now at six. wildfire emergency

in southern california. this is a live look from altadena. three major fires are burning right now, fueled by a powerful windstorm. tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate. >> back here at home, it's inauguration day in san francisco. you're looking at a live picture from civic center plaza. in just a few hours, the city will welcome daniel lurie as its next mayor. details on the ceremony and the big events happening tonight. >> plus strutting their stuff. dogs of all shapes and sizes, putting their best foot forward for the great american dog show. >> i thought we already did this. there seems to be dog shows every few weeks. >> different ones. >> you're absolutely right. >> yeah. okay. >> well, congrats to these dogs on this wednesday, january 8th. yeah. >> so we are putting a lot of our focus on what's going on in la. but we do have some wind here. >> yeah. >> our wind advisory here is until 10 a.m. the winds are a lot lighter this morning. and they will continue to weaken over the next couple of hours. so winds in our hills right now, anywhere between about 20 and

40mph. a lot of this is not translating down to the surface. winds are a lot lighter near the surface. a couple of areas gusting over 14mph. but the takeaway today is the winds are a lot lighter this morning and they weakened throughout the day. so here's the wind advisory until 10 a.m. this morning. we are past the peak of strongest winds that occurred yesterday. now we're on the tail end of this event and the winds are a lot lighter. so light winds this afternoon. still mild, still sunny today. temperatures will be in the mid and upper 60s. let's talk about southern california. a major wildfire event is underway here. we have three fires burning. we still have red flag warnings in effect for this life threatening situation. the three fires are here on your map. the palisades fire, the hurst fire and the eaton fire. these are three major wildfires burning. all of them are at 0% containment. the reason why. look at these wind speeds right now. winds are gusting 60, 70, 80mph. and that is fanning the flames. very quickly we'll take a look at how long these winds last. coming up in eight minutes. let's check in with gloria. you can see those

drive times. >> good morning. if you take bart, we do want to tell you about some delays this morning. there has been an equipment problem that's been reported on the track. this is impacting the sfo line. there's almost a 20 minute delay there. there's also almost a 20 minute delay if you take the oakland line. so just watch out for that. we will continue to keep you updated on that. the oakland airport line and then ace train one is running 15 minutes late and caltrain is on time. looking live at our emeryville camera, you can see traffic is starting to assemble west of the east shore freeway, and you see all those headlights heading towards the bay bridge. looking at your drive times here, highway four to san francisco, 45 minutes. and the winds. we've been talking about winds all morning long. we're not seeing what los angeles is seeing. but however, we do have high wind advisories in effect on the richmond, san rafael bridge, altamont pass and the bay bridge. amanda. >> all right. gloria. thank you. as you wake up this morning, we want to get you updated on the breaking news out of southern california, where three wildfires are burning out of

control. right now, officials report at least one firefighter and several people have been injured. thousands of people are under evacuation orders, multiple homes have burned, and thousands more are threatened. but it's impossible to tell the true extent of the devastation right now. we know fire crews are stretched beyond their limits as well. >> this is video showing crews desperately trying to stop the eaton fire burning in the pasadena and altadena area. what you're looking at right now, though, is a view of the palisades fire from a plane flying out of lax, so that fire has burned all the way to the beach, scorching at least 3000 acres, forcing evacuations and burning some of the most iconic places in the country. >> we're talking about pacific palisades, malibu, and santa monica. >> the third fire. the first fire started in sylmar. it is 500 acres right now. you can see it on this map. these fires are spread out across southern california, and the scope of the emergency is really hard to put into words. the winds have been

such a challenge for fire crews overnight. gloria is at the live desk with a closer look at what these crews are facing. >> well, reggie, a big issue that crews are facing are those intense winds are gusting over 80mph, and firefighting helicopters and planes have been grounded. and we just got this new video in. you can see the flames in one area, those plumes of smoke. our sister station in los angeles reports that they likely will not be able to launch the firefighting choppers and planes until at least noon today, and that's when we'll really be able to start to understand the impact of these fires. cal fire officials described the dangerous conditions that crews are facing right now, obviously in really steep, steep, rugged terrain, but without a doubt, the most challenging condition or part of the conditions is the wind. >> incredibly strong winds uh- historic in some aspects with wind speed. the air is continuing to dry out as these winds blow, so the humidities

are getting lower. so it's just making those conditions more challenging. as the wind continues to blow. >> it is really a scary out there near the palisades fire. we also know the fire has burned parts of malibu and forced evacuations in santa monica, which is really rare because it's known for its marine layer and also for being very moist. so we're going to keep keeping you updated on these fires and let you know what's going on with that. amanda. all right. >> gloria. thank you. we are tracking wild fire statewide, and you can too, see fires and air quality at a glance. just go to abc seven news.com/fire map. >> the other big story this morning. the change in leadership coming to san francisco. by this afternoon, the city will have a new mayor. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live near city hall, with the plans scheduled for today. lena. >> reggie. in just a few hours. mayor elect daniel lowery will be here at civic center plaza for his inauguration ceremony, kicking off at 1130. now it is

open to the public, but seating inside just past these gates is limited to ticketed guests. to kick off the inauguration festivities. lowery took part in an interfaith ceremony under the dome of the congregation emanuel. we saw a procession of nearly 60 interfaith leaders celebrating lowery the night before he took office. a portion of the night's program included prayers for our city, touching upon the need for housing safety, our homeless crisis, and an overall renewal for san francisco. even the incoming mayor's own father, rabbi brian lowery, gave his blessing to his teary eyed son. much? >> and i believe with all my heart that he will be a blessing for all of san francisco, right? >> and it's in solidarity of community and the value of interfaith.

>> meantime, in chinatown, preparations were well underway last night for an inauguration day night market concert and unity banquet at far east cafe. lowery is the first mayor to celebrate his first day in office in this neighborhood. once the inauguration wraps up today, the community will be invited inside of san francisco city hall for an open house. organizers say they are planning to have live music, a photo line with the new mayor, and an opportunity to write a wish for the city. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> all right, lena, thank you. before the inauguration ceremony, mayor elect daniel lowery will take part in a few more events at 730. the mayor elect will volunteer at saint anthony's. then at 815, he will walk through the tenderloin to the cable car turnaround at powell and market streets. there he will ride the cable car to ghirardelli square to get hot chocolate with his family. the inauguration ceremony starts at 1130. then tonight at 530, as lena mentioned, that chinatown

market and community festival, this is on grant avenue between sacramento and jackson streets. there will be food vendors, activities and performances, including san francisco native and grammy nominated edm artist zoo. >> here's a look at some of the road closures because of today's inauguration. these are the streets closest to city hall and civic center plaza. some don't reopen until 5 p.m, so it's best to avoid driving in that area until after that. stick with abc seven news for complete coverage of laura's swearing in. our coverage starts today at 11 a.m. wherever you watch abc7 news. >> now we take you live to washington, d.c, where former president jimmy carter is lying in state at the capitol rotunda this morning. the same building where he took oath of office, his oath of office in 1977. the longest lived president arrived in washington, d.c, yesterday. the motorcade's first stop was the u.s. navy memorial, a place he authorized construction on from the memorial. carter's casket made its way down

pennsylvania avenue, the same place the carters got out of the car and walked to the white house on his inauguration day. government officials from all three branches gathered at the capitol to pay their respects. >> jimmy carter's work and those works speak for him louder than any tribute we can offer. may his life be a lesson for the ages and a beacon for the future. >> carter served one term as president. he died at the age of 100. tomorrow, the former president will be escorted to the washington national cathedral for his state funeral. a reminder for you. abc news will have special coverage of the state funeral for president carter tomorrow morning. we'll bring you that here on abc seven and abc seven news.com. >> and at 610 this morning in the accuweather forecast, we

have clear skies out there. current conditions in concord right now 54 degrees a bit of a wind right now the winds gusting to about 21mph. we have this wind advisory in effect until 10 a.m. this morning. we are past the peak of our winds, but the next couple of hours they stay elevated. then you notice after 10 a.m, the winds really drop off. so we have a quiet and calm afternoon on the way. so looking at the day planner today, we'll track that breezy morning first thing by the afternoon. a lot less wind and mild temperatures will go into the 60s for daytime highs. let's turn our attention to southern california, where we do have this life threatening red flag warning currently in effect. it includes a massive area of southern california. all of l.a. county is in this red flag warning. and the reason why we did not have a red flag warning despite having some strong winds, we have seen substantial rain across northern california so far this season. southern california it is quite a different story. they have not seen rain in the past eight months. their vegetation is so

dry. combine that with these very strong winds. right now, winds are gusting 50 to 80mph this morning. so the winds in southern california are very active this morning. then they begin to taper this afternoon and hopefully this afternoon. that will allow resources to go into the air and attack these fires from above. amanda. >> all right, drew. thank you. coming up, bay area firefighters in the l.a. area, crews helping to battle those three raging wildfires. and new asian restaurant and marketplace, where the operators behind china live plan to open a new concept plus ferry ridership. the big increase san francisco bay

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following that breaking news from southern california. you're looking live from altadena. here's the latest on the three large wildfires burning right now. palisades fire that has burned nearly 3000 acres. an update for the eaton fire. more than 2200 acres have now burned. for the hurst fire, that grew overnight to about 500 acres near sylmar, south of newhall and santa clarita. as the fires in los angeles continue to grow, several crews from the bay area are in southern california this morning trying to save homes while facing dangerous conditions. five engines from the south bay, including three from cal fire san mateo and two from cal fire santa clara, are in l.a. county today. officials

saying with the extreme weather conditions, firefighters need to be constantly aware every fire is different. >> that's the biggest thing is there's no fire that's the same. and so anytime any of our firefighters are going in to fight a fire, that's why it's important for them to make sure that they're paying attention to what they're doing, because it's not going to be like the last fire that they were on. >> the fires have been devastating and fast moving, fueled largely by the massive windstorm in the l.a. basin. governor newsom said the state will continue to move resources to l.a. to help battle the fires. an investigation is underway in monterey county after a man was accused of impersonating a veterinarian and harming people's pets. investigators say the man performed examinations, prescribed medication and performed surgeries, all without a license. he was operating out of a home in prunedale after serving a search warrant. the spca found more than a dozen dogs without food or water.

investigators say at least one dog in the man's care died, and several others needed follow up care. 13 pieces of evidence in scott peterson's murder trial will be reviewed as part of his bid for a retrial. peterson made more than 645 demands for various items. a judge last year agreed to have 45 pieces of evidence released, but the district attorney's office says many of them were lost over the years. in all, 13 items were released to the defense. peterson was convicted in 2004 and the deaths of his wife, laci and their unborn son. >> the restaurateur is behind san francisco's sprawling restaurant china live in chinatown planned to launch a new restaurant, according to the chronicle. george chen and cyndi wang chen plan to open asia live later this year at the westfield valley valley fair mall in santa clara. the restaurant will seat 350 people and offer dishes from east asia, southeast asia and other regions. they're also

working on opening an asia live location in the louvre in paris, the destination, known as the world's coolest taco bell, is temporarily closed. >> the beloved taco bell cantina in pacifica sits right on the beach. it's a popular destination for those seeking an outdoor patio with oceanfront views. the company announced it will be closed for about two weeks for remodeling. >> canines of all kinds put their best pals forward at the great american dog show. hundreds of dogs and their handlers participated in the show last weekend in the chicago area and included, of course, a variety of competitions, obstacle courses, a grooming show, and demonstrations from top industry experts. so look at this fluffy pomeranian. that's all. just look at it. the show was put on by the international kennel club of chicago, which has been around since 1900. beautiful. i don't know who won. >> you don't know who won? >> i don't. sorry. that wasn't here. >> just, you know, they're all

putting their best paws, isn't it? >> about who won, though? >> it's about the experience. >> they look happy. i want a winner. >> i want you want to know who won? i do. who got the top prize is all i care about. they're all so cute to look at, though. they put a smile on your face. yeah. so cute. sure. but who won? it's like they're all winners, reggie. they're all winners. are we though? there's got to be one cute one. >> come on. yeah. >> i don't know. all right. okay. >> this morning, we're tracking the winds here locally and across southern california. here's a live look outside from our exploratorium camera. it is clear out there a lot less wind today. the winds are weakening as we speak. our wind advisory will end at 10 a.m. so it's a calm afternoon. record warmth is possible today and tomorrow. and the dry pattern continues. we are rain free the next seven days. temperatures right now for a lot of us. we're beginning in the upper 40s to the mid 50s right now. again, winds are not too bad out there. we have a couple of spots where the winds are elevated, but for the most part you can see pretty calm

conditions. and that's why the wind advisory will end at 10 a.m. this morning as we head throughout the morning. we'll have a lot of sunshine temperatures in the 50s by about 10 a.m. later on this afternoon. it's mostly sunny, light winds and daytime highs will be in the 60s. we had a few records yesterday. we could have a couple of more today. it will feel mild out there. it's nice with those light winds this afternoon. we'll have sunshine and temperatures mid and upper 60s later on today. let's talk about southern california. we have three major wildfires burning right now. the palisades fire which broke out yesterday morning. then we had two fires break out overnight. the first fire here and the eaton fire near the altadena pasadena area. right now these are the current sizes. there is zero containment on any of these fires and why we're seeing this right now in l.a. county. they haven't seen rain in eight months. that vegetation is dangerously dry. wind gusts over the past 12 to 18 hours have reached 60 to 100mph. at burbank airport, especially, they had a wind gust

to 83mph. and these dangerous winds have not allowed firefighters to attack these fires from the air. that is why we're seeing a rapid spread. firefighters are on the ground doing the best they can, but with winds this strong, it is very hard to fight these fires. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. it is mild today with records possible through tomorrow as we head into the weekend. have lots of sunshine. we'll keep that dry pattern through early next week, guys. >> thanks, drew. now we're going to bring in ginger zee with a look at what's coming up on gma. >> good morning ginger. we're up reggie. >> amanda you know we are all over the fires in los angeles. and we've got teams on the ground there. it's still such an ongoing situation with the winds peaking throughout these morning hours. as we go through later today, i'll be tracking the calm down in the winds by tomorrow morning. but wow, is it going to be a rough 24 hours there. we've also got teams in many different locations. a lot of personal stories coming out of los angeles. a lot of homes have already been taken businesses to and tens of thousands of people

evacuated. so there's a lot to get to. and then i'll be tracking that storm as it makes its way across the nation. and then a surge in bird flu cases, causing egg suppliers to scale back production. we're going to break down the shortages and the skyrocketing prices and tell you what you can do to save money. we're also starting strong in 2025 ways to enrich your life, where you get as much as you give, and coach prime deion sanders here live in times square. so you're going to see all of that and more coming up on gma. and i will be headed to california eventually here. but so many of us are headed out because it really is you know, now. orange county today has the highest winds. it's just going to move south before it moves out. so any fire that starts, it's so hard to say, but unforgettable, right? >> i mean, to not have any air support for so many hours overnight is really heartbreaking. and i didn't realize this until this morning. i heard our sister station in la say that they haven't had real, measurable rain in the la area for our sins for eight months, which is. i was there when that

happened. >> yeah. >> so it's the second driest period, second, driest period on record for that, you know, since may till now. and so that combination is why we're seeing this, because we always have a four corners high. right. but we've got that low. and i know drew's been looking at that. but that squeeze of the pressure gradient, the temperature gradient, it's pressure gradient is making the winds slide right over the mountains even faster than they usually do. and then you add, oh, it's the second driest eight month period. and that's where you're having this big issue. if you remember, i was there this time last year in flooding. this is their wet season. >> so if only we were getting a little bit of that rain right now. okay ginger, we look forward to your coverage there. but for now even for children with moderate-to-severe eczema. touch can stir a sense of wonder. can make a ride go smoothly. ♪ and make a smile stretch ear to ear. dupixent can help your child stay ahead of eczema

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a better look at altadena this morning. that's a live picture there. here's the latest on the three large fires burning right now. palisades fire has burned nearly 3000 acres. we do have an update on the eaton fire. more than 2200 acres have burned. and then the hurst fire grew overnight to about 500 acres. that's burning near sylmar, south of newhall and santa

clarita. and just in, there's a fourth fire that we are only now getting some new information about. it's called the woodley fire. it is currently 75 acres. that's an area that's near van nuys, near interstate 405 and highway 101, where they intersect. that huge cloud of black smoke is so ominous. and just to reiterate again, there there are no helicopters in the air. there are no planes in the air that are able to help this firefight. it's all being done on the ground because the winds are just too dangerous right now. and at last check, it didn't look like they were going to be able to get aircraft up until maybe after noon today. so we'll continue to watch this as so much of los angeles now under evacuation or the potential to have to be evacuated. the san francisco giants and justin verlander have agreed to a one year deal pending a physical. the future hall of fame pitcher is a two time world series champ and a three time cy young award

winner. verlander will enter his 20th season when spring training opens next month. the san francisco bay ferry, nearing its pre-pandemic ridership levels. yesterday, ferry officials shared in 2024 they increased their ridership over 16%. so that brings their total ridership to 97% of its pre-pandemic levels. a recent customer survey showed that they have five reasons why people are primarily doing this the relaxing commute, no traffic to help the environment, productivity and to save some money. next, at 630, clearing out rvs in san jose. the deadline for people living in those vehicles to move or get towed away. and we continue to follow that breaking news out of southern california. again, a fourth fire has just started. here's drew with more on the strong winds they're experiencing. >> yeah, reggie, let's show you the map. right now we are tracking these four fires. the palisades fire started yesterday morning. we had the hurst fire and the eaton fire start overnight. and now this is the new fire. this is the woodley

fire. it's burning at 75 acres right now. i would anticipate this is going to grow very rapidly. the winds are incredibly strong right now. we have the red flag warning in effect for those life threatening conditions. winds right now across all of these fires, we are gusting 60 to 80mph. so this is a life threatening situation. back here at home, the winds are a lot lighter. we have calm conditions this afternoon, a lot of sunshine, temperatures going into the 60s. later

seven mornings live now at 630. >> breaking news four. wildfires are burning right now in southern california. governor newsom calling the situation unprecedented as tens of thousands of people have evacuated. a powerful windstorm continues to fuel these fires this morning. >> back in the bay area, welcoming the 46th mayor of san francisco, daniel lowry will be sworn in today at civic center plaza as mayor. london breed finished up her last day in office. her comments as she leaves her leadership position. >> plus, billboard's grammy award predictions the artist magazine thinks will take home trophies at next month's show. >> good morning everyone. it is wednesday, january 8th. >> let's start with that forecast. hi, drew.

>> yeah. we'll begin here locally, where the winds are a lot lighter, and they will continue to weaken as we head throughout the morning. so inner hills right now the winds are still active about 20 to 40mph. but we're past the peak of strongest winds here down near the surface. winds are not all that bad. a couple of areas seeing gusts over ten miles per hour. but the trend today is for winds to weaken dramatically this morning. and a calm afternoon is on the way. this wind advisory will continue until 10 a.m, but again, we're past the peak of strongest winds. the winds are a lot lighter this morning, and we have a calm afternoon on the way. so sunny, we'll get temperatures into the 60s for daytime highs. i want to touch on what's happening in southern california. this is a big emergency right now. we now have four fires burning across la county. the newest one, the woodley fire, just broke out. this is where 101 and 405 intersect. this is an extremely populated area, and the winds are dangerously strong. and again, firefighters cannot attack this from the air right now because the winds are so strong between 50 and 70mph. red

flag warnings currently in effect. we'll talk much more about the situation in eight minutes. let's check in with gloria and see how the commutes go. >> good morning. i know drew has been talking about the wind all morning long. we are experiencing some winds here in the bay area. nothing like what la is experiencing, obviously, but there are some high wind advisories in effect on some of our bridges. that includes the richmond bridge, which you're looking at live here. so definitely be careful when you're driving this morning. keep both hands on the steering wheel. you could have some issues with those high profile vehicles. if you are driving on the richmond bridge, just know that traffic is stop and go on westbound 580 before the tolls to the mid span, and we also have a high wind advisory in effect on the bay bridge. and you could see a live look at our toll plaza right now. it is pretty busy out there except for the carpool lanes. the metering lights came on at 536 this morning. however, traffic is backed up to the foot of the maze, so you might have a few delays as you're driving into the city and looking at our mass transit. let's see if my clicker will go. all right. there we go.

so we do have a couple of delays this morning on bart on the sfo line between millbrae and sfo. there's about a 20 minute delay. we also have an 18 minute delay on the oakland airport line. so you could go to ac transit because they are helping out those passengers get to their destinations on time this morning. amanda reggie aqui thanks, gloria. >> let's get you caught up on what is happening in southern california. there are four fires burning right now and they have grown in size overnight. so there's pacific palisades on fire, sylmar and pasadena, and the situation is quickly developing. officials have just closed a small section of interstate 210 in the pasadena area. and in the last 15 minutes, that fourth fire started near where the 405 and 101 intersect. it is 75 acres right now, but as drew has been talking about, it is likely that it's going to grow very fast. so here's a look at how dire the situation is. a firefighter using what looks like a traffic cone to extinguish a hot spot in the pacific palisades area. what

a scary situation for millions of people in los angeles county. reporter maribel gonzalez is in pacific palisades. >> a dire situation here in the pacific palisades, as more than 1500 firefighters are battling this growing fire. fire burning through five football fields a minute, reaching now nearly 3000 acres. all of this while fire officials now also combating two other fires that have erupted overnight as those dangerous wind gusts continue to pick up. >> it's literally apocalyptic in southern california, a fight against flames fueled by unusually high winds. >> thousands of people forced to evacuate from their homes in the pacific palisades, a neighborhood in los angeles. >> when we were running down, you could see palm trees just like random palm trees on fire. so i'm sure leaves are burning and falling down. >> a distressing scene as residents ditch their cars amid a traffic gridlock. many left

virtually everything behind to make their way out. >> we got in the car to go and then all the cars were abandoned, so i had nowhere to go, so i just had to get out of my car and start walking. the smoke is so bad. >> california governor gavin newsom declaring an emergency, securing a fema grant to help battle the quickly growing fire, which officials say has already charred through cars, structures and homes. >> there's no fire season. it's fire year. it's year round, and it's incredibly important that we heed the warnings, the calls that we're not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. >> some coastal residents fleeing their homes for the second time in the span of a month after the franklin fire, ignited thousands of acres in neighboring malibu. >> and i've lived in malibu my whole life and i've seen tons of fires. i was i'm scared for my life. it was. it's terrifying. >> right now, we do know that one firefighter has been injured. and adding to these growing concerns are downed

trees and power lines. hundreds of thousands of customers without power right now and at this moment, this fire is 0% contained. reporting from the pacific palisades. i'm maribel gonzalez. >> yeah, very concerning all around, especially for viewers. if you have friends and families in southern california. vice president kamala harris, who has a home in the brentwood neighborhood of la, was briefed on the wildfires last night. in a statement, harris said in part, my heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in southern california. we are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe. listen to local officials, remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if told to do so. we are tracking wildfires statewide and you can too, see fires and air quality at a glance. go to abc seven news.com/fire map. >> now, it's nothing like what is happening in southern

california, but we've also been seeing some high winds in the bay area. this is new video from overnight that shows a massive tree that came down on union street in alameda. you can see it crushed part of a car. there was also a power outage along buena vista avenue. that street dark. caltrans is also working to clear a tree that fell on part of highway 13 at redwood road. >> and the other big story today is the inauguration of san francisco's new mayor, daniel lurie. he is set to be sworn in at city hall just hours from now. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live, with the full day of events planned in the city. lena. >> amanda, good morning to you. the entire community is invited to come take part in today's inauguration ceremony, kicking off this morning at 1130 here at civic center plaza. they actually just turned on the lights at san francisco city hall. you can see it illuminated nice and bright, right here behind me. we are also seeing lots of fencing, risers, seating, and a heavy amount of security crews getting ready and

set up for the busy day ahead. last night, hundreds came together at the congregation emanuel to celebrate san francisco's new mayor elect, daniel lurie. it's an interfaith service. outgoing mayor london breed also participated in at her church, third baptist, before she took office. a portion of the night's program included prayers for our city, touching upon the need for housing safety, our homeless crisis, and an overall renewal for san francisco. that's where lurie made this promise back to the city. >> i commit to all of you that i will never stop working. on behalf of all of you and every single san franciscan. thank you, and i'll see you tomorrow. >> the chinese community and us, even me, have high hopes on him. >> and that was kevin chan, owner of legacy small business chinatown fortune cookie factory. chinatown will hold a night market and community festival later today. lori will be the first mayor to celebrate

his first day in office in this neighborhood. doors open for the inauguration this morning here at 1030. once it wraps up, an open house for the public will be held inside of san francisco city hall. we're told they will have live music, a photo line with the new mayor, and an opportunity to write a wish for the city. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> of course, as one mayor comes in, another one goes out. mayor london breed is serving her last day in office yesterday. breed was first elected mayor in 2018 after serving as interim mayor for a few months. yesterday, she joined abc seven news anchor julian glover for abc seven news at three to reflect on her time as mayor and on what she would do if she had an extra year in office. >> i mean, we've helped over 20,000 people exit homelessness. i've increased shelter capacity by close to 70%. permanent supportive housing. we are seeing real change there. we're seeing our overdose numbers decline. we are going to be building more housing. those are the things that are the most important things that i will

would definitely build upon. >> breed has not indicated what she is going to do next. >> our coverage of mayor elect daniel lowery's inauguration begins this morning at 11 a.m. you can see it live wherever you stream abc seven. downtown san francisco just received $5 million for their latest move to bring people into the city. the $5 million donation will go towards a massive art initiative, aiming to bring more art and culture to the downtown area. the donation will be awarded in smaller amounts that can be given within one year. all the projects in order to qualify for funding, must have a theme of bringing families, students and young professionals to the city. >> still ahead. returning to the office full time. another company ditching the hybrid work policy. >> and an update on the closure of great america. the amusement park could be shutting down earlier than expected. but first, here's drew. >> hey there. time now, 642.

we'll take you to our okay camera this morning with a live look at the airport. we have clear skies up above. winds are generally light here out of the east at about 12mph, 56 degrees. is that current temperature? we have a wind advisory until 10 a.m, but the winds are already weakening as we speak. we're past the peak of strongest gusts that occurred yesterday. so a lot less wind this afternoon. light breeze, mild afternoon temperatures feel very nice today into the 60s. we go. could have a few records later on this afternoon. let's talk about what is developing across southern california. we now have four fires burning across l.a. county. we've been keeping tabs on the palisades fire for the past 24 hours. the hjorth's fire, the eaton fire outside of altadena and pasadena. now we have this new woodley fire. this is burning in the van nuys sherman oaks area, basically where 101 and 405 intersect. the winds right now are just so strong 50, 60, 70mph. so rapid growth is to be expected. why we're seeing so many issues

across southern california. they haven't seen rain in eight months. wind gusts have been dangerously high. and it's for that fact. air attacks have not been able to happen since these fires have started. cal fire has not really been able to attack from the air with these dangerous winds. these winds will back off this afternoon, and hopefully they'll be able to go back into the air and attack these fires from above. we'll take a closer look at the winds and also the seven day forecast

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breaking news out of southern california. you're looking live from altadena. there are four fires currently burning. the palisades fire has burned nearly 3000 acres so far. there's the eaton fire. more than 2200 acres have burned. also, the hurst fire, which is about 500 acres that burned near sylmar, south of newhall and santa clarita. and according to clarita, according to the chp, the 210 freeway is now shut down between roxford street and the i-5 freeway. the fourth fire, which is a which just started recently. it's called the woodley fire. it is 75 acres. it's an area nearby van nuys near interstate 405 and highway 101. a portion of the 405 southbound lanes near that

junction are closed right now because of the fire. and just a warning, these numbers could jump significantly later today because there is no air assault of the fires, it's very difficult to know how big they are right now, so just be prepared for that later this morning and into the afternoon. >> now turning now to news closer to home, as the city of san jose prepares to open its largest rv safe parking location next month, it's beginning an rv and living vehicle tow away program. now, the goal is to clean up areas around schools and waterways, but not everyone supports it. starting this week, the city will begin putting up signs along chenowith avenue, letting rv owners know they have two weeks to move or be towed away. the city says it will open 1000 new placements for the unhoused to go this year. that includes 85 new safe parking spots near the berryessa bart station. >> hope is that it not only gives relief to the residents and small businesses who have dealt with unmanaged, unsafe rv

encampments for months, if not years on end, but that it also incentivizes people to take advantage of safe sleeping, safe parking. >> critics are concerned there will not be enough parking spots for all of the rvs, leading to many people losing the only place they call home. >> after seven years. the san francisco police department is no longer under state oversight. yesterday, the california department of justice said the sfpd has successfully reduced its overuse of force and substantially decreased the number of police shootings and installed policies to prevent racial bias in policing. the chief bill scott, was brought on eight years ago to complete this very task. >> i was brought here to help lead this reform in, and it's a major accomplishment for this department and for the city, because not every department is successful, and san francisco isn't the only police department that has faced scrutiny by the doj. >> the antioch police department agreed to state oversight last week, and oakland pd remains

under federal oversight. the largest bank in america, jp morgan chase, plans to soon tell all of its employees they need to go back to the office five days a week. the bank is based in new york, but they do have an office in san francisco. the move would end the company's hybrid work option. about 60% of jp morgan's employees are already required to be in the office all week long. in recent months, businesses including amazon and dell announced plans to require employees to go back to the office full time. >> a beloved art project in san francisco is bringing beautiful colors and unique designs back to the ferry building. the 2025 hearts in san francisco were unveiled this week. each heart is up for auction, raising critical funds for zuckerberg, san francisco general hospital and trauma center. this year, 22 artists were selected to have their hearts displayed. this is the 21st year for the hearts in san francisco project. >> your morning money report now. we've known california's great america is going to close

at some point, but it could happen sooner than we expected. our media partners at the bay area news group report. new documents show the lease for the santa clara amusement park could be terminated at the end of june 2028, which would force it to shut down. prologis bought the property in 2022 and agreed to lease it back to cedar fair, which recently merged with six flags, the amusement park company that runs these parks. the park was slated for closure in 2033. >> the grammy awards are less than one month away, and billboard is out with its list of predictions of who is likely to win some of the categories, and they think this superstar will take home album of the year. one step to the right. >> we headed to the dive bar. we always saw a nice give it to her. >> billboard predicts beyoncé's cowboy carter will come out on top and win album of the year. here's a look at some of the other predictions. kendrick lamar is not like us for the

record of the year. birds of a feather by billie eilish and finneas for song of the year and chappell roan for best new artist. the grammys are set for sunday, february 2nd. >> ooh, i hope they're right, because beyoncé has never won album of the year, which is mind boggling. >> i don't think they are right. i don't think that beyonce is going to win. i think that it's going to be billie eilish. >> it's going to be close. that's just my feeling. lot of good contenders. we had a lot of good music last year. >> sabrina carpenter's album is really good. >> 2024 gave us a lot. we are blessed. right on. all right. this morning in the accuweather forecast, we are tracking our local weather here with some calm conditions and of course, monitoring the unfolding situation of the numerous fires across southern california. so our wind advisory here locally. this will end at 10 a.m. just know we're past the peak of our strongest winds that occurred yesterday. so the winds are weakening as we speak. record warmth possible today and tomorrow. and we're rain free the next seven days. temperatures right now. kind of

a mixed bag. a bit of a breeze in parts of the north bay. keeping some areas in the low 60s where we have calmer winds. it's a lot colder right now with temperatures in the 40s. winds are certainly a lot weaker than this time yesterday. some spots you're seeing gusts over ten miles per hour. but that's pretty light. and these winds again back off throughout the morning. by 10 a.m. the winds are calm. so there's future weather as it kind of speeds through it. all you need to know is that we have a lot of sunshine coming our way, and temperatures are going into the 60s, so light winds today, lots of sunshine, mid and upper 60s. just a lovely day here in the northern california area. let's go to southern california. we are tracking this life threatening situation. this red flag warning continues. and now we have a new fire that has developed. this is the woodley fire. this is burning in the van nuys sherman oaks area. and i just want to give you this information. the glendale fire department, which is covering this fire, has now put an evacuation notice for the residents in chevy chase canyon. that's a neighborhood in glendale. so i know we may have

friends and family in this area. i'm sure they're knowing that fires are occurring, but this new 1st may not be on their radar yet. so if you know someone that lives in this area, you know van nuys, glendale, give them a heads up about what's occurring, because we have strong winds out there and there may be rapid spreading with this fire. certainly, winds are gusting 50 to 60mph. they'll back off a little bit this afternoon, but they don't calm down fully until tomorrow. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. it's mild today. records possible through thursday. then we're a little cooler as we head into the weekend. but the weekend still looking nice and we'll keep it dry through early next week. >> thanks. you're going to have to wait longer to start tapping your credit card or debit card to ride public transportation in the bay area. how easy would that be? well, apparently it's not very easy to get it set up because metropolitan transportation commission staffers told the examiner. it's difficult to say what a response. whether or not the new tap to pay system will roll out this spring. the system was supposed to launch last summer.

it got delayed until april because of problems with the card readers. the mtc says it's still testing the readers, and right now there is no target launch date. >> okay, well, you know what is launching girl scout cookie season? it's here. troops are already taking orders. there's even a sign up sheet floating around the abc seven newsroom. >> who's selling them? do you know? >> i don't know, but i'll buy them. >> all right. >> anyone? the popular options are back, like thin mints and caramel delites, also known as samoas and tagalongs, of course. but starting next year, some of the flavor options are going away. s'mores and toast. yay! cookies will no longer be available starting in 2026. s'mores debuted in 2017, and tostitos came out in 2021. the organization didn't say why it's discontinuing the cookies, but the lineup changes often. i've not had a toastie, so. >> and you won't. and why would you? >> i know someone else. buy them. i'll taste it.

>> i won't give me the peanut butter patty, aka the tagalong any day. and i'm there. that's all i need. yeah, you can have the thin mint. >> thin mint. samoas. boxes on boxes. >> the samoas. it's one. you can have more than one. oh, yeah. really? >> just lines of samoas. let's do it. all right. up next, the seven things you need to know today as we head to break a live look outside. >> it is 655. and it is a beautiful sunrise on this day that we

as you welcome the feeling of touch with clearer skin and less itch. the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, helps heal your skin from within. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue

or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems, like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma or other medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about dupixent. emergency in los angeles for fires causing unimaginable devastation, burning dozens of homes and businesses overnight, the largest burning along the coast, forcing evacuations in pacific palisades, malibu and santa monica. fierce santa ana winds driving the flames are not expected to die down until later

today. >> number two. governor newsom has been monitoring the situation in southern california. his office says there are 1400 firefighters on the ground and more on the way. the state has also secured federal assistance to support response to the fires. >> and number three, locally in the bay area today, we have a lot less wind. a wind advisory ends at 10 a.m. calm conditions this afternoon. lots of sunshine will be in the 60s. just a quick update to the fires across southern california for now. burning the latest. the woodley fire is now at 75 acres. this is burning in the van nuys sherman oaks glendale area. winds are going to stay high across southern california this morning. a bit weaker this afternoon. >> number four san francisco gets a new mayor today. daniel lurie has a full day of events planned for his inauguration. our live coverage begins at 11 a.m. wherever you stream abc seven news. >> number five tesla's remote parking functions are under government investigation after reports of a dozen crashes. the feature is available on roughly 2.5 million vehicles. >> and number six, we have some

delays on bart on the sfo line in all directions. there's a major delay, and there's an 18 minute delay on the oakland airport line, so you can go to ac transit to help get to your destination on time. >> number seven, delta air lines says upgrades are coming to its in-flight entertainment. changes include bluetooth connectivity for your personal headphones, new screens, and free youtube premium. you'll see the changes roll out next year. >> i was recently on the delta a321neo and they have the bluetooth and i really liked it. united also has it on some aircrafts. have you used it? >> it is really nice and i have that cord and just have your own headphones. >> yeah that's great. >> how many times have you accidentally, like, been tripped up by the cord? all the time. that's stuff dropping me. yep. >> george: good morning america for our viewers in the west. breaking news. apocalyptic scenes across california. our team is on the scene tracking the wild fires.