i want to tell you about a story our entire live desk team is working on right now. multiple fires in the east bay. investigators believe someone intentionally set at least six structures on fire. they broke out at two separate locations in antioch last night. three abandoned homes and two out buildings caught fire on west madill street a. commercial building also burned. i want to show you a picture here of the fire. the contra costa county fire protection district tweeted it. it shows huge flames shooting out of the building on a street at the acacia cremation and burial society. all the fires were very close and broke out within ten minutes of each other. >> fire investigators looking into the cause of the fire at this point. we do believe all the fires are likely set fires. so we are investigating as

arson. >> firefighters putting out hot spots. investigators do say no one was hurt in any of these fires. >> it is now 4:31. if you're just waking up with us, hello and welcome. a quick update on weather and traffic. we start with drew tuma. >> you may not need the coffee this morning. you step outside and it feels cold. temperatures in the 20s and in the 30s and right now a freeze warning and a frost advisory in effect. we'll keep track of that as you go throughout your day. temperatures only in the 50s later on. bundle up as you're out

i'm worried. i have this medical bill...oll, huh? dave, you have anthem and they have people to talk to who are empowered to help any question you... is, is he okay? real people? living and breathing. hopefully not breathing like that.

for all the things that keep you up at night, anthem blue cross has a solution. welcome back. developing news. santa rosa police are looking for the man who stabbed another person inside a restaurant there. this is the photo of the man investigators stay attacked a 61-year-old man last night. it happened just before 6:30. police say the suspect got up from the table, walked to where the victim was sitting, stabbed him and walked off. they never spoke to each other. the san francisco symphony has severed ties with world renowned conductor following multiple accusations of sexual assault. the 81-year-old conductor was scheduled to lead the symphony in january.

in a statement the san francisco symphony says the move was made due to a zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the work place. it's the fifth symphony to drop dutoit since the allegations yesterday. pg&e plans to finish energizing power lines in coffey park neighborhood. 226 poles have been installed and 155 transformers since october's tubbs fire. the temporary lines will eventually be replaced with an underground electric system. pg&e says l.e.d. lights have been installed on most power poles so streets have light. meanwhile,southern california most evacuation orders for the area around the thomas fire have been canceled as the winds start to ease up. the fire is 65% contained this morning. but about 18,000 homes and other buildings in ventura and santa barbara counties are still listed as threatened. there is a concern parts of the

fire could flare up again. the 272,000 acre blaze has killed two people and destroyed at least 750 homes since it began december 4th. it could take up to a year for a damaged oakland hill street to reopen. a fire at a construction site destroyed four homes and damage add retaining wall supporting a stretch of snake road. the hillside gave way leaving the paved road without proper structural support. a detailed assessment of the work that needs to be carried out is expected by the city at the end of january. and now to a story you saw first on abc 7 news. a man is under arrest in connection with homemade bombs sent to two homes including one where a police officer lives. abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow has details. >> reporter: neighbors on mountain view avenue and oakland say they were stunned to see s.w.a.t. teams converge on this home. >> the guy jumped out with guns and everything. i said, oh, god. >> and i came out to take the

garbage out, and the whole street was covered with police. >> reporter: officials arrested 56-year-old ross laverty this is laverty in a mug shot from 2015. a federal criminal complaint charges him with mailing an explosive device with the intent to injure or kill. law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation say they recovered evidence from the home on mountain view evidence. according to the charging documents, laverty mailed an ied to a home in october with a return address for a jewelry store on the package. veronica's father opened the box suffering injuries to his hand, stomach and ears. >> he fidgeted with it a little bit. he held it at a distance. that's when it exploded. >> reporter: then this past month laverty is accused of mailing another ied to a police officer in alameda. according to the charging documents and photographic evidence the packaging were similar. officials linked laverty to dna

evidence he left behind on the batteries in the ieds. when the dna was entered into a database it matched laverty. since he was already a convicted offender. laverty remains in custody. his detention hearing is scheduled for next week. in the newsroom, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. 4:38 a.m. and it is freezing outside in a lot of spots. a majority of the region underneath a freeze warning away from the coast. the coast itself under a frost advisory. temperatures in the 20s and 30s this morning. bundle up as you head out the door. good morning south bay. 36 that current number. we're at the freezing mark currently in sunnyvale. about 35 in mountain view. 31 in campbell. we even have colder temperatures than that in the north bay. novato 29 degrees.

danville the same. san francisco a little bit the warmer, relatively speaking, a temperature of 44 degrees. hour by hour we go. the 12-hour planner in the south bay. we start out chilly in the 30s. it's going to be a gradual climb temperature wise. it's a blend of sunshine and cloud cover out there. by noon we're only in the mid-50s and it looks like in the south bay we're going to top out in the upper 50s, a few degrees below normal this time of the year. we have dry skies. the entirety of your friday itself. if you are traveling today look to the northwest. we do have a couple snow showers flying from seattle and portland. middle america doing okay. fargo, 21. and then we are tracking rain and snow working its way through new england. boston, expect some delays later on today with snow showers and a temperature of 34 degrees. that's weather. a check of the roads with sue. good morning. good morning. we have pictures back and we're going now to the east shore freeway, 80 westbound past university avenue and golden gate fields and on to the mcarthur maze. a steady stream of headlights

but no delays and moving at the limit as you make your way into the mcarthur maze. look at this. everyone is green this morning including our commuters out of the central valley. i have a feeling it will be quite the difference getting out of town this afternoon but this morning we are pretty quiet and real quick take a look at holiday alerts for you. golden gate parking lot on either end of the bridge will be closed starting tomorrow through january 1st from 11:00 to 5:00. golden gate na christmas day reduced. this morning president trump is expected to sign a measure to keep the government running for another month before he heads on vacation. congress sidestepped several tricky political issues in passing the short-term spending bill including health care and protections for d.r.e.a.m.ers. reporter arlette saenz joins us live with more details.

good morning, arlette. >> reporter: good morning, jessica and reggie. while lawmakers kicked the can down the road and avoided a government shutdown for now. when they return there will be plenty of political fights waiting. with the holidays in sight, lawmakers avoided a government shutdown. the house -- >> the motion is adopted. >> reporter: and then the senate -- >> the motion to concur is agreed to. >> reporter: a bill to keep the government running through january 19th. >> we will work together to make sure there is no lapse in funding for critical services. >> reporter: it funds c.h.i.t. providing coverage for 9 million kids through march. congress punts until the new year on thorny political issues like spending caps. protections for the so-called d.r.e.a.m.ers and stabilizing health insurance markets. just as 9 million people signed up for obamacare next year. >> we hope our republican

friends realize their goals are better served by compromise. >> reporter: another issue waiting until 2018, aid for the victims of devastating hurricanes and wildfires. president trump will sign that funding measure today. an official says there's a chance he may also sign the tax bill today as well. the president will be heading to mar-a-lago. arlette saenz, abc 7 news. arlette, thank you. police in concord are searching for a man who hid inside a goodwill and robbed employees at gunpoint after the store closed. the robbery was reported just before 8:30 wednesday night on willow pass road. three employees were counting money in a back room. they gave the thief cash. he ran out through a back door and no one got hurt. new developments with the controversial plan to build 16 cell phone tires in hillsborough. the city manager says she can't act on the proposal because the contractor didn't go to the california public utilities

commission first to get approval. the manager says hillsborough was forced to make a decision, she'll deny the application. she says the contractors has failed to meet requirements. homeowners are strongly opposing it. the davis family resource center in the east bay is looking for last-minute toy donations for 800 families. abc 7 was at the center as the word went out for more toys yesterday and the big giveaway is this morning. volunteers still need to fill about 700 bags with toys and books. >> we are looking for secret santas because it really takes a village. there are nearly 3,000 kids on the list, and our goal is everyone gets a bag of toys. >> they are especially short of donations for teenaged boys who like sports equipment, gift cards, et cetera. you can drop off new unwrapped toys at the center which is at 3081 teagarden street in san

leandro. you can also donate online so they can purchase toys. they are really looking for some last-minute help this morning. >> i hope people come through. okay, there are only three days left before christmas, and if your back is against the holiday wall, folks at amazon say, hey, they have you covered. >> i'd like to take them up upon this. they showed abc 7 news the nerve center of its amazon prime now hub in san francisco. this is the place that allows customers to place last-minute orders, and they deliver in as little as an hour. >> we can pick an order within minutes of you placing it. prime now has tens of thousands of items from if you -- not only your holiday gifts as you mentioned, the toys and amazon echoes and all the gift wrap that you need to be able to wrap the items but also if you miss the item for your christmas dinner or forgot to buy the eggnog. >> the company says the service definitely appeals to procrastinators.

amazon's busiest day was december 23rd. >> i could have used them yesterday. i was looking frantically for gift tags for my gifts. i had to get out, go to the store. >> should have walked to the store. it was cold. >> she has the gifts. she needed the tags. i don't have the gifts yet. great to have all these prime deals. it is cold, frigid digits. 29 the current number in santa rosa. we're at 26 in fairfield. even around the bay waters, in the 30s. freeze warnings are in effect. it is a chillily start. get you to 7:00 in the morning. stars and clouds out there right now. a lot of spots in the 30s. a gradual warming trend. the sunshine will be fighting the cloud cover, so temperatures are slow to warm. we're in the low 50s in a lot of spots and later on this

afternoon we do expect the cloud cover to increase more and that will keep us cool for this time of year. we're cooling off to the 40s. highs today a mix of sun and clouds. 5 the high in san francisco. 58 in oakland, up to 59 in san jose. 58 in santa rosa. 58 the same number in concord. with cloud cover moving in later on tonight, tonight will not be as chilly as we are right now so 30s and 40s on the board. here is your three-day forecast. it's cold to start off. a blend of sun and clouds. saturday we have that chill but it will be a milder day to start off the weekend. christmas eve increasing clouds. it's a dry day and temperatures in the 50s to low 50s. a frosty start today. all eyes on christmas. monday it's dry for santa and that dry pattern stays through thursday. that's weather. a check of traffic with sue. good morning. so far so good on the san

mateo bridge. about a 13-minute drive from the toll plaza on the hayward side of things to san mateo. headlights are heading to hayward. that is the reverse commute. i have a feeling it will be light. a lot of folks left yesterday. we'll keep our eye on things, of course. we'll take a look a green is good. the roadways are clear for you. sue, thank you. hundreds of bay area kids will have wonderful memories of this holiday season thanks to california's great america in santa clara. >> they were treated to the park's winterfest. katie marzullo has the details from santa to snow. three, two, one!

>> reporter: a 60-foot symbol that winterfest is under way. destiny perez and kwan did the honors. >> it's my first time being here. it's christmastime so i'm happy and excited. >> i'm happy to be in the club. >> reporter: roller coasters, pictures with santa and his helpers, and all things holiday. this is the second year of winterfest. 350 trees, 7 million lights, and snow. the snow making winterfest a true winter wonder land for the kids. >> i'd have to say the majority of the children have never been to great america even living in silicon valley it's a treat to be able to attend a park like this. >> we have the makings of an incredible holiday tradition in this area. >> reporter: the kids and their

families are a proud to be a part of it. destiny is a junior staff member. >> it makes me feel good to give back. >> i'm excited she got this opportunity and something she'll remember for the rest of her life. >> reporter: so many wonderful winter memories. >> i love that they did that. >> it looks so fun. >> i want to go. okay, they are warm and snugly but a potential danger for your kids. it's a pajama set under recall this morning. a 9-year-old boy has a special reason to celebrate this holiday season thanks to new technology his dream is coming true. and marijuana about to be legal in california. find out which big name company is hoping you'll be hungry for its business. first this morning's "tech bytes." in today's "tech bytes" a new lawsuit for apple. >> a class action lawsuit was filed the day after they claimed

iphone users never agreed to the slowdown. apple hasn't commented on the suit but says they slowed down the phone to preserve battery life. >> like two ships passing in the night, internet sleuths on street view discovered google and bing mapping vehicles passing each other on a street near minneapolis. here's the bing car on google. on bing all you see is a big rectangle where that vehicle should be. and finally a high-tech holiday greeting. the smallest christmas card. >> it can only be viewed through a powerful microscope. more than 200 million of them could fit into a standard postage stamp.

really? really? really? really? really? see zero in a whole new way. get zero down, zero deposit, zero first month's payment, and zero due at signing on select volkswagen models. now with the people first warranty.

and good morning. time now 4:53 a.m. we are waking up to temperatures widespread in the 20s and 30s here. 12-hour planner, a mix of sun and clouds throughout the day. chilly throughout the day. temperatures only topping out in the mid-50s later on this afternoon, guys. thank you, drew. this morning the meadow that hosts san francisco's annual comedy day is named after its greatest benefactor. the rec and parks commission voted to change the name toe robin williams meadow yesterday. organizers say the late williams secretly supported the event for years to boost up local comics.

they feel this is a great way to pay him back. >> it's been two years in the making. i almost burst into tears but i didn't bring any kleenex. >> the name change goes into effect immediately. if you googled it, it's already labelled robin williams meadow. pajama sets under recall this morning at bass pro almost 27,000 of the three-piece pajama sets. the recall involves 100% polyester sets of printed long sleeved shirt, pants, and coordinating solid colored robe. no injuries have been reported as a result of the recall. christmas came early for one 9-year-old boy in rhode island.

>> ali is unwrapping a gift from students yesterday. inside he found a custom fit 3d printed prosthetic arm. >> i love it. >> the fact they wanted to help me, they wanted to help my son is the greatest gift anyone could ever have. >> his mom, nicole, teaches math at the school. she adopted him from china when he was 2 years old. that is an amazing 360 moment for her. >> so neat. what a wonderful story. >> that is fantastic. we are tracking very cold temperatures this morning. freeze warnings in effect. frost advisories along the coast. look at these 20s in santa rosa to fairfield. 26 there. 25 in novato. even close to the water, the bay, 36 in oakland and san mateo. 12-hour planner later on today. a blend of sun and clouds.

later on today into the afternoon upper 50s to lower 60s. it is a spare the air day in effect today. a check of the roads with sue. good morning. a live look at walnut creek. here we go with the taillights heading in the southbound direction towards highway 24 out of pleasant hill and traffic is flowing nicely. headlights making their way up to concord. moving at the limit for a 13-minute drive on 24 to the tunnel. now to san rafael, a similar looking shot past north gate mall and on up to northbound pedro. again, traffic conditions are light into the city including a fog free golden gate bridge. no delays there as well. we'll look at some of the schedule changes today leading into the holiday weekend. >> sue, thank you. san francisco muni says starting tuesday they will begin routing a bus line to the transbay transit center. that bus will run on weekdays

only, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in an effort to begin breaking in the sprawling new hub. according to "the chronicle" the partial service appears to be an effort to satisfy a loan requirement by the end of 2017. construction delays push the hub's completion back to next year. take this story in. jack-in-the-box is getting a head start as marijuana becomes legal for recreational use on january 1st in california. it is partnered with the cannabis industry mary jane to offer a merry munchy meal for a limited time from january 18th to the 25th. all locations are in southern california so sorry about that. before you rush to try this meal it doesn't contain pot. i think you could get that was the case.

it does offer the most cravable the chain has to offer. looks like tater tots and other nonsense. >> the wave of the future. b.a.r.t. is ringing in the new year by cracking down on fare cheaters. next at 5:00 their plan to step up enforcement. everyone is feeling the impact of the gas tax. the majority of people in san francisco don't agree with the francisco don't agree with the majority of the state.

even if no one in your home smokes, secondhand smoke can be closer than you think.

secondhand smoke from a neighbor's apartment can enter your home through air vents, through light fixtures and even through cracks in the walls and the floors. secondhand smoke is toxic. especially to children. protect your family. visit tobaccofreeca.com. ♪ baby it's cold outside a freeze warning for most of the bay area. >> look you south bay. temperatur