get out of the house. where are the car keys?

>> oh, mom, we're coming home to nothing. and so, yeah, everybody lost everything. yeah. >> it's sad. we see several homes that are going to be lost here. and it wouldn't surprise me if almost all the homes in this area off of chapman court, little canyon lane, are going to be lost. it hopscotches from one home to the next, but there's not enough structure protection in here to really try and save all of these homes. it's really going to be a struggle. >> i think the saddest part is just people wanting answers, and we can't give them direct answers as to if their homes are okay. >> wildfires raging out of control across southern california tonight. as you know, claiming the lives of more people and injuring many others and reducing entire neighborhoods literally to ash. it's just terrible. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley and i'm dion lim. >> images of that firestorm across los angeles county. simply devastating. >> so for the very latest, let's get to abc seven news anchor karina nova, who is tracking the fires and the battle for firefighters are raging. karina. >> dan, it's hard to capture the

magnitude of the fire still burning in the los angeles area. firefighters are currently battling five fires. the biggest devastated the palisades area between santa monica and malibu. the deadliest is on the other side of los angeles, near pasadena. at least five people have died in the eaton fire. it began in the hills near pasadena, but the wind took the embers miles away into the urban core of altadena. it's burned more than 10,000 acres with no containment yet. officials now estimate 200 to 500 structures were destroyed so far. businesses along lake avenue have burned, including several restaurants, dry cleaners, a hardware store, and a senior center. >> it makes me really sad to see such a beautiful neighborhood just get taken away in an instant. my mom and i were here at 5:00 in the morning, just watering down our house, protecting it, and thankfully it kind of saved us. >> people grabbed buckets, trash cans, whatever they could find to fill with water to protect their homes. the eaton fire is

just 25 miles from the other major fire, the palisades fire, which has burned more than 15,000 acres since it started yesterday afternoon. it's burning very close to santa monica and brentwood. more than a thousand structures have burned with 0% containment right now. this is in a community with only about 7500 homes. entire neighborhoods have been leveled. spot fires are still popping up at the nearby canyon. la's new district attorney witnessed the destruction. >> i have never seen that type of devastation where literally block after block after block of houses that were there, you know, 48 hours ago, aren't there anymore. >> president joe biden was briefed on the scale of the destruction today in santa monica. his son lives in the fire zone, but his home has not been damaged. biden declared the area a federal disaster to free up federal funds. governor gavin newsom toured the destruction along sunset boulevard. he was surrounded by hollowed out buildings. newsom declared a state of emergency and is working with fema to bring vital

resources to the los angeles area. he's also deployed the national guard to the area. the department of defense is also getting ready to deploy air units from the nevada national guard and ten navy helicopters to drop water on the flames. southern california residents are being urged to save water. that's because some fire hydrants are running dry. >> diane. all hands on deck tonight. all right. karina. thank you. now take a look. this is satellite from noaa showing the fire from the air. you see that smoke? those winds as the fire grew overnight. we have abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel standing by with the very latest on conditions. sandhya, we are hoping for relief here. yes, diane. >> you know what? it is not going to arrive immediately. but the crews there, the people there will eventually get a break after tomorrow evening. the extreme, gusty, devastating winds continue in southern california. there are downsloping winds 41 miles an hour right now in malibu. you will notice it's the same for mount lukens truck trail. as we

take a look at the fires. the fifth fire that developed this afternoon is the lidia fire, but the largest of all of them, the palisades fire. over 15,000 acres. red flag warnings in effect for those damaging santa ana winds until 6 p.m. tomorrow. not only the gusty winds, but the low humidity, with the extreme fire risk continuing as we take a look at the wind gusts overall in southern california, they're going to remain elevated through the night into the wee hours of the morning. but as we head towards the noontime hours, the winds will begin to back off. so hopefully they will get somewhat of a break before the next wind event begins to develop later on in the week. dan. >> okay, thanks very much, sandhya. and as the wildfire burns through los angeles, there is growing concern back here at home, particularly around areas like the oakland hills where people know all too well about the devastating wildfire can bring. city leaders say what makes oakland so dangerous is that it is highly populated with few roads in and out. abc seven

news reporter anser hassan has a look at ways to protect people and property. >> a drive through the narrow roads of the oakland hills shows how difficult it could be to evacuate during a natural disaster. >> in this neighborhood, i think that they are taking it seriously and that they are doing everything they can. >> kazemaini was neighborhood burned in the 91 oakland hills fire, an experience that has many aware of the constant wildfire threat. he says the city is doing a lot like annual home inspections by the oakland fire department, but others say much more needs to be done because the streets are narrow. >> sometimes there's only one way out. they would like to see, you know, the vegetation removed from the roadside so that there's more clear clearance. so the vehicles so you can evacuate. >> joel fraser is with the oakland branch of firewise, a national organization that helps neighborhoods plan and prepare for wildfires. they hold mock evacuations and educate residents about evacuation zones and how to park. >> so it's parking off the

street so that emergency vehicles can get by. because the streets are so narrow. emergency vehicles need at least 20ft of clearance on either side to get by. >> keeping the roadways clear in the oakland hills is even more critical, given the limited number of roadways in and out of the area, says oakland city council member janani ramachandran. all of the montclair neighborhood, for example, three roads to get you in and out of this portion of the hills. ramachandran says four of oakland's seven districts are in high wildfire regions. she says oakland has one of the bay area's most comprehensive vegetation management plans to deal with the thousands of acres of forested areas in the city. the problem is funding. but the recent passage of measure m provides funding for the next 20 years to tackle these issues. >> a huge part of the goal of this ballot measure is to get the resources to be able to do that, but as of now, absolutely, we are not where we should be when it comes to being proactive.

>> ramachandran says the regional cooperation between bay area counties is another piece for effective wildfire prevention in oakland, anser hassan. abc seven news. >> we are staying on top of all of the developments coming out of the wildfires in l.a. county. you can get updates as they happen at abc seven news.com and our abc seven bay area app. all right. >> we're going to move on more to bring you here. coming up san francisco officially has a new mayor. we'll tell you about daniel lowery's inauguration day and his first priorities in office. abc seven news at five. we'll be right back. >> tonight, entire neighborhoods burning as raging fires destroy historic homes and shocked families race to escape. david muir and team report from ground zero of the massive california fire. world news tonight with david muir is ame

san francisco's new mayor,

daniel lurie, kicks off in chinatown. you're looking at video of some of the preparations from earlier today. the night market and community festival take place on grant avenue between sacramento and jackson. there will be food vendors, activities and performances, including san francisco native and grammy nominated edm artist zoo. >> well, earlier in the day, lurie was sworn in as the 46th mayor of the city, and he wasted no time getting to work. abc seven news reporter monica madden was there for the ceremony and is here with more on mayor lurie's first day on the job. monica. >> dan it was a really optimistic day. mayor lurie had that tone while acknowledging the big challenges that he is going to face in city hall. he's vowing to restore the sense of safety as the city faces a crisis on the streets with homelessness and drug usage, and he's hoping to help bring life back to downtown. still recovering from the pandemic. celebrations in order. >> with pomp and circumstance

fit for san francisco's new leader. >> that our flag was still there. >> state leaders and bay area icons joining the ceremony. >> leadership is about creating a vision for success. >> i, daniel lurie, do solemnly swear. >> under sunny skies, mayor daniel lurie says it's a new day in san francisco, vowing to tackle homelessness, improve city services and restore the city's reputation. >> join me in reclaiming our place as the greatest city in the world. >> his promises come with a caveat lasting change doesn't happen overnight. >> it takes time. >> the nonprofit founder and levi strauss heir will immediately face tough decisions, with an estimated two year budget deficit just shy of $900 million. >> we need to stop spending more than we can afford. >> but lurie says there will not be any layoffs for first responders, with public safety as his top priority.

>> we need to prioritize essential services and make the investments that are critical to getting san francisco up and running again. >> lurie making good on a campaign promise announcing a fentanyl state of emergency on day one. >> the san francisco police department and sheriff's department are rapidly shifting, shifting resources and personnel to bring drug dealers to justice and clean up our streets. >> the new mayor also wants a 24 over seven drop off center for police to take individuals who refuse drug treatment. >> that is very much needed to expand those types of beds. >> we caught up with sfpd chief bill scott about these changes. >> i see his vision and i'm going to work to fulfill it. >> and no word yet on if chief bill scott will keep his job. mayor lurie has said that he's been meeting with all of the department heads to evaluate their leadership since he got elected. now, lurie will be the fourth mayor that chief scott works under if he stays in his

position. live in the studio. monica madden, abc seven news. all right. >> that emphasis on if. yeah. >> thank you, monica, very much. >> well, daniel lurie, who has never held public office, will now work closely with the board of supervisors, half of which are also inexperienced lawmakers. >> abc seven building a better bay area reporter leon melendez, is here to explain some of the challenges that they're going to face. and there are many, right. >> but the budget is going to be front and center has to be, because lurie can have all kinds of ideas and expectations of how he wants to improve the city, but all of that costs money. so the challenges for the mayor to work with 11 people on pushing his agenda while making cuts. let's see how long that honeymoon period will last. >> i want to commend every single supervisor here today. >> mayor daniel lurie will need the support of most of the 11 supervisors in order to push ahead with his initiatives for the new five members of the

board. it will be a learning curve, and each of them will need that one person to lead them. >> they don't know how the system works. they would be well advised to choose from somebody with experience. >> that person is newly elected board president rafael mandelman, the most senior supervisor on the board, who is seen as someone who calls balls and strikes, meaning fair among colleagues despite their political inclinations. >> after six and a half years, i have perspective. i think i am, you know, in terms of positions, somewhat somewhere in the middle of the board. and i think i'd like to try to work with the lurie administration and my colleagues over the next two years. >> here's what to expect over the next two years. a trump administration that threatens to take funding away from san francisco over immigration and other policies. but it appears that butting heads with mr. trump is not on lurie's agenda. >> i can remember every other politician in this city

constantly talking about trump, but daniel lurie was not in that category. trump needs mayors from throughout the country, and if he thinks there can be at least a conversational level with some mayors, including daniel lurie, he'll accept that lurie is well aware of san francisco's massive budget deficit, estimated to be close to $1 billion over the next two years and cannot jeopardize federal funding. >> it is not going to be fun. it's going to come with some real consequences. >> while massive cuts are expected, mayor lurie is pushing ahead with his agenda, which includes adding new shelter beds for the unhoused and increasing the number of police officers in the name of public safety. >> i think the mayor understands that san franciscans are demanding safety, and i think there's a majority on the board of supervisors to support that. >> for the first time in more than six years, the moderate politicians will have a slight

majority over the progressives. lurie, two, is a moderate incoming supervisor. jackie fielder, a progressive representing the mission district, was moving into what will be her new office. others were leaving the old board, which was often described as divisive. >> in general, there's just an air of wanting to get things done and putting those differences aside, and the labels don't matter so much. i think there's going to be a lot of interesting decisions made, and people may fit in one category one day and another another. so we'll just see what happens. >> that's why former mayor willie brown says lurie should ignore who is a moderate and who is a progressive, and focus instead on delivering his agenda to voters. >> he's got to try to have 11 votes for everything, and he's got to make each one of those supervisors aware that he is the mayor. he is the head person in charge. >> and so supervisor mandelman

will lead the board. he needed six votes. he got 11. that hasn't happened in years. the last time a board president was elected, it took 17 rounds. aaron peskin so this is a sign that there is some consensus for now. he's also the third time. this is the third time that a gay man has held that position. president of the board. >> well, so we begin again. yes. >> here we go. fresh start. thanks. clean slate. >> well, meantime, former east bay congresswoman barbara lee is making it official. she's running to be oakland's next mayor. lee released this video today formally announcing her candidacy. she says she wants to prioritize public safety, mental health services, homelessness and fiscal responsibility. lee wrapped up a 26 year career in congress last week. oakland's special election for a new mayor is in april. >> and as we head to break, here's a live look at the conditions outside right now. so what's in store for the bay area

forecast? we'll check back in with meteorologist sandhya p

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at a live picture right now from kcal down in southern california, where thick smoke from those wildfires that are devastating down south continue to fill the skies this evening as we take a look at the satellite picture. you can see that plume of smoke that is just heading out from the palisades fire and some of the other fires out over the open waters there over the pacific. it is certainly impacting the air quality. air quality alert is in effect until midnight for some parts of southern california. they have seen very bad air quality there. it is unhealthy right now for parts of southern california. now, the wind gusts in southern california have reached 100 miles an hour earlier in the day. it's going

to take some time before they back off. our winds have certainly relaxed. oakland hills right now 11. mount umunhum 27. look at how strong they have been. peak wind gusts 84 at mount saint helena. healdsburg hills 80. oakland hills 60. even 38 miles an hour there at sfo. the setup that brought the devastating and deadly winds to southern california as the low pressure inland, high pressure over the pacific, the two squeezing together too much, and the very dry conditions, the drought in southern california with very little rain is leading to those issues down south 50s and 60s on those temperatures right now. a live view right now from our east bay hills camera. beautiful post. sunset view tomorrow. mild to warm. possible records this weekend. still above average temperatures and early next week our dry pattern continues. so today's highs today have been in the 60s and 70s. it's still going to be comfortable at 620 this evening in the 50s. by 8:00 you start to notice some 40s. and then tomorrow morning there may be a few patches of fog forming in

the afternoon. plenty of sun. we are looking at high temperatures that will come in into the 60s and 70s by evening, those temperatures falling once again. your morning numbers 30s 40s. we will have some patches of fog around tomorrow afternoon. it is up to 70 in santa rosa, 69 in san jose, low 60s san francisco, half moon bay, 65 in oakland, 66. vallejo, fremont, 65, in concord. here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. records are possible tomorrow. a little bit cooler on friday. those temperatures will slide a few more degrees on saturday, but remaining above average for january. and as we head into early next week, dry pattern continues. one thing to note, though, is saturday evening. going into early next week, we may have another offshore wind event which will mean gusty winds in our hills. right now it's a little too soon to say for certain how strong that event could be, but for the time being, at least, dan and diane in southern california, they

will see a bit of relief in terms of the break from the strongest winds by tomorrow night. >> yeah, that is good news, and we certainly feel fortunate to have the weather that we're having. >> absolutely. i mean, it really makes you realize how fragile life can be. >> perspective. totally. sandy. thanks. right. >> new at five. santa rosa. police are investigating after four people were found dead inside a home this afternoon. officers were called to monarch court near westgate circle for a welfare check. they say no one had heard from the residents in several days. police have not said what caused the deaths, but they are investigating this as a homicide. police say they don't believe there's any threat to the general public. >> new details tonight about a mountain view barber on the run after being accused of sexual assaults. court documents say 34 year old franklin enrique salzano also has hiv, and authorities are urging his victims to get tested. orla is now accused in more than two dozen drug sex assaults dating back to 2018. police say he took

off after missing his last court date while out on bail. if convicted, he faces life in prison and we will be right back. >> i'm reggie aqui. >> i'm lyanne melendez. i'm luz pena. i'm tara campbell. >> i'm j.r. >> stone at abc seven news. >> we deliver local stories with real answers to help make our city b

newscasts, breaking news, weather and much more with our abc seven bay area. streaming tv app just search abc seven bay area and download it for free. well, moving to some dramatic footage of the palisades fire taken by a passenger aboard a united airlines flight. >> imagine what these passengers saw when they thought when they saw this. the flight from denver, colorado, was originally scheduled to land inwas diverte. >> yeah, quite a sight to see there. steve kerr's mother has told friends her house was tragically burned in the palisades fire. that's according to the chronicle. kerr's 90 year old mother, ann kerr, safely evacuated yesterday. the extent

of the damage to steve kerr's childhood home, though, isn't immediately clear. >> and officials with the getty villa in pacific palisades say the historic museum is still safe and intact. yesterday, some trees and vegetation on the grounds caught fire. the getty collection of priceless antiquities and staff are also safe. we are glad to report now we have much more coverage of the southern california wildfires at 530 on abc seven, bay area streaming tv. >> and if you happen to be watching us on tv, world news tonight with david muir is next. live from los angeles. so on behalf of sandhya patel and all of us here, thanks so much for joining us. i'm dion lim and i'm dan ashley. >> we appreciate your time. we'll see you again at 6:00. as you look at a live picture from los angeles, very much in crisis from t

tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight" from california. the emergency unfolding here in los angeles county. 24 hours into this, you can feel