now at 5:00, new battle for former combat pilot rebuilding after the glass fire. he's 100 years old and newly wed. race to save memorabilia and pets. firefighters exposed to carbon monoxide, most back on the front lines of the glass fire tonight. mask mandate on the muni drivers forced to police passengers who refuse to follow the rules. and equity in covid-19 testing and affecting the opening. spare the air alerts not over yet, just expanded another time. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. >> signs of hope for weary firefighters battling the massive glass fire in sonoma and napa counties. 50% contained but burn zone more

than 100 square miles and 600 homes are gone. quick look at what is left and land around them, silent echo of the neighborhoods once filled with people living their lives. i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. >> i'm ama daetz. so sad to see but hearing incredible story of survival. two newlyweds who escaped the smoke, flames with their lives and cherished war medals and memories. >> cornell barnard with a story only on abc7 news. >> no question with all the smoke it was time to leave. >> reporter: 100-year-old says the glass fire was closing in. he and new bride high tailed it out of their deer park neighborhood with two dogs. >> started about a mile from our house. that's when i figured got to go

quick, take the most important stuff. >> 75 millimeter cannon in the nose. >> reporter: wasn't food or clothes but memorabilia from decorated career flying missions as captain with the u.s. army air corps in world war ii. >> this is world war ii victory. distinguished flying cross. >> reporter: shows the combat medals. joanne gets emotional, nothing she treasures more. >> nothing else in the house was as valuable as his experience and memories. it's something we all need to understand what the veterans do for us. >> reporter: sadly the home they shared was reduced to rubble, nothing to salvage. but howard is not giving up. >> isn't the challenge you're facing, it's the way you're going to face the challenge. that's been my creed. >> reporter: howard and joanne got married last july, met in 2018 when he hired her to help compile a book about his

military career. howard took his time proposing. >> gets upset with me, why did it take you so damned long? >> he's a joy. makes me laugh. >> reporter: staying with friends for now, plan to rebuild a new house for two on the very same site. >> i have my memories, i lived a great life in that house. now it's time for new adventure. i'm very lucky to have howard, he's a rock. >> reporter: howard and joanne, moving on together. in napa valley, cornell barnard, abc7 news. >> are those two remarkable? wow. also in the north bay, 16 firefighters working the glass fire have possible carbon monoxide exposure. officials say it happened out of the fire area this morning. taken to sonoma county fairgrounds in santa rosa. >> medical staff on site, doctors and nurses assigned to

the incident on the premises, that's where they're doing the evaluations. >> one firefighter was taken to the hospital and other released back to the fire line to continue working. fairgrounds is the glass fire command post. organized theft ring so big, deputies say thieves used a warehouse to store the stolen loot. called it the largest retail theft bust in state. boxes upon boxes of stolen items. five people now face charges for home, car and business burglaries in san mateo county. bought and resold by group in san francisco that operated distribution warehouse in concord. new report says vast majority of muni riders do the right thing and wear masks but those who don't become combative, putting well-being of operators at risk.

lyanne mendes has the story. >> reporter: the agency has kept a record of number of people who wear mask onboard. >> we're able to take aggregated look at service on the street from week to week to see how well the mask compliance is going. >> reporter: also reported having trouble with a few passengers told to mask up. according to data april 22nd through august 31st, 63 verbal altercations specifically dealing with masks. nine operators have been assaulted. >> and there was a miniature bat involved as well. it was due to facial compliance or lack thereof. it's a scary situation indeed. >> reporter: transit workers union 250a believes many more drivers are not reporting

passengers to avoid interruption to the bus route. >> would like to see more assistance out there, more boots on the ground in terms of people, workers assisting us with more compliance. >> reporter: sfmta says a few things are helping. >> deployed ambassadors and increased people throughout the city, crossing guards, transit fare inspectors back from other disaster service are deployed city wide. >> reporter: all received deescalation training. lyanne melendez, abc7 news. as california reopens economy, officials requiring communities to reduce rates in disadvantaged communities hit hard by the pandemic. some worry could slow down

reopening, abc7 reporter chris nguyen says could speed things up. >> reporter: new equity metric unveiled by california department of public health will incentivize counties to focus on zip codes impacted disproportionately. >> want the communities to come together and realize it is so important to address the disparities and interrupt the disease transmission. >> reporter: santa clara outreach team is going door-to-door, educating public about how to stop the spread. this is predominantly latino and one of the hardest hit. >> many latino people work in service industries. don't have luxury of working at home from zoom and live in crowded, multigenerational homes. >> reporter: but documentation of outreach activities like these could help the county move

more quickly into less restrictive tier in the framework. which also looks at test positivity and adjusted case rates. >> should be proud of the health leadership in santa clara county for being proactive and recognizing the disparities early on and helping to focus. >> reporter: believed to be first of its kind in the country. innovative approach to controlling the pandemic. >> hope is it really can give us coordinated, systematic accountability to open the economy quicker and safer. >> reporter: in the south bay, chris nguyen, abc7 news. quick and efficient testing is one of the main weapons in fight against covid-19. local researchers are hoping to accelerate the process even more.

kristen sze explains. >> reporter: since the outbreak began, doctors at stanford have tested thousands of people for the virus, now launching a system to leverage, potentially helping students return to school and businesses to reopen. clouds-based program, vera. >> to track people over time for symptoms. >> reporter: infectious disease specialist. report symptoms, request home testing kit in mail. >> if person is positive, get a call and county gets notified, county of residence. and all the tracking goes with it. >> reporter: the vera platform uses stanford to begin with, but

can expand. developed prenatal tests in the past. >> people who need testing and don't have the ability to connect. we're trying to fix the problem. >> reporter: ultimately help school districts, businesses and local health departments develop low cost programs. and accelerating the ablility t keep populations safer returning to school or work. >> vera team is hoping to begin registering participants now. we have links if you wish, abc7news.com. still ahead, rescue of four injured national guard troops on the fire lines in northern california, and art and truth. museum unveils most inclusive art exhibition in the city's history. buying a home in uncertainty say yes... to the best bargains ever at ross! yes! oh, yeah!

yep. yesss! savings on savings on savings? that's yes for less. at ross. about the covid-19 virus. it's real. and it's dangerous. so, on behalf of all of us working on the front lines, please take it seriously. and while we don't yet have a cure or a vaccine, we do know how to keep you and your loved ones safe. wear a mask. wash your hands. stay six feet apart. do your best to stay out of crowded spaces. and get a flu shot, it's even more important this year. we can do this. if we do it together. they do one of the most deven in normal times.s, our frontline health care workers. and when these heroes lack the resources they need, that risky job gets ten times harder. prop fifteen makes corporations pay their fair share. to invest in our communities, in our clinics, in the essential workers who treat everyone- rich, poor, and in-between.

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new at 5:00, california is seeing a surge in people registering to vote. there are more than 21 million californians according to the secretary of state's office. nearly 85% are eligible to vote. motor vehicle law is credited in part for the increase. people voting today in san francisco say they're taking responsibility seriously. >> we did a trial run with the ones the state and city sent us, did it all right. took out our driver's license to make sure our signatures matched. and here we are. >> voters were also out in alameda county at county courthouse. voters check in and vote one at a time. election is four weeks away, can

register through october 14th and in person on election day. abc7 news has comprehensive information at abc7news.com. there is no doubt that this pandemic and the current economic turmoil have caused some people to be very cautious about buying a home. understandable. but as abc7 news reporter david louie reminded us, chaos sometimes opportunity. >> reporter: big commitment, median price $1.4 million, giving school teacher and his wife reason to consider moving away to buy a house. but moved into this san jose house two weeks ago thanks to special program aimed at teachers, first responders and service workers. seven and five-year-olds couldn't be happier. how do you like your new house? >> very good. >> reporter: housing trust

silicon valley administers the program. given some cold feet. >> quarter are saying no, waiting. other saying because of the pandemic going to move forward. >> reporter: had 3% saved up towards 20% down payment. empower philadelphia the gap with 17% loan funded by bond measure passed by voters three years ago. >> lot of people told us now wasn't the time to do it. you hear a lot of comments and opinions, but for us it was a sacrifice we were going to do for our kids. >> reporter: pandemic may have helped in one regard, there's a limit of $800,000 on the purchase price, challenge in boom times but not now. each of these under $800,000. homeownership a major commitment but had a positive impact on the family. >> second floor apartment and felt like bothering the neighbors below us.

children, didn't want them to play because of the noise but feel like taking childhood. >> they have place to play in and practice for dancing. won't have to repay until later when they sell or refinance. david louie, abc7 news. no one will forget the year 2020, history books will tell it one way, artists another. taste of their takes in new exhibit at the de jung museum. >> room filled with tribulations from 2020 on display, hanging from walls. now in san francisco's museum. >> still trying not to cry, so powerful. >> reporter: walked through the door as artist exhibiting. had been working on this piece when 2020 stepped in. >> it became very personal, when my son came down with covid. >> reporter: work from 760 regional artists.

>> thought would get a few hundred submissions. 11,500 submissions. >> reporter: had an open, featured blind submissions by mostly unknowns. two of the themes, coronavirus and black lives matter. >> did they have to put it so high? >> yes. >> reporter: harvey teaches art to elementary school kids in the east bay. having afro goddess afro goddeso dige biggest thing happened in your career? >> biggest thing that happened in my career as artist. she is the epitome of every strong black woman living and passed away. >> reporter: every medium, porcelain masks, photography. >> they're silhouettes but can't tell if they're emerging or disappearing. that was done intentionally.

>> reporter: naylor took art seriously a year ago. >> called learned empathy. most people look in mirror and see their issues not willing to understand other's issues they may be dealing with. >> reporter: won't happen in this year. exhibit runs through january. wayne freeman, abc7 news. cooling trend about to get under proposition 16 takes on discrimination. some women make as little as 42% of what a man makes. voting yes on prop 16 helps us fix that. it's supported by leaders like kamala harris and opposed by those who have always opposed equality. we either fall from grace or we rise. together. proposition 16 provides equal opportunities, levelling the playing field for all of us. vote yes on prop 16. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ i can'twhat? ve it. that our new house is haunted by casper the friendly ghost? hey jill! hey kurt! movies? i'll get snacks! no, i can't believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars on our car insurance with geico. i got snacks! ohhh, i got popcorn, i got caramel corn, i got kettle corn. am i chewing too loud? believe it! geico could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. the unfair money bail system.

he, accused of rape. while he, accused of stealing $5. the stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. the senior citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. because the size of your wallet shouldn't determine whether or not you're in jail. vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail. four national guardsmen are out of the hospital following dramatic rescue in butte county. pulled to safety after getting injured and stranded after fighting the bear fire on sunday. >> reporter: this camera shows the view from chp helicopter over the smoky wilderness in and around the bear fire in butte county.

camera zooms in, spots four firefighters stranded. >> seemed happy to get out where they were. >> reporter: paramedic on board for the rescue mission. >> complexity is it was steep, rugged terrain and in the fire line. all sorts of conditions we had to take in consideration before and during the call. >> reporter: more than 600 national guard members are assigned to california wildfires, working under the supervision of cal fire. this crew was carrying hand tools and cutting fire breaks in remote area when they got injured and stuck. >> can't begin to describe the conditions they're working in, so extreme. some crews had to hike three hours to get into the area where they started working. >> reporter: long hike in, airlift out. for these national guard members, only way out was up. >> announcer: now the

accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. >> good thing they got them out. live doppler 7 right now, picture is changing. circulation off the coast drying up mid and high level clouds. show you something here. showing up nicely on the san jose 87 camera. going to be beautiful sunset if you can see it away from the coast where it's foggy. air quality, moderate from ukiah to santa rosa, napa, concord, san francisco, oakland. good air in fremont, in green. san jose is moderate and good air around santa cruz area. air quality is going to continue to suffer due to smoke from wildfires and that's why we're seeing spare the air getting extended. good news is thursday afternoon, evening, going into friday, blues showing up, that's less

smoke across the region as strong system begins to push them out. spare the air through thursday. poor air quality north bay near glass fire. mostly good except in the north bay. view from the sutro tower. 76 san jose, 55 in pacifica right now. temperatures from upper 50s along the coast to upper 90s in fairfield. from the mt. tam camera, marine layer is expanding. mid-80s in novato, 88 in livermore, lovely view from our exploratorium camera. patchy drizzle, cooler, chances of showers friday and saturday. hour by hour forecast. combination of clouds into tomorrow morning and pretty

widespread array at 8:00 a.m., even drizzle showing up. afternoon, fog lingers at coastline. temperatures morning mid-40s to upper 50s. sweater weather in the morning. cool and a bit damp in places. bundle up if you have to drive at commute time. afternoon, breezy coastline, reach the inland areas. out of the heat, mild inland, low to mid-80s there, still hazy, especially north bay. temperatures elsewhere, 50s to 70s along the coast and bay. two systems. first wave through friday afternoon, evening. second wave is saturday afternoon, evening. both models not in agreement. one is drier than the other. going with chance of showers. still level one for friday and saturday. accuweather seven-day forecast, breezy and cooler next couple of

days. late fall feel. temperatures from 90s to 80s and thursday to the 70s. chances of showers friday and saturday and breezy to gusty offshore winds going into sunday and monday. >> nice to see the cooler weather, thanks so much. what happens when one therapy dog meets another? see the answer next. they do one of the most deven in normal times.s, our frontline health care workers. and when these heroes lack the resources they need, that risky job gets ten times harder. prop fifteen makes corporations pay their fair share.

to invest in our communities, in our clinics, in the essential workers who treat everyone- rich, poor, and in-between. whether it's this pandemic or the next health crisis, vote yes on prop fifteen. for all of us. for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby.

don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. hi everyone, michael finney here. many of you are waiting for unemployment or covid-19 payments. asked edd what's going on. why can't our viewers get money? >> number of different things can impact eligibility. >> 7 on your side got your emails about the edd. you deserve better. that's why i promise to keep asking the tough questions and getting answers. stay with us, we'll stay on it. finally tonight, firefighters battling the glass fire are getting some help destressing from two four-legged

friends. cal fire tweeted out this video today. look at tails bagging. they met for the first time. two hang out at base camp to support crews returning from battling the glass fire. these two are really helping firefighters cope with the stress. how could they not with those cute faces. >> absolutely. and this, oakland zoo got a generous gift from local fire crew, san leandro donated to be repurposed for slings and hammocks. cat enjoying hammock from recycled fire hose. clever. >> inventive, love seeing the animals relaxing. >>. i know right? "world news tonight" with david muir is next. dan ashley. >> i'm ama daetz. for all of us, thanks for joining us tonight. we'll see you later tonight,

10:30 in fact. >> bye for now. oscar the grouch here to tell you, yeah, you, to wear a mask out in public around other people. sure it'll keep you healthy. but more importantly, i won't have to see your happy smiling face. ugh. and if you don't want to wear a mask, i've just got one thing to tell you. scram, go away. ugh. caring for each other because we are all in this together. so wear a mask and have a rotten day, will ya? ugh.

they do one of the most deven in normal times.s, our frontline health care workers. and when these heroes lack the resources they need, that risky job gets ten times harder. prop fifteen makes corporations pay their fair share. to invest in our communities, in our clinics, in the essential workers who treat everyone- rich, poor, and in-between. whether it's this pandemic or the next health crisis, vote yes on prop fifteen. for all of us. ♪ here's the very model ♪ ♪ of a modern daily family meal ♪ ♪ when food ideas are scarce ♪ and everything becomes a big ordeal ♪ ♪ you want something nutritious ♪ ♪ that your family will devour ♪ but add one thing that's healthy... ugh ♪ ♪ the taste will overpower so... ♪ ♪ only lightlife can return the balance ♪ ♪ to your every dish ♪ our food is always made of plants ♪ ♪ and it is totally delish ♪ 'cause nobody's ingredients ♪ ♪ are quite as simple clean or real ♪ ♪ lightlife is the model ♪ of a modern daily family meal ♪

lightlife. try a clean plant-based burger for a change. it's a beautiful night at the espn wide world of sports complex at the walt disney resort in florida. lebron james said he's locked in on the job at hand. that job includes bouncing back from a game three loss against the heat, who rose from an 0-2 deficit fresh out of the ashes behind their fearless leader, jimmy butler. game four will either leave the lakers needing one or the heat evening the score. ♪ >> never underestimate a person's conviction. >> i'm ready for this. >>