now on abc seven news at three.

san francisco has a new mayor. we're taking an in-depth look at today's changing of the guard at city hall. and mayor daniel lurie's plans for the future. but first, we want to get to some breaking news here. fierce wildfires are raging in the los angeles area. a fifth fire broke out in just the last hour, and it's already exploding to over 50 acres. firefighters say these conditions are unprecedented, with strong winds fueling flames, burning thousands of homes and businesses. live images right here. or more images, we should say, of the intense fires. now, we do want to take you to a live look at three of the wildfires scorching their way across los angeles county. the fires are now blamed for five deaths. we've just learned moments ago. well, thanks so much for joining us here. it's a rapidly developing news day i'm julian glover. we want to let you know that five fires in los angeles county have burned more than 27,000 acres so far. that's 42mi■!s. the longest burning fire is the pacific

palisades fire. it's already become the most destructive in l.a. history, and it's still burning out of control at this moment. we want to take a look now at the impact. by the numbers, at least 70,000 residents of l.a. county have been ordered to evacuate as of this morning. altogether, the fire has threatened at least 28,000 structures and different sections of the county, and los angeles fire chief said that 1000 have already been destroyed in the palisades area alone. well, let's get a look now at exactly where those wildfires are burning. we know a fifth fire just broke out. it's called the lidia fire that's up near santa clarita. the first that ignited tuesday morning is the palisades fire just west of malibu. the largest of these five fires is the eaton fire. that fire is the one that we mentioned, is now being blamed for five deaths so far. and we also want to tell you about the first fire that was ignited last night in a neighborhood and has triggered evacuations there. again, we know more than 1000 structures have been destroyed

so far. abc news reporter alex stone is live for us in altadena, where officials say the eaton fire is responsible for five deaths. alex. >> hi there. julian. yeah, the number now going up to five deaths that have just been confirmed on this fire. you can see that the flames continue to burn here. this is a home that they have been battling all day today trying to knock down these flames. and they keep coming up and down this street there are home after home after home that have burned and firefighters haven't been able to really do much about it. they just do not have enough resources here waiting for help to arrive that we know is now coming from northern california and from arizona and colorado and utah, from the department of defense, from the national guard that it is now heading in this way. but for the most part, they are just trying to prevent the spread to more buildings. but those that already light, they are not able to stop them from burning, and

they put a little water on them to prevent them from spreading and then have to move on from there. the winds are quite a bit calmer than they were this morning. we were seeing 100 mile per hour winds this morning, right where i am right now, and it was incredibly strong, the wind pushing, embers pushing the flames, that has now calmed down. luckily that's giving them a little bit of help. but still. julian, there's a lot of work left to do. an apocalyptic scene in southern california valleys filled with smoke and flames taking over hillsides as at least four major wildfires burn out of control, embers flying all around pushed by hurricane strength winds. >> oh, and we have, you know, a partial structure collapse. >> this afternoon, we got our first look at the devastation from the air, the winds slowing enough for helicopters to fly safely. >> it's armageddon. i'm driving through a war zone right now, and i don't even know what to say. i'm speechless. i'm shocked. >> the winds also kept firefighters from launching water, dropping helicopters, people running with buckets of

water in their hands, trying to do anything they could to save homes, others rushing to grab any belongings they could. neighbors tried but could not save. the symington family's home of 24 years. it makes me want to cry, but it also in the midst of the dark hour, puts a little ray of love and hope. >> all the stuff that's here is replaceable. >> people are not. having the family is the most important thing. >> a senior assisted living center destroyed all of the over 90 residents evacuated safely. some rushed to safety in wheelchairs. >> this is not a normal red flag alert. the l.a. county fire department was prepared for 1 or 2 major brush fires, but not for. >> president biden is in los angeles for an unrelated matter, and got an update on the disaster from firefighters. he's also spoken with governor gavin newsom. we're prepared to do anything and everything as long as it takes to contain these fires and help reconstruct and

make sure that we get back to normalcy. and julian, still quite a firefight going on right now. as you can see, firefighters have now pulled up in the last couple of minutes. the engine there, that's the only engine they've got to battle what is really a house fire that they're trying to put out. we did hear a couple of minutes ago a helicopter up above that is a sign that maybe help is coming from the air. they have been unable to fly because of the strong winds here. >> julian alex stone live for us there in altadena. we really appreciate it. and please stay safe. we know rapidly these fire conditions can change. thank you so much alex. meanwhile, crews from alameda county, oakland, hayward, fremont, menlo park, they have all joined a strike team formed by cal fire to help fight the flames in los angeles county. the san francisco fire department sent 22 firefighters to the palisades fire. they could be there for up to two weeks, depending on how things go. cal fire's division for the san mateo and santa cruz

counties also have joined that response there. and we want to share with you some really dramatic video here. the wildfires can be seen burning from space. you're looking at satellite images showing the scale and spread of the fires, and also how southern california's strong santa ana winds created critical fire weather conditions there. and to get a better understanding now of how the weather played a big role in these wildfires, fierce santa ana winds again led to that red flag warning in the area where those fires are now burning. we want to check in with meteorologist shayla jardine from our sister station down in la, who has a detailed look at the winds and says every hour is going to make a difference. >> the wind isn't gone yet. unfortunately, it's not going to be gone all day. we're still going to feel the impacts of it, but we're moving in the right direction. we have several fires burning right now, so taking a look at the wind speeds in the area, palisades fire still seeing some winds 20 to 30mph. it's the gusts, though, that are going to continue to be the concern over the course of the afternoon. moving up to the

hearst fire, we've seen gusts closer to 40 50mph. it is improving. it's just not as fast as we would all like it to be. of course, eaton fire though this is a big improvement. winds in the area coming in around ten miles per hour. still seeing gusts close to 20mph. i mean, look at all the pink on your screen here. now, the good news is earlier this morning overnight we were talking about gusts 40 50mph consistently. now most areas we are seeing gusts in the 20 to 30 mile per hour range. santa clarita though still seeing gusts over 40mph. pacific palisades again very close to that palisade fire. still seeing gusts 30mph this afternoon. as we move farther east, a little bit of relief, especially as you look toward la long beach, getting some calmer conditions, but laguna beach still seeing those gusts 20mph, 30 to 40 mile per hour gusts. when we talk about riverside san bernardino. so it's moving in the right direction. it's going to be several more hours of this, but it's those strong wind gusts moving in. and then you pair it with this extremely low humidity across all of southern

california. as you will see most areas in the teens, this is extremely dry conditions. palmdale, ontario, riverside, beaumont all coming in in the teens. and i want to point out santa monica 3%. and that has not changed all morning single digits. this is such a dangerous combination. and this is what is making it so difficult for these fire crews. taking a look again at the palisades fire, you can see all of that smoke, but i want to point this out to you. this is some good news. so we're still dealing with strong winds through the afternoon. we're under that high wind warning through 6 p.m. you'll notice gusts. we're still talking about 30 mile per hour gusts in the 20s into the teens as we head into this evening. but it is a little bit of relief. >> and coming up on world news tonight, david muir will be live on the ground in los angeles county, and abc seven news is always staying on top of all of these developments. our live reporting continues on abc seven news at four, five and 6 p.m. you can get updates as they happen on abc seven news.com and

the abc seven news bay area app. well, we want to continue our coverage now of the exploding wildfires there in los angeles county. we're getting answers today from doctor daniel swain, a climate scientist at ucla. doctor swain, can you hear me? >> okay, yes, i can, thank you. >> thanks so much for joining us here. we know that there was that red flag warning for those notorious santa ana winds in place leading up to the devastating fires there. can you talk about the unique weather conditions that have led to this fire event that we're seeing in southern california? >> well, as you mentioned, we have seen very strong offshore dry winds in southern california that have helped fuel the flames. but even more anomalous, if you will, is the extraordinary dryness of the landscape and of the climate leading up to this event in the weeks and months that preceded it. so this is the driest start to the rainy season now on record in southern california. following an unusually warm and dry period, really, since the spring across a good portion of

the interior portion of california. and so it is that sequence of events, all of that antecedent dryness, the fact that it has not yet rained, that vegetation in southern california is extremely dry. that has allowed these seasonal offshore winds, which do tend to occur right around this time of year but usually occur after significant precipitation has fallen, which has not occurred this year. so it is that very dry conditions followed by this wind that is really that one two punch that that we're seeing the tragic and destructive effects of right now, it's usually in november and december when we get that first measurable rain of the season that we kind of take that sigh of relief, that fire season is done. >> but here we are in january with these unprecedented historic fires. can you discuss the link between climate change and these fires becoming more and more destructive and larger in recent years? >> we do know that there are strong links between climate change and the severity, extent

and losses associated with wildfires both in california and beyond, although in this case, the link is not so much with the winds themselves, for which there's not really any evidence that climate change is affecting those santa ana winds specifically. but what we are seeing is an increasing overlap between dry vegetation season and this autumn to early winter santa ana wind season. so the number of days or months per year in which we have both very dry vegetation, especially in southern california and strong offshore winds, is increasing. our own research suggests that the extreme fire weather conditions in autumn have already doubled due to climate change in california, including the southern part of the state. we can extrapolate that a little bit into the dry winter conditions we're seeing in the south. it's not so dry up north, of course, it's actually been quite wet up in northern california and north of the golden gate, especially this year. but southern california has not gotten any of that moisture. it's been bone dry there since the summer. >> still, we have had a bit of a dry stretch here in the last

week and a half or so in northern california. but you're right, we have seen a lot of rain so far this rainy season. are there any lessons for us here in northern california for you? as we look at the fire fight down in southern california, as we potentially prepare for the next round of fire season here in norcal? >> well, you know, northern and southern california do have somewhat distinct fire climatologies in the sense that there is always a somewhat more risk of fire extending later into the season. in southern california, a december and january fires in general are not unheard of down south, although the scope and devastation from these likely is in this case. but i think maybe the lesson for northern california here is that last season in southern california was exceptionally wet. so southern california is not in the middle of a long term drought right now. we've actually experienced what is called a wet to dry hydroclimate whiplash event, where we go from very wet conditions last year to very dry conditions right now.

and it is that sequence of events in particular that allows for abundant vegetation growth and then drying of that vegetation. that's a pattern that can play out up north as well. >> yeah, it seems to be this kind of feast and famine effect in recent years. doctor daniel swain with ucla. we appreciate your time and expertise. thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> again, our live reporting continues on abc seven news at four, five and 6 p.m. get those live updates anytime at abc seven news.com. and by downloading the abc seven news bay area app. okay, let's get you to our other big story back here at home. daniel lurie is officially san francisco's 46th mayor after being sworn sworn in on the steps of city hall. jesse peterson, who has known lurie and his family for more than a decade and works in the state's public defender's office, administered that oath of office. >> i, daniel lurie, do solemnly swear during such time as i hold the office, during such time as i hold the office as mayor and city of san francisco as mayor and city of san francisco.

>> congratulations. thank you. >> during his inauguration speech, mayor lurie said his top priorities are fixing the fentanyl crisis, helping the homeless, keeping downtown streets safe, and balancing the city's budget deficit. >> it is the greatest honor of my life to serve as your mayor at this critical moment in our history. i'm asking all of you, every single one of you, to join me in reclaiming our place as the greatest city in the world with a new era of accountability, service and change. it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. san francisco, thank you very much. >> well, after the ceremony, the community was invited inside of city hall for an open house. >> of course, you saw his inauguration live right here on abc7 news midday live and abc seven news insider phil matier was there with his thoughts. he

joins us once again for more analysis. phil, thanks for being here. we know that mayor lurie spent much of his speech outlining his plans for his first 100 days in office. what he was selling. do you think this is what san franciscans were searching for when they voted him in office in november? yeah. >> the overriding theme was it was time to get real. it was time to get going. it was time to work and work hard at this. and that's what he's talking about, accountability. and he's talking about change. what are we going to see in the first 100 days? well, he's going to move to open an emergency center where people who are picked up on the streets by police that say that are slumped over in drug induced haze rather than take them to jail, they'll have the option of going to a sobering center. the idea is to try to get that up and running within the next couple of months. that will be something that people can look at and see and point to as an accomplishment. other things he said is what he won't be doing. he's facing a $800 million deficit, but he said he will not be cutting police. he will not be cutting fire. he will not be

cutting nurses in response. and emergency rooms or uh- dispatchers. so that is another thing we're going to be seeing. the other part of it is he's going to try to bring more accountability, like i said, but that's going to take more than 100 days certainly. >> so maybe many, many months and perhaps years to come because, you know, all the bureaucracy that exists in san francisco city hall. what do you think will be his toughest challenge as he tries to roll out his agenda? >> well, it's tough challenge is to, you know, he's going to already sold the public on it. the public voted that they want to go with the lurie platform because it was similar to the other mayoral platforms. there wasn't a lot of disagreement. the old fighting back and forth didn't exist this time. it said san francisco needs to get better at what it's doing and stop doing the things that are bringing it harm. you know, it's going to be interesting while everybody's talking about, you know, the 100 days and such like this. he's got something a lot closer to deal with. and that one of the things is the nba all star game coming to san francisco. he's got to make sure

that that's safe, that the city is clean for it and that it looks good on television. he's got immediate things he's got to take care of right now. a lot of it has to do with the imaging of the city because things have gotten better. crime is down, car break-ins are down. the number of tents on the streets are down. all of those things are. and maybe just his new face at city hall will make people take a new look. and if he can accomplish that in the first 100 days, that would be a success as well. >> only a few seconds left here, but any piece of advice for the incoming mayor, who describes himself as a self proclaimed city hall outsider, someone who knows city hall very well. >> yeah. get ready. buckle your seat belt, because it's always something you don't know that's going to happen. that really calls the shots, certainly. >> so is london. breed would say that with the covid 19 pandemic. >> right. exactly, exactly. and the second thing is everybody loves you until you say no. >> okay. phil matier, we appreciate your insight. as always. we'll see you back here again for abc seven news at four. well, those wildfire flames have chased thousands from their homes. up next, we'll hear from some of their stories of survi

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in california, where devastating wildfires are burning. across los angeles county, fire evacuees are sharing some really harrowing stories about escaping those flames. >> i opened up my front door and the wind just came through with these red hot embers that just fully filled the living room, and so i slammed the door and waited for the breeze to come down, because when i arrived, it was a light breeze. and then all of a sudden it was 50 mile an hour breeze. there was gas shooting out into the road. all of the trees were on fire, and he was just one of the at least 30,000 people ordered to evacuate due to the palisade's

wildfire. >> we're also learning about celebrities among those who were forced to leave their homes. actor james woods lost his home. >> all our neighbors are all checking with each other. are you out? are you safe? are your pets out? you know, everybody was taking care of everybody. i'm sorry. just, you know, one day you're swimming in the pool, and the next day it's all gone. >> warriors head coach steve kerr also acknowledged the terrifying impact of the wildfires, and said his 90 year old mother had to evacuate her home. we'll take a

of wildfires burning right now in los angeles county. they are blamed for five deaths. red flag warnings are in effect and will remain in place until at least tomorrow evening. we want to take you to a live look right now at those wildfires. you can see this aerial image right here. just the smoke encompassing the sky there. the largest fire right now is the

palisades fire. it's scorching the seaside area between malibu and santa monica. it's exploded to more than 15,000 acres, 0% contained. it's already destroyed at least 1000 structures, many of them homes there, making it the most destructive fire ever in los angeles county, according to cal fire. well, this has us thinking about if we are prepared for a major fire here in northern california. if you're not, we have tips to help you get started. all you have to do is go to abc7 news.com/prepared or cal for advice and guidance to get that go bag ready. former east bay congresswoman barbara lee is officially running for oakland mayor. >> this is our moment. >> this is our movement. >> this is our oakland. >> so let's do this. vote april 15th. >> lee formally announced her candidacy in a campaign video. you just saw part of it this morning. the former congresswoman says she wants to prioritize public safety, mental health services, homelessness

and fiscal responsibility. a special election for a new mayor to fill the remainder of tsingtao's term is scheduled for this april. of course, tao was recalled last november. well, tim allen is returning to prime time. we'll talk to him a team can help you plan for your dreams. so your dream car, and vacation home, may be closer than you think. ready to meet the dream team? you can with wells fargo.

(vo) with fargo, your virtual assistant from wells fargo, you can pick up the tab, even when you forget your wallet. (kaz) i got this. (ben) fargo, send kaz $145 dollars with zelle. (kaz) smooth. (vo) learn more at wellsfargo.com/getfargo. he tells abc's george pennacchio why the time was right for the show. >> is that my gto? i built that 15 years ago and somebody stole it. hi, dad. there's the thief. >> tim allen is revving up for his network tv return in shifting gears. >> so many people came to me so long ago and said, would you do another sitcom? and it was a kind of a i thought it was a

funny idea. this is about a guy that's has just been recently widowed, and then his daughter comes back. >> i play tim's daughter, riley parker, and she also recently lost her mom, obviously, and is going through a divorce. and she is a very young woman, never married him. >> we've been over this. >> well, i know, but none of your biz, dad, i guess. but anyway. and now that her mom's gone and she's getting a divorce, she has to crawl home and admit that he was right about her husband and kind of face all that. >> allen said he wanted the show to have a good balance of humor and heart, leaning into the grief that the characters are feeling. >> i've always appreciated that people have a sense of humor somewhere and that that nothing can stop that. >> he also said he wanted his character to be a car guy, and tapped into his own collection for production. >> i said, you can use any of the prop cars i have because i built some movie cars, so you can use them in. this is like

being at my at my home. >> daryl chill mitchell, whose character stitch works in tim's restoration shop, said he's got his eye on a couple of tim's cars. you know, just for fun. >> you know, since i've known him so long, he's a good friend. he might just be able to go in there and be like, yo, tim, slide me that playboy, you know what i mean? just slide me that one right there. you ain't gonna miss it. >> you need a place to stay until i figure out what the rest of my life looks like. >> so, a couple of days. >> george pennacchio for abc news. >> and shifting gears premieres here on abc seven news tonight at eight. that will do it for abc seven news at three. world news tonight with david muir from los angeles starts right now. i'll see you back here for abc seven news at four. take care. tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight" from california. the emergency unfolding here in los angeles co