>> from mill pepg&e crews restof geray'een on for days if they had a generator. the lights are back on for nearly 2 electricity when pg&e wildfires. >> now we have the first death that appea authorities say an autopsy indicates an eldorado man who relied on medical equipment for his survivalid d his power had been shut off. 67-year-old robert martes lived in pollack pines an hour from sacramento. he died about 12 minutes after pg&e cut his power on wednesday. he had a severe case of copd and had oxygen equipment that much of power. in the bay area. pg&e says that as of noon today, 78% to 96% of its customers here

have their power back on. but that compares to 0% and 2% for alpine, kern and counties. concern growing for some without power for the third straight day. >> cornell barnard is live whe the power could be rerestored today. >> yes, good news here. power slowly coming back on to the santa rosa section of the oakmont section of santa rosa. come on inside. this is a small s gtrroceglryed during the power outage, and they did successfully. one county supervisor has a lot ofarsh words for pg&e saying if this happens again, the county needs help. >> it was disgraceful. absolutely disgraceful. >> there's oakmont. a retourment community in santa rosa. >> there's 5,000 elderly here, and they deserve to be protected. >> it's been crazy. just crazy. >> reporter: dave was restocking pints of ice cream he kept

frozen in giant ice chests during the pg&e shutdown. he owns oakmont village market in santa rosa. the power went out wednesday morning but closing his doors was not an option. >> we had to stay open for the community. it's a retirement community. >> reporter: he stayed open to sell some small items but he's now tossing produce and hundreds of pounds of perishables he could not keep cold. he fears he's lost up to worth of product and business. >> will insurance cover anything that you lost? ta ahi with my my insurance. insurance broker. not covered. >> reporter: pg&e choppers were inspecting transmission lines near highway 12 as a ous pullin out of the freez eporter: the lights were still off at vicki and ted's house. on>>fieen almost threesay de fr.

dence i that corporate pg&e will be responsive to any of our requests. >> reporter: sonoma supervisor susan goran went to pg&e's headquarters thursday with several demands, including the utility provide backup generators to vital businesses in the event of another shutdown. >> wake up, cpuc and pg&e. this cannot be the norm. this is unacceptable. >> reporter: vicki andd,te wity just texted their power came on just about an hour and a half ago. that's good news. pg&e tells us 78% of power has been restored to sonoma county. i ask, will everybody get their power back by thienin ey ss there are no guarantees. live in santa cornell barnard, abc 7 news. in the east bay, power is slowly being restored to businesses and those business owners are quickly seeing the losses add up. electricity was turned back on

in downtown orinda. a restaurant owner bought $1500 in coolers and ice hoping to save $15,000 of meat. >> so we filled them withce i l the really expensive food. i mmg by now, four days or five days later that those are no longer any good. that's a lot of waste. >> he is going to open for dinner even if he has to serve a limited menu. melanie woodrow tweeted a photo of how they are utilizing every possible work around to ensure they can pull off 16 events this weekend. and that's not all. the lights are back on, butai bs in the dark earlier this week. >> we didn't think it was going to come on last t.ghni prepared eral ii rorr:er comnysend,

diyo they'll buckle down and she bought what they needed. extra generators, lighting and extra refrigerators. >> we've got dry ice. about 200 pounds in here. >> reporter: her employees on board for the adventure, headlamps and all. >> we canui b ald anywhere. >> reporter: and they did. right outside bell also already had a refrigerated truck and large food carriers. >> maybe we'll do it again next weekend. who knows. garaventis frists didn't lose power, and it's a good thing. they have eight weddings this weekend. >> if we didn't have refrigeration, we'd because corsages, boutonnieres, all the ts, they really ue edednefrgoigo teratio in. >> reporter: they estim wedding work that could have been spoiled. still, there's no grudge here against pg&e. >> i think i can understand -- we had so much lsos in thist ees

>> reporter: in napa, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. pg&e learned a lesson about planning for heavy website fm he heavy volume of customers directed there to get power shutdown detalls. abc 7 news rerpts david louis talked to an expert about what went wrong. >> reporter: hungry to learn if they'd be subject to the outage, pg&e customers quickly overwhelmed the utility company's website causing it to freeze up or crash. morgan was one of them. >> i think it was like really bad because people wanted to know and prepare for it. >> reporter: so customers were kind of left in the dark, even as pg&e encouraged them to go to its website. >> we saw volume that we never expected to see hit our website when we notie ifdcustomers. >> reporter: if anyone should understand the potential for a website to crash, it should be pg&e. just like its overhead transmission lines, the internet

and websites are subject to the same principles of supply, demand and overload. a professor at san jose state is an expert on the internet and exhrs. he says websites should anticipate traffic volume and perform reliability tests. a lesson learned by retailers who face similar slowdowns and crashes in the early days of black friday sales.dd bandwidth saw its sites crash. log in repeatedly which only made the situation worse. >> it's not just you check that website once but multiple times. you are actually a link to that website. so it's a catching up with the heavy traffic they have. you know, during that time. >> reporter: social media posts proliferated as customers' ire grew finding it unacceptable in the bay area that pg&e underestimated website traffic. >> you don't know how many people got to check it at that time. if it spread over t 24hos, you can handle it, but i have no idea how many people will click

on that website and get that. >> pg&e acknowledges that it failed to deliver. in san jose, david louie, abc 7 news. developing news out of southern california where raging wildfires are destroying homes and forcing evacuations. two of the most destructive fires are the sandalwood in riverside county and the sad ridge fire. nebeheard a scream like i've fore.ve my dad said that's our backyard, that's our backyard. >> frames forced the closure of multiple freeways including i-5. paul vercammen tells us authorities are urging people to listen to evacuation orders and get out. >> we need people to leave nheo. >> reporter: tens of thousands of people under mandatory evacuation orders after the saddle ridge fire exploded overnight in the san fernando area of los angeles. driven by the wind, the wildfires spread in what fan freeways.ed an uncontrolled >>si that car is so close to th

>>eporr: oicia are already starting to evaluate homes that have been lost to the fire, and they say residents should not wait for someone to knock on their door to leave. >> if you choose to disobey the direction to evacuate, there's not a personal decision. you're putting first responders at risk. >> reporter: despite the strong santa ana winds and evacuation orders, some residents are staying put. >> i decided to stay. my brother decided to stay. our neighbors decided to stay. >> reporter: hoping to protect their homes a little longer. >> i know that -- >> i know we're to leave. the minute, it's going to be very, very bad, then i have to leave. >> reporter: the fire started around 9:00 p.m. thursday, growing rapidly, engulfing more than 7500 acres. critical fire conditions are expected to continue through friday. >> this fire and the rehab of this can go on for hours if not days.

>> governor newsom announced fema will be providing funding to help fight at saddle ridge fire. a fire burning near the park. what we j tusplus, winery work . it's the middle of harvest osos.on me power. what you need to know before you rush to the home improvement store. lovely day for the fleet week festivities. how it's looking for the weekend. your forecast is coming up. and it's called the parade of ships for a reason. sky 7 was overhead as ships hebr teridge. we had a reporter on the ground

new video from the battle against the bryceburg fire burning in mariposa. they lanled this as a view from

the front lines. the fire burned almost 5,000 acres since it broke out on sunday. it's 30% mandatory evacuations are in place in a section of highway 140 leading to yosemite. it remains closed. one structure has been destroyed. meanwhile, among the aff ecteredhu by pg&e's blackouts, it's been an especially bad time for some wineries in the middle of their harvest season. >> moug johnson has more. haorelep r roserte is a winemaker at cooper vineyards. >> that's petite syrah and this row is st. peterschurch zinfandel. >> reporter: this room must be kept cool by opening the doors at night. and shutting them in the day. >> we're using ice and lids on the bins that we have t cooler y and keep everything cool until the power comes back. >> reporter: 60% of his annual

crop has been processed, but the other 40% made up mostly of the signature barbara sbellti crush. >> we need to get those crushed as soon as possible. you start getting microbial growth in there or, if you have grapes out that are in and you rot some bunch tha c crt,eate some problems. >> that was doug johnson reporting. >> thousands of bay area residents begin to get their power back on. some might wonder if having a generator is worth it. >> if you think it is, there are options. michael finney has more on that. >> have you guys thought about it? >> just ordered one. >> did you? >> yeah, see. you should have watched this report first. >> oh. >> many in the bay area are thinking of getting a generator. we aired a report about how to choose the exact right one for your family. this seems like a good time to take a look again at that report. if you are in the market for backup power, consumerorep r as

needs. >> first thing, make a list of the stuff you absolutely can't live without. >> reporter: here are a few scenarios. along with models that really brought the power in consumer reports' test. if you just want to power your fridge, some lights and a phone charger or laptop, consider the lightest type of generator. it delivers up to 2,000 watts. this yamaha model is quite fuel efficient. a midsize inverter will give you up to 3500 watts so you can also powear conditioner and run either your coffeemaker, washing machine or hair dryer. this mid-sized predator did well in consumer reports tests. if your needs include running a large sump pump o water well pump, ar larger portable generator providing up to 7500 watts can handle all this plus a gas furnace. consumer reports recommends this generac model. if you want whole-house del, a

permanently installed home standby generator can make you forget there's a storm outside. this champion generator kicks in automatically and can power everything in a typical house simultaneously. now to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, never operate your generator in an enclosed space and keep it at least 20 feet from your home and, of course, take the exhaust port and point it away from your house. >> now when mine arrives, i will know those important tips. thank you, michael. spectators were mesmerized by this sight at the golden gate. a fleet week tradition thrilled crowds. >> the parade of ships celebrates the sea services welcoming service members to fleet week weekend in san francisco. abc 7 news anchor eric thomas . >> eric joins us from the embarcadero where the action is happening by land, sea and air. i have to say, i miss seeing you in the blue i dislike militarye

stories. no, i'm in my element here. the air show has been over for about 90 minutes or so. you still see men and women in uniform walking past shaking hands and taking selfies with the people who pay their salaries, the taxpayers. you also have things like this. navy ships that are moored here on the embarcadero on the waterfront. however, you won't get to go on board until tomorrow. still, there was plenty to see and enjoy this afternoon. >> it's like crazy. the way they gop and they fly, it's spectacular. >> they're amazing. quite the treat. we thought we were just seeing the island and then all of a sudden, there were planes everywhere and it's amazing. our kids have loved it. >> reporter: jenny and farhat have never seen the blue angels before. but the adjectives would still be the same. crazy, amazing, spectacular.

the blues are a staple of fleet week flying their f-18 hornets close to the edge. as near as 18 inches apart at speeds of up to 400 miles an ey visitors and many locals love them, though not everyone loves the noise. buts called fleet week, not air week. so a lot of people turned up for the parade of ships through the golden gate and down the bay. one ship in particular drew a lot of attention. the "uss zumwalt" is the lead ship in a new class of guided missile destroyer. the unusual shape is to make it hard to see on radar, although one woman said it looks like what would happen if kids were told to build a war ship out of legos. >> this craft is amazing. the "zumwalt." i've seen pictures of it and read about it. it's amazing to see in person. >> reporter: and you will be able to see more conventional looking ships tomorrow as well. that's when the tours start. and one more inside baseball thing. this is the last full season the

blue angels will be flying the model of f-18 they're flying now. the f-18c. they're about to get into the f-18e. it's bigger, more powerful, faster, specially at low leve. you'll see quite a show lrar 20. live along the embarcadero, eric thomas, abc 7 news. >> that's exciting. >> i love that eric knows so much. >> he does. >> just don't quiz us. time to see how the weather is going to be for blue angels viewing. >> sandya patel is here. >> fine flying for the angels. saturday, 72 degrees. great weather is what i call it. minor cooling on sunday. an increase in the high clouds. 69 degrees. so definitely good looking weather if you'll go check out all the fleet week festivities. here's a look at the forecast as we head into the weekend. things are changing. no doubt about it. a look at the forecast for tonight. another chilly morning is ahead.

sunny and mild weather for the weekend and a cooler pattern setting up for sunday going into next week. a live lk from our santa cruz camera. we're seeing some high, thin, wispy clouds filtering the sunshine. live doppler 7 showing you clds down sth of our area. it's a lovely view. chamber of commerce day as we look at the golden gate bridge. bright skies and gentle winds. 77 in san francisco. oakland, 76 degrees. redwood city, san jose in the upper 70s. pacifica, 70 degrees. as you look from our sutro tower camera, i want to turn your attention to the layers of smoke we're starting to see over san francisco. it's coming in from the fires burning in the sierra. 80 degrees in santa rosa. 74 in san rafael. concord, 80. livermore 78. if you do have any respiratory issues, you definitely want to limit your outdoor time. you can see here hazy skies from our mt. diablo area. so there's an air quality advisory that got extended through tomorrow because of the

smoke impacts from the sierra wildfire. moderate air quality for the coast and central bay and the inland east bay. if you are getting away, going out of town for the weekend, here's a look at the travel forecast. bright and mild. low 70s to mid-80s for the local airports. honolulu, 81 degrees. new york city, partly sunny skies. 71. and in cho,ag chilly. 51 degrees under sunny skies. los angeles, 84 and sunny. a look at the morning first thing. it's going to be cool to chilly. upper 30s to low 50s. skies clear to start off your saturday. any early plans, definitely add that extra layer. for the afternoon, i think you can get away with short sleeved weather. it's going to be beautiful for you saturday in the south bay. 81 in sabjose. 85 morgan hill. santa cruz on the peninsula, a nice 79 in redwood city. 69 in pacifica. mild near the coast. half moon bay, 71 degrees. downtown san francisco, 72.

sunset district, 69. in the north bay, 79 in san rafael. low 80s santa rosa, sonoma. bright skies ithe east bay. 76 in oakland. head inland and it's going to be a nice mild day with 83 in concord. 81 in livermore. here's a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. a little cooler as we head into sunday. you will notice that cooling carries over into next week with an increase in cloud cover. temperatures will be dropping to the 70s for the workweek inland. 60s coast side. but certainly cooler weather going into next week. >> thank you. 50 years after a major walkout at san jose state. the legacy of the activism still felt today, next. then at 5:30 on "world news kwith david muir." >> coming up , evacuations. the wildfires exploding in size right now. you'll see the pictures. we're live tonight. the dramatic day on the hill with the former ambassador to ukraine

governorm signed several new gun laws today. it includes teemp e s teachers administrators. it bans buying more than one semiautomatic rifle a month and selling them to people under 21. the new restrictions were opposed by the national rifle association and the california rifle and pistol association. another bill signed by governor newsom will ban the use of for-profit, private detention facilities for holding immigrants awaiting deportation hearings. california currently has four such facilities with about 3700 detainees. this year marks the 50th anniversary of when chicano activists began demanding

action. they focused on a student walkout that helped start that movement. a longtime san jose state professor explained why he and others walked out of the 1968 commencement ceremonies. >> in san jose, we 1% of the graduating class that was chicano out of a population base of 12% to 15% in the area. so we wanted to correct that inequity. >> san jose state responded to that walkout by offering ethnic studies courses and expanding opportunities for students of color. still ahead -- something good to eat. and something good for your face. friday's free stuff is next. >> first, we want to thank ian for this picture of the berkeley marina. share your pictures with #abc7now. you might j

aaddiction. how juuline hooked kids and ignited an public health crisis." other news outlets report- juul took $12.8 billion from big tobacco. markets e-cigarettes with kid friendly flavors and uses nicotine to addict them. 5 million kids use e-cigarettes. juul is "following big tobacco's playbook." and now, juul is pushing prop c to overturn e-cigarette protections. vote no on juul. no on big tobacco. no on prop c. next week marks the 30th0th

anniversearies of the lom loma prieta earthquake. 63 people died in the quake and thousands more were injured. abc 7 will look back at the past but also give you a glimpse into the future in our multipart series called "the earthquake effect." this includes preparing and staying safe once the next big one hits. look for that next week. finally, a moment to lighten things up. time for finney's friday freestyle. >> nirvana. so you finally did it. you get a three-pack which is pretty cool. check these out. these things come in multiple flavors. this one here is cherry pistachio. they are -- i want to get this exactly right. they're developed by a doctor who specializes in pain management. this is supposed to help you recover after a workout. >> all right. okay. that sounds good.good idea?

traditionally soothing plants, nuts, fruits and spices to promote relief from inflammation. now that we've got you healthy and looking good and feeling good, now we've got you looking good, okay, this is hemp stem cell masks and pumpkin honey face mask. check both of these out. >> put it on your face. you don't eat it, right? >> that's pretty cool. >> oh, my gosh. i want to eat it. >> it does smell good. >> andalou is the name of this company. $14.99 value. absolutely fabulous. and you can get this by going to our website, abc7news.com. look for the finney's friday free stuff page. these are both great products. >> thank you, michael. just what we needed. thank you for joining us. "world news tonight" with david muir is next. >> i'm ama daetz. >> we leave you with a live look outside. our next newscast is at

6:00 p.m. see you in a bit. tonight, the emergency evacuations. the wildfires now exploding in size. the fires turning deadly tonight. 100,000 evacuated. entire communities forced to leave. many driving out through tunnels of fire. homes burned to the ground. and we're on the scene live tonight. the dramatic day on capitol hill. facing pressure from the state department not to testify, the former ambassador to ukraine shows up. what she says about president it comes 24 hour after two associates of rebecca jarvis who helped investigate joe biden in ukraine were arrested with on e-way tickets out of the u.s. tonight, is rudy giuliani part of this investigation, too? what we've learned. just in tonight, president trump says he's reached a deal with china, the first phase. what the chinese are saying tonight. the horrific attack at a