the lnu complex has charred more than 341,000 acres. it's the second largest wildfire in state history. the scu complex, which covers parts of alameda, contra costa and santa clara counties is now far behind at 339,000 acres. and the czu complex fire, up to 71,000 acres it is burning in san mateo and santa cruz count yis. we have team coverage for you where they're getting ready for more fires. cornell bernard is in the north bay. bu we begin with drew tuma, with a look at the chance of us seeing more lightning tonight. >> that's right, eric. we're watching live doppler 7 closely, as moisture moves into northern california. you can see a lot of action off the coast right now. that will all remain away from us. that is not a threat to the bay area. what we are watching right now,

i want to zoon in on live doppler 7. you can see a pair of returns here thankfully moving into santa cruz county. we want to get you an update on the czu complex right now. >> the statewide situation in california at the moment before we get started here specifically in these two counties. since saturday, august 15th, we have experienced 615 fires across the state of california, and more than two dozen of those fires have turned into major fires. with that, the second and third largest fires in california history are burning around us at the moment in santa clara unit and up in lmu and the lake napa unit. with that, there's over 14,000 firefighters assigned across the state at this moment with this lightning siege. additionally, there's over 2400

fire engines across california fighting these fires. and cal fire alone has 96% of all firefighting engines committed to an incident somewhere in the state of california at this exact moment with. that, we have 95 aircraft assigned to incidents in california. those include helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts. that includes a 747, all the way down to the smaller tankers and helicopters. in that air operations program, across the state and since august 15th, we have dropped 2.4 million gallons of retardant in california on this siege. an additional 2.5 million gallons of water at the same time. the firefight includes the california national guard with 11 helicopters assigned to the lightning siege in the state, as well as 12 specific hand crews, much-needed hand crews from the california national guard with 216 people assigned to help in that firefight.

right at this moment, we have 60 engines from out of state in california assisting us. and we have an additional 26 engines from other states inbound to california. and with that, at the same time, other emergencies still go on. in the past week since these emergencies have started, we have responded as cal fire to over 12,500 new emergencies in that same time period. i want to give context to what's going on in the state. tonight here in the san mateo, santa cruz lightning complex, we are up to 74,000 acres that have burned, with 8% containment. additionally, there are still 24,000 structures that are threatened on this fire and we can confirm an increase in the number of structures destroyed. 163 structures is where we stand this evening. that number broken down is 152 structures destroyed in santa cruz county and 11 in san mateo

county. we have additional personnel coming in tonight and this evening. we're up to 105,000 personnel and that is very helpful. i would like to pass it off to a operational briefing for team 3, operation section chief brenton. >> good evening. so another very successful day in our fire figting efforts. the weather has been cooperating with us. our troops have gotten with the program and really put in a lot of hard work and effort. i'll show you what we've been able to accomplishor the past couehi favorable weather. so around the top part in what we call division golf and kilo, we have a really good line established there that helps protect this top part of the fire from progressing. so that's really good.

we have either fully constructed or in the process of constructing and improving a line that runs along the highway 9 corridor. the eastern most part of the fire. so they're making really good progress with that, from our dozer line to our hand crew lines, all along that area. so that will be a work in progress over the next couple of days at the initial line and putting in what we call secondary lines for that area to protect those communities, border creek -- >> we have been listening to a press conference about the czu fires. the fires in santa cruz and san mateo counties. from what we understand, 95 aircraft fighting wildfires in california as we speak. but in particular for this complex of fires, we should -- let's get back to the press conference in progress. >> -- along the coastline, again, the weather has

moderated, the fire has spread. so the community of davenport is still looking good. we're continuing to work on that line, as well. and interior, we have continued to improve spot controls of fire. working around the structures, the variety of the structures in there, and as we get more of the resources, we're able to put more of them to work in that area to improve or control efforts within the bonny doon community. >> all right. once again, you have been listening to a press conference in progress about the czu complex, where we now have updated numbers. 74,000 acres have burned and containment increasing, standing at 8%. the amount of structures damaged just about 160 with the majority of those in santa cruz county, eric. >> we heard some startling

figures about fires burning in the rest of california. we're at 96% of the fire engines that cal fire can get to are already committed. 60 are coming in from out of state -- rather 60 are here from out of state, 24 more coming in from out of state. so it has been very, very busy. let's go on now to the north bay in what's called the lnu lightning complex fire, the second largest in state history, burning primarily in napa and sonoma counties, scorching more than 341,000 acres. containment is at 17%. this fire has wiped out hundreds of buildings. >> cornell bernard saw some of it firsthand today and joins us live with more. cornell? >> reporter: yeah, dion, eric, the big firefight continues here in western sonoma county. there is a new focus tonight, smoke rising from that ridge here in western heelsburg.

this fire made some progress, but a new threat of lightning could be a huge setback for firefighters. >> this driving tour shows the path of destruction, the fire still smoldering from wallace creek road. by sunday afternoon, cal fire, back in the air with choppers making water drops after flames were spotted in canyons above the dry creek valley. this home destroyed by the fire, nothing left by the metal roof. but down the hill, a grove of olive trees still standing, a new weather threat could be a huge setback for fire crews. >> the winds will generally be light, but gusty winds up to 65 miles per hour may occur. this dry lightning will likely hamper efforts to contain the

current fires and may spark new fires. >> we've been watching the potential lightning storm tonight. >> reporter: the mayor is concerned about the weather but confident fire crews will gain the upper hand. >> we've gone through this before. residents who were not in the warning zone, people are packed up ready to go. >> reporter: christy is one of thousands of evacuees out of their homes. she's hoping to get some assistant to pay for a hotel for her family. >> that's why we're here at the fair grounds in hopes that we can get some type of help or assistance. right now, we're spending about $4,000 on a hotel just for two weeks. >> reporter: the county says it's working with the red cross to make hotel vouchers available. back live with a shot of smoke rising from that ridge, there is a bit of good news. several mandatory evacuation zones have been downgraded the past two hours to warnings. that includes parts of

forestville in the southwest portion of the dry creek valley. officials say if you live in those areas, it is now safe to return to your home. cornell bernard, "abc7 news." >> cornell, thank you very much. the third big fire burning in the bay area is the scu complex. it is the third largest wildfire in state history. it grew to more than 339,000 acres. containment is at 10%, covering several counties. there is concern that the incoming weather could create new fires. >> i cannot reiterate the magnitude of how long this could go, and our troops are exhaust. if you look at the map and you look at over 300,000 acres, spread out now with seven counties but who additional counties looking at this incident as it gets closer, the life safety component is our

number one priority for this incident. >> our reporter joins us now live from mines road in livermore with how firefighters there are getting ready. >> reporter: eric, good evening. fire officials say this fire is burning efficient are where. if there's an uptick in the fire and winds tonight, they say it doesn't matter what direction the winds blow, it will move this fire. so the top priority is to protect the city of livermore. >> did you see that? >> as the fires come together further south, we're not sending fire down this canyon, down mines road through this -- we have a lot of residents, a lot of ranchers and homes and property down here that we want

to protect. so that's our mission today. >> reporter: now, fire crews have been out here all day. part of the strategy has been to burn the vegetation along the hills on both sides of miles canyon. they have also had bulldozers to create a barrier to stop the forward advancement. we spoke to some people who live in the area. they know about the evacuation warnings. they are prepared to leave if the evacuations become mandatory. fire crew also be out here all night holding the line. >> it is exhausting work. thank you. evacuations are under way on the east side of morgan hill. this is video from about an hour ago where you can see cars leaving the evacuation zones. police set up a checkpoint into

neighborhoods to check i.d.s for folks driving in the opposite an evacuation center has been set up at the high school in morgan hill. like many firefighters during this time,those working the czu complex have been working grueling 12-hour shifts to protect the community. and now, after one became the victim of a heinous crime himself, law enforcement has a clear message for criminals -- stay away! >> it's saddening, it's sickening. >> reporter: at the czu some pl -- complex fires grow and families evacuate, a firefighter figing on the frontlines becoming a victim himself. >> i can't imagine a bigger low life than breaking into somebody who is helping protect this community, breaking into his car, and taking his wallet and charging up credit card charges and taking money out of his account. >> reporter: the act of stealing a wallet from a first responder,

compounded by eight arrests in the areas of looting in surrounding areas, prompting the district attorney to issue this strong message -- >> if you come to this county, if you come to these victimized communities, and you try to take advantage of them and you are caught, we are going to prosecute you to the full extent of the law. >> reporter: as victims seek shelter, the d.a. reporting instances of price gouging as businesses such as hotels, stressing prosecutions to the fullest extent of the law, including a $10,000 fine. for now, as empathy for the fire victims grows, there is no empathy or patience for criminals. but a vow to keep them out. and a promise of justice. >> it takes a special person to wake up in the morning and say, you know, i'm going to go victimize and traumatize people who have already been through everything that this community has been through. >> now, cal fire wants the public to be aware there is no

official go fund me set up for the firefighter who had his wallet stolen. >> we have more fire coverage ahead. flames are still going on in parts of marin county, shutting down a popular cart.

additional out of state fire crews are arriving today to help out in marin county. that fire is burning in a remote area. smoke is impacting san francisco and marin counties. the fire threatens 1600 buildings and scorched 2700 acres. one crew from out of town says it has specific experience fighting fires like woodward. >> we come with significantly larger number of folks to help manage the fire with lots of experience managing large fire all over the country. in fact, this team's been in california four or five times over the past ten years. >> evacuation orders are in effect in coastal sections west of highway 1. the seashore is completely closed. the fire is 5% contained. we are keeping a close eye on the weather and our chances for more lightning.

- i'm szasz. [norm] and we live in columbia, missouri.

we do consulting, but we also write. [szasz] we take care of ourselves constantly; it's important. we walk three to five times a week, a couple miles at a time. - we've both been taking prevagen for a little more than 11 years now. after about 30 days of taking it, we noticed clarity that we didn't notice before. - it's still helping me. i still notice a difference. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

now your accuweather forecast with drew tuma. >> and in accuweather this evening, we're tracking two threats. one for more lightning overnight tonight and air quality that is very unhealthy in several areas right now. let's go to live doppler 7 and

show you what's happening. you can see a bulk of the action is out over the pacific ocean. that is not going to be a threat to us tonight. but i want to zoom into santa cruz county where we have a pair of cells that have popped up on live doppler 7. in fact, i've heard from a few of you on twitter who live in santa cruz that is actually raining from these cells. so that is very good news. you do not find any lightning strikes with these cells at all either. so if we can keep that drend of zero lightning and get the beneficial rain, that would be idea. i want to track this cell as it pushes off to the north at 25 miles per hour. so if it holds together, we could see light sprinkles. sprinkles at 8:15. this moisture stretches about

130 miles to the south. so we have about a 12-hour window right now where we are watching for potential for some rain like we're seeing in santa cruz county, but also the potential for lightning strikes. these are air quality indecision. several areas from concord to san jose zealing with unhealthy air quality. that's a 179 in san jose, not 79. the bigger issue in pleasanton with very unhealthy air quality. it's weird to say this, but that is an improvement over the last hour. last hour, we were dealing with hazardous air quality in pleasanton. so you can see a lot of smoke in our atmosphere. so much smoke and haze and little change over the next two days. monday and tuesday, we have poor to unhealthy air quality no matter where you live over the next 48 hours. cool on the coast, 50s, 60s.

tonighg the threat for0s and lightning. let's go hour by hour. later this'veing back on air for "abc7 news" at 1:00, we'll track that moisture moving through. it continues overnight. and by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, that is when the threat for lightning really does deminish. so we have a 12-hour window. that morning storm threat tomorrow before 8:00 a.m., otherwise we're dealing with air quality issues w

an extra 15% credit on car and motorcycle policies? that's great! that's 15% on top of what geico could already save you. so what are you waiting for? john stamos to knit you a scarf? all finished, jean. enjoy! thank you. i give. the stitch work is impeccable. it's just a double fleck pattern with a reverse garter stitch. no big deal. is your hair this soft? softer. geico. save an extra 15% when you switch by october 7th.

tonight at 11:00 on "abc7 news," we're in for several more days of poor air quality because of the wildfires. we have some tips on how to keep the smoky air from seeping into your home. >> and the viral video of a jogger trying to stomp out a brush fire in arizona. and an update on the bay area wildfires. for the three major fires, more than 765,000 acres have burned and a thousand structures destroyed, more than 100,000 people evacuated. >> a red flag warning is in effect through tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. and air quality in the bay area ranges from moderate to

unhealthy. down load the "abc7 news" app to get the updates you need straight to your phone. >> we'll keep an eye on the lightning situation tonight. thunderstorms could move through, providing more trouble for firefighters. >> certainly a situation we'll follow throughout the evening. see you back here tonight at 11:00 p.m. that's it for "abc7 news" at 6:00. i'm dion lim. >> and i'm eric thomas. see you a little bit later.

and the hidden smiles.. the foggy glasses... and the muffled laughs. a simple piece of fabric makes a big statement: i care. wear a mask. let's all do our part to slow the spread.

>> "localish bay area" is sponsored by northern california honda dealers. hey, bay area. it's time to share some amazing stories and feel good. we could all use some inspiration right now, and you've come to the right place. this show is all about good food, good people, and good living. ♪ on today's show, we're meeting heroes throughout the bay area. some are helping protestors. >> and at that time, i noticed that there was a need in the community of these protestors and also local in-house communities where they needed supplies to actually stay out here longer. >> and others are ensuring people get to work safely. >> you can't get on a bus or light-rail system here without a mask on, and we are disinfecting pretty much what everybody would touch on a platform. >> some are making sure families have food. >> we've contracted and brought