through an oakland warehouse killing 36 people, families get a small measure of justice today. the two men accused of creating what some call the death trap agreed to a deal that will send both of them to prison for several years. >> they took responsibility for the crime of involuntary manslaughter. >> this is a plea that's been entered into as a moral imperative to eliminate all of the trauma and pain and suffering that everyone touches this case endures. good evening, thanks for joining us. i'm kristen sze. >> i'm dan ashley. we have live team coverage on this developing story for you. >> abc 7 news reporter cornell bernard begins our coverage live in oakland. cornell? >> reporter: dion and dan, there will be no trial for the ghost ship warehouse fire, two men derick almena and max harris could have faced almost 40 years in prison. instead, both agreed to a plea deal which happened moments ago.

almena, the master tenant, will serve nine years in prison. harris, the creative director, will serve six years, both pleaing to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, the tragic fire happened at a concert in december of 2016. >> this is a plea that's been entered into as a moral imperative, to eliminate all of the trauma and pain and suffering that everyone who touches this case endures. >> the city of oakland botched this entire situation. when the ghost ship fire happened there was 300 warehouses just like ghost ship. there was thousands of people exposed to those warehouses that were in danger. and it's onlyecse of lk not happen. >> reporter: both men will have the ability to serve halftime with good behavior and time served, making the earliest

release date as soon as 23 months. judge morris jacobson set a sentencing date of august 9th and august 10th, giving victims' families the chance to speak. it is sure to be an emotional day in court. that will happen in august. live in oakland, cornell bernard, abc 7 news. carlos aceto is also in oakland with reaction from the families about this plea deal. carlos? >> reporter: there were many tears inside the courtroom today from family members of the victims, knowing the defendants accept a responsibility for what happened through this plea agreement, but some are asking is it enough? the morning of december 2nd, 2016 is a day that forever changed the lives of 36 families, that's how many people were lost in the ghost ship warehouse fire. 18 months later, some sense of justice for family members after the judge accepted the two defendants' plea deal, derick

almena and max harris convicted on all 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. >> it's a small satisfaction. >> david gregory was emotional after the hearing, saying the sentence will not be enough to bring his daughter back. >> we wanted fair justice, and we don't feel that, in our opinion, that was fair justice. >> reporter: other family members did not wish to speak. the lengthy proceedings emotional for everybody, including the deputy da. >> we have worked with the families throughout this entire process. you can imagine it has not been easy for the families or the attorneys involved. >> reporter: and the case is not over. sentencing will take place next month, august 9th and 10th. a two-day sentencing where family members will be able to address both defendants. reporting live in oakland, carlos saucedo, abc 7 news.

the december 2nd, 2016 fire killed 36 people, making it the deadliest in oakland city history. in one of the worst fires in state history, two days later the alameda county district attorney's office launched a criminal investigation into the case. and involuntary manslaughter charges were filed against derick almena and max harris on june 5th of last year. they entered not guilty pleas on september 27th. today, almena and harris each agreed to a plea deal, avoiding a trial scheduled for july 16th. 36 people died in the ghost ship warehouse fire. you can read their stories. we have a story on each victim on our website, abc7news.com. let's move on now to the latest on the wildfire burning in napa, lake and yolo counties. it's threatening nearly a thousand homes and businesses. the county fire, as it's called, has burned 70,000 acres, twice the size of san francisco to give you some perspective.

it's just 5% contained right now. new evacuation advisories went out last night, they affect berryessa highlands, pleasure cove resort. cal fire says residents or visitors in these areas should be ready to leave immediately if conditions worsen. abc 7 news reporter wayne friedman has been on the firelines all day, joins us from highway 127 west of winters. wayne, i know you saw plenty of flames today. >> reporter: yes, we did, dan, but flames of the good kind. in this case, backfires along highway 128. 128 is the line they do not want this fire to cross. here's to the 4th of july in yolo county. these would not be the kind of fireworks small business owners hoped to see. >> normally, over this week/weekend we would be doing somewhere around 100, 120 boat launches today. >> how many today? >> zero. >> how many yesterday?

>> one. >> reporter: chad fraser's sign says open, he's decorated for the holiday. he has stocked the ice. and now just the humming of refrigerators inside. how much is business down? >> i was being optimistic at 98%. right now we're at 100%. >> as of this morning the county fire burned 70,000 acres. today, crews took the walking along and setting backfires along highway 128. their proverbial line in the sand. they're using fire to stop fire. but in a region that waited all year to cash in on the 4th of july holiday, it's already too late. as fire flares, everyone has left or never showed up or is leaving. a week ago, no one could find a reservation here. now they can't give them away. >> did you hear anything about the burn or what they're doing or -- >>errydi the last to leave. >> happy 4th, jerry. >> yeah, happy independence. i'm not very independent, am i? >> reporter: worth noting, this

makes five consecutive years that fires have closed highway 128 as chad fraser in the marina told us he's going to have to start budgeting for fires, they're coming that often. live in yolo county, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. changing wind conditions are contributing to the growth of the county fire. sandy pacel is telling us what the winds are doing. >> they're shifting once again, take a look, out of the east/southeast. it's 91 degrees, relative humidity 26%. since this morning the winds have switched direction from the southeast to the north/northeast to the east/southeast. it's really been fluctuating. letting up a bit at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, and we are expecting cooler conditions. still a bit of smoke hanging on from the walnut creek camera. take a look at what firefighters are up against. although we get a bit of a break from that warm to hot weather

tomorrow near county fire, it is going to heat up into the triple digits as we head towards sunday, monday and tuesday. so drier conditions are expected for those firefighters in that area. kristen? governor brown wants to fast track legislation to create new wildfire protections, a proposed bill would require greater prevention measures from utilities and force them to shut down local grids while fire conditions are extreme. they want to convene a committee after summer break. it would go directly to a vote in both houses. more land has already burned in california in more than six months this year than during the same period last year. all opens are open again on eastbound dumbarton bridge. but there may still be delays, sky 7 flew above while crews tried to upright the overturned

trailer. it landed on its side right as rush hour began. traffic has crawled on all the approaches to the dumbarton bridge like bay front expressway and willow road. >> it's not even the 4th of july yet, and neighbors in san jose are already reporting illegal fireworks. firefighters are applauding their efforts. becoming a new u.s. citizen in these divisive times. one new american says she can't wait to wield the power of her vote. buying used car seats, good to remember the adage, when in doubt, throw it out. everybody's wondering, is there fog in your

san jose has a total ban on

fair worksheet. for the third year in a row it's enlisting residents to report online. the concern that underground sources are selling fireworks as powerful as the ones on public displays. david louie is live in san jose with more. david? >> reporter: dan, san jose already has collected 5,500 dollars in fines this year, that number is about to grow as more people sell fireworks over the next few days. fireworks purchased from underground sources, fireworks sellers in nearby communities. no one will say exactly which neighborhoods or streets are being watched. but san jose has data pinpointing where residents have reported illegal fireworks being set off. the city has signs posted everywhere to snap, click, report. it can be done anonymously. >> you can fill out the form, everything except for your name, contact information, put your photographs in there. if there's enough information without contacting you for us to

take action we will take action. >> the city has shelled out $120,000 this year to cover the san jose rotaries annual fireworks show at discovery park. technicians are setting out the mortars for the 30-minute spectacular. what concerns the fire department is that some illegal fireworks are as large and as powerful as professional shows. this is video provided by someone who admits to setting off these illegal fireworks. shells have been confiscated. >> there's enough propellant behind it to shove the shell out of the tube 400 feet in the air before it detonates. i've seen these go through half inch piece of plywood sitting on top of it and punch a perfect hole in it and keep going. >> san jose's research lab, students have been monitoring dry grasses. it could touch off a wildfire. >> if you were to get a fireworks ignition, it could really take off, especially if

there's wind on it. it's a critical time, and people need to be aware of the surroundings. >> the fines for a first offense in san jose is $500. a second offense is $750. and $1,000 for a third offense. if you would like to join the city's campaign to snap, click and report, you can find the link on our website, abc7news.com. we're live in san jose. david louie, abc 7 news. one last note here about illegal fireworks. alameda police, like many departments, say if you're calling to report them in your neighborhood, do not call 911. please call the non-emergency line. a man now faces charges in connection with 17 brush fires in the north bay. investigators today say they've arrested domingo, a a a a a a man. the fires were started along the

west county trail in grayton. a man from novato received a maximum penalty for hitting four bicyclists last october. he pleaded guilty to hit and run charges as part of a plea deal. a judge sentenced him to three years in prison. four men were injured during a charity bicycling event when they were hit by a pickup truck that then sped away. witnesses say it appeared the truck intentionally swerved into the cyclists. a mountain lion was spotted across from an elementary school last friday. here's a fuzzy picture of it in a nearby backyard. it did not linger before climbing over a fence. the department of fish and wildlife was called in. no one could find the mountain lion. just last week a bear was spotted by two people there. the federal aviation no authority is not getting involved in the debate over smaller airline seats. federal regulation of seat

sizes. expanding bottoms into shrinking airline seats is not its problem. this, despite the case brought by the consumer not affect the safety or speed of passenger evacuations. if you ever thought about buying a car seat that has been used, may want to think again. >> michael finney is here to talk about that. we've always avoided that. >> kids grow fast. many of us by used gear and clothing at garage sales, consignment stores, even facebook. safety experts say there's one thing you should think twice about before buying, those used children car seats. >> like most parents at this car seat safety check, tracie cohen wants confirmation her son's car seat is secure. >> it makes me feel that much

more safe it's incorrectly. >> she bought her son's seat new, but many parents receive hand me downs or buy a used car seat. consumer reports caution against buying one secondhand if you don't know the seat's full history. >> even if it looks fine, it may have internal damage you can't see. we test hundreds of car seats and after those crash tests, there is sometimes damage that's not evident. >> even a seat used by an older sibling never in a car accident might not be okay. car seats have an expiration date. roughly six to ten years from the date it was manufactured. which is printed on every car seat. >> sometimes they're on the side, sometimes they're on the side up here. many, many seats have them on the bottom. but somewhere there will be a sticker that gives you, at the very least, the date of manufacture. >> car seats have an expiration date to assure that the components haven't degraded over time, and that the seat meets the latest in safety standards. >> and safety does not have to cost a bundle.

the costco scenera next is a best buy for around $45. which gives moms like traci cohen one less thing to worry about. >> it makes me feel better knowing that i've done everything i could to make sure he's just as safe in the car as i am. >> yeah, if a car seat is expired, or has already been in a crash, it's important to destroy it so no one pulls it off the curb and you toss it out, removing the covers, cutting straps, and clearly -- >> tempting, but not worth it. onto the weather. your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. check out live doppler 7, a few clouds lingering near the coast. for the rest of you, we are seeing sunshine around the region and slightly milder weather than where we were yesterday at this time. take a look at the winds. it has been a gusty afternoon, and we're expecting the winds to

continue as we head into tomorrow expecting another breezy day, and tomorrow afternoon, and then the winds will slowly ease as we head towards the end of the workweek. allowing those temperatures to rise. live look right now from our east bay hills camera, the marine layer is there in full force, and we do expect it to advance in the overnight hours. as you will see here, 63 in san francisco, to 69 in oakland, pretty comfortable from mountain view to san jose in the 70s. half moon bay 61 degrees. south beach cameras, a hazy view. some smoke, but conditions have improved across many parts of the bay area. 72 in santa rosa, 79 novato. warmest spots in the low 80s. roof camera showing you the breeze, onshore breeze going to continue to push the smoke away from the bay area. breezy and below average for the 4th of july, warmer pattern beginning thursday, and it will be mild at the coast, and hot inland by the upcoming weekend.

temperatures first thing in the morning in the 50s, you will see fog and low clouds around, which we expect around this time of year, as you know, breezy tomorrow afternoon and cooler than where you should be for this time of year, just like today. temperatures dropping more. many inland areas, 70s, 80s along the coast in the 60s, and another breezy afternoon. hour by hour we go tomorrow morning the widespread overcast between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m. clearing only to return by nighttime, around the time the fireworks are going off. if you're watching near the coast, there will be fog around. it is going to be touch and go around parts of the east bay and the north bay. some fog, as you will notice, but inland areas will have clear viewing with temperatures mainly in the 50s. san jose, 62 degrees. take a blanket or a jacket or a sweater if you're going to go check out the fireworks. turn your attention quickly to hurricane fabio in the pacific,

expected to weaken over the colder waters of the pacific. it's weakening to a depression, send a southerly flow in our direction, and you need to watch out if you're spending time along the coastline. beach hazard statement has been issued from 5:00 a.m. thursday until 3:00 p.m. saturday. southerly fog developing means rip currents are possible. a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast, warming trend thursday takes us into the weekend with temperatures rising in the mid-90s inland, low to mid-60s along the coast, so typical summer pattern with a wide range of conditions expected for this holiday week if you do have the time off and then next week a little bit cooler around the bay and inland. but overall, we are expecting nice looking weather, just not as warm as we expect it to be on the 4th of july. >> thanks, very much, sandhya. proud to be an american and to become an american. celebrating independence by

swearing an oath next. then at 5:30 on world news -- coming up, coast-to-coast heat alerts, more than 40 wildfires burning at this hour, and the race to escape the rescue of 12 young boys far from over. how chiefs are stealing your credit card number at the pump. also here, the 4th of july is one of the busiest times for animal shelters rescuing pets who get scared and run off. new at 6:00, a look at special help some southern california pet detectives are getting. that's at

an oakland woman in washington, d.c. on business shared this picture of a food truck on fire right outside nasa headquarters on the national mall. one person was slightly injured. the fire was quickly put out. well, with the national debate over immigration still raging, there was an emotional and uplifting scene in alameda

today. >> there really was. people from around the world gathered to take the oath and become united states citizens. >> pakistan. panama. philippines. >> on the day before the july 4th holiday, they gathered on the sun baked deck of the uss hornet in alameda, 76 immigrants from 31 countries about to become american citizens. this womman's family is from nicaragua. >> i feel welcome, especially today. >> now the responsibility of free speech and voting in a new country, now banning travel for some, and building walls to keep out others. claudia arroyo is from mexico. >> i'm ready to speak out for other immigrants. i know that right now there's many things going on, and i really want to be the voice. >> this woman was a little girl when her family left

afghanistan. >> i don't think there should be a travel ban at all. i think everyone should have the same rights as everyone else. >> together we make america greater, and together america is greater now for your citizenship and it's more beautiful than i could have imagined. >> with determination and hope for a better life, they raised their right hands and repeated the promises we're all asked to keep. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, you're now u.s. citizens. our congratulations. it will be a very special and meaningful independence day for them. >> i remember doing the same thing, taking the oath. over a two-week span,ngn n stay with us,ettingwar. >> how hot dog can king joeyingy chestnut preparing for the big

day. share your pictures with us now. using the #abc7now. >> you say see it on air or online, abc7news.com. online, abc7news.com. nay see it online, abc7news.com.

i'm dion lim, and coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, a mother's fair well to her daughter, jahi mcmath, who some say she lost years ago. plus, keeping the area around the state capital clean takes more work than you might think. find it out why -- fines the department in charge of cleanup.

7 on your side's michael finney takes us to a place in san francisco where california rules don't apply. that's all coming up in one-half hour. san jose's joey chestnut celebrating this 4th of july by eating lots and lots of hot dogs. >> he took part in a weigh-in today before tomorrow's hot dog eating contest at coney island. he's a 216 pound eating machine, saying he cut off solid foods today to prepare. >> chestnut almost broke his eating record last year of 72 hot dogs. >> he's ready to break a new record tomorrow. you can catch it live on our sister network, espn 2, you know it's a sport. >> good fun, hard to watch.

>> yeah, it really is. we appreciate tonight, coast-to-coast alerts heading into the fourth of july. right now, more than 40 wildfires burning in the west. the largest fire tearing across 80,000 acres, destroying more than 100 homes. and the dangerous heat wave from california to maine. record-breaking temperatures. the new warnings tonight. ginger zee standing by. race to escape. the rescue of 12 young boys and their soccer coach far from over. the group trapped for 11 days now, more than a mile inside a flooded cave. rescuers struggling to get them out before the next storm hits. could it really take months? neighborhood lockdown. the deadly shooting outside an elementary school. a community terrorized. police telling residents, "lock your doors."