. those would adhered to the diet can reduce the risk of malignants breast cancer by 68 percent. >> the timing of a second pregnancy could increase the risk autism in children if conceived less than six months after the first child was born or more than since years later, the child is more likely to have autism. scientists say additional research is needed. the world health organization recommended businessing pregnancies a miles per hour of two year -- a minimum years apart. >> new areas unthreat with the fires. >> fan tick search by company to find if their pets and livestock that were last behind are still alib. >> we will take a quick break but leave you with abc7 looking at a live picture of the eastern span of the bay bridge with span of the bay bridge with traffic moving along

[extracurricular activitiessands help provide a sense of identity and a path to success. joining the soccer team... getting help with math... going to prom. i want to learn to swim. it's hard to feel normal... ...when you can't do the normal things. [announceto help, sleep train is collecting donations for the extra activities that for most kids are a normal part of growing up. not everyone can be a foster parent... ...but anyone can help a foster child.

break abc7 news begins with breaking news. >> a devastating wildfire rages out-of-control and thousands of forced from their homes. when they return many will find nothing but ash. it is monday morning, at 5:00 a.m., thanks for joining us. i am eric thomas. >> i am kristen sze. we will get to amy hollyfield in middle town where dozens of homes have been destroyed. just a scene of devastation. amy? >> kristen, this block has been wipe out. our jaws dropped when we pulled in one of the 400 homes that has been