abc seven mornings live right now at five, the emergency in southern california. >> more fires breaking out last night as fire crews are stretched beyond their limits. five people confirmed dead. tens of thousands forced from their homes, many finding they will have nothing to return to. destructive winds are slowing, but fire danger remains high for days ahead. >> the bay area responding to help our neighbors to the south.

fire crews, either on their way, were already on the ground in los angeles. president biden approving an emergency declaration, clearing the way for even more help to move in. >> the president elect turning the devastating fires into a political fight. he's called on governor newsom to resign. why? donald trump says these fires are the governor's fault. good morning. it is thursday, january 9th. >> and let's turn to drew now for a check of the weather. >> yeah. here locally, it's a beautiful day. we're watching those conditions across southern california as that red flag warning does continue. so a live look outside here san jose. it is lovely this morning. we have clear skies. it is our coldest morning so far this week. so you can see temperatures right now 44 degrees. the winds are very light out there. kind of a mixed bag of temperatures right now. our coldest areas are well into the 30s. lots of 40s around the bay shoreline. so you do need several layers this morning. the winds are light all day today and it's a nice looking afternoon. expect a lot of sunshine. another mild day mid and upper 60s if not a few 70s on the board later this

afternoon. now down to southern california, we are watching several fires, two main fires that are of concern the palisades fire and the eaton fire. yesterday, late last night, we did have another fire erupt in the hollywood hills that is getting contained, thankfully. but still, winds are going to be an issue later on today. winds right now gusting about 10 to 30mph. but that red flag warning has been extended because we do anticipate these winds ramping up throughout the afternoon and into the evening. let's check in with gloria. see those drive times this morning? >> good morning. so traffic so far flowing pretty nicely here in the bay area. you can see our map seeing mostly green. we do see that red which is that slow down that we see on the altamont pass that is starting right now from tracy to dublin. a little bit slow at this time of the morning. looking live at our bay bridge camera, you can see traffic is flowg nicely here. there is a high wind advisory in effect though for the bay bridge, so always a good idea when this is the case to slow down your speed and make sure you're driving extra carefully this morning. reggie.

amanda. >> thanks, gloria. we are tracking the devastation and destruction across the l.a. area, firefighters battling multiple fires that are still burning out of control. what you're looking at here is a live picture from our sister station, kabc. this is over the palisades fire, and at least five people have died. >> and more than 1200 structures have burned. the largest fire is the palisades fire at more than 17,000 acres. to give you some perspective on the scope of this disaster, take a look at this map. this is what the palisades fire burn area looked likesades around noon on tuesday, when we first learned it was spreading. now take a look at the fire's footprint. as of last night, if we can. yep. there you go. you can see the perimeter has expanded dramatically as flames tear through thousands of acres. >> last night there was panic as more fires broke out. one of them in the hollywood hills that started around 6 p.m. near runyon canyon and the hollywood bowl. it spread fast. some neighbors trying to put out spot

fires, others evacuated, and that created a traffic nightmare heading into hollywood. here's reporter tim caputo with our sister station in l.a. you're practically looking straight up, because this is obviously a steep hill where we are right now. you actually see a firefighter on one get the light too much on him. but working on putting out some of those hotspots on this fire, it's not raging at the moment. you barely see flames here and there. there is obviously hotspots and embers that are kind of coming off some of the trees and some of the wood here, but it's not as bad as it certainly once was when the fire first started. some of the fire crews here, when they say they got here, it was raging even from where we're standing right now. but with the assistance of the aerial attack and obviously the crews that have been on the ground for quite some time, they have made really good progress. >> so we're seeing fire in the brush and then also just fires jumping from house to house. take a look at this from studio city. last night a large house caught fire and the flames then spread to other homes, the embers landing on the hillside

and then starting a bunch more smaller spot fires. >> at this hour, the only known deaths from these wildfires have been caused by the eaton fire. five people have been found dead, and that fire is burning out of control near the altadena and pasadena areas. reporter leanne suter shows us how crews are now checking on burned out homes. >> we've been following one of the l.a. county fire crews up here in altadena. we are on mendocino near santa anita avenue. they are going from house to house here, trying to turn off all of the utilities. that is a major issue in all of these burned houses. so they've been able to get their tools and they're coming in and shutting off the gas lines, and they're doing that so that none of these fires can reignite or spark some other blaze. we were just a short time ago up at a home that had burned on one side, one house burned. firefighters thought they had a handle of it. and then unfortunately, some of the embers caught the next home

on fire simply because there was a gas line still going. so as you can see, the crews in there, i mean, dangerous work, but there's just not enough utility crews to go around. there are neighborhoods, neighborhoods that have been leveled here in altadena, and this is one of those areas. we just came off of a fair oaks near mendocino here. and literally it's from the corner to the corner, the entire block, all of the houses have been burned. >> these firefighters have to be tired at this point. our local fire crews are now heading to los angeles to help out with the fight. gloria, what can you tell us about who's making their way to the front lines? >> well, reggie, chances are your city's fire department is helping in the battle against the flames. in l.a. county, 14 firefighters from fremont are among those from more than a dozen local fire departments that are assisting. and in addition to individual firefighters, the bay area is also home to strike teams with the governor's office of emergency services, like one from san mateo. they're now in southern california. the san francisco fire department sent

22 firefighters to the palisades fire, and they could be there for up to two weeks. >> this is what we train for, and we are trying to get there as quickly as possible to help our brothers and sisters in southern california in need. and the people. we have to remember that the mission of the fire service is to protect life, property and environment. and that's what we're going to go down there to do. >> the san jose fire department shared this video showing crews from across santa clara county mobilizing crews from alameda county, oakland, hayward and menlo park are also on the fire lines in southern california. amanda, i agree. >> i think president biden is calling on the pentagon to deliver wildfire help. he was briefed on the disaster yesterday. the president was already in southern california for tuesday's national monument dedication. president biden has directed the nevada national guard to join the fire fight, and called upon the u.s. navy to bring in helicopters from san diego. this disaster is turning

into a political battle between governor newsom and president elect trump, who is now calling for the governor to resign over the fires. it's a fight we've seen before during the first trump administration. abc seven news reporter lena howland is here to break down the claims. lena. >> well, amanda, it didn't take long for president elect trump to put out a call for the governor to resign over the fires, blaming him yesterday for decisions trump thinks made the fires worse. this while governor newsom was touring the devastation in pacific palisades wednesday morning, the president elect initially posted on the platform truth social, claiming the governor refused to sign what he calls a water restoration declaration, something newsom says does not exist. trump, apparently referring to debates over water flow in the delta, claiming northern california could send more water down south. >> this is a true tragedy, and it's a mistake of the governor and you could say the administration, they don't have

any water. >> one can't even respond to it. i mean, it's, you know, people are literally fleeing. >> and during trump's first presidential term, he was also critical of california's fire management plans and on the campaign, on the campaign trail just this past october, he threatened to withhold federal funds over water issues. governor newsom's press office also said the document trump is referring to is pure fiction. they said the governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need. live in studio lena howland, abc seven news. >> lena thank you. of course, we are staying on top of all the developments coming out of the wildfires in los angeles county. get updates as they happen on abc seven news.com and the abc seven bay area app. >> 509 this morning in the accuweather forecast. we'll take you outside a live look at the exploratorium camera. clear skies across the board and calm winds. look at the

wind speeds right now. very light everywhere, and we do anticipate light winds throughout the day today, so it's a nice looking forecast. the start today is one of our colder starts this week. we're in the 40s right now and a lot of areas it's clear and calm out there. expect a warm afternoon. we'll see some isolated areas getting back into the low 70s. so certainly above average for this time of the year. the red flag warning across southern california has now been extended. it was set to end today. they've now extended it until tomorrow evening, because we're going to see another pulse of some offshore winds, not as strong as the extreme winds we saw yesterday and the day before. but still, these winds are going to ramp up throughout the morning and into the evening. so that's going to be an issue for firefighters. they have calm winds right now but the winds get stronger throughout the day. so fire weather conditions across southern california we still have that critical fire risk. not only the winds bue humidity is so dry out there. everything is so dry across southern california. the rain forecast next ten days, guys. it is going to be very

quiet across california. the best bet in southern california. maybe some light drizzle late next week. >> reggie drew thank you. we continue to follow the latest out of southern california. the wildfires there still forcing thousans from their homes. >> coming up how the fires are forcing changes for hollywood and the nfl. >> today, the nation says goodbye to former president jimmy carter. i'm christiane cordero on capitol hill with the details. >> also, has your rent increase blame it on the algorithm, the lawsuit accusing major landlords of hiking up (banker 1) let's hear it! (vo) with wells fargo premier a team can help you plan for your dream. (woman) i have this vacation home... (banker 2) so, like a getaway? (woman) yeah, but... it's also an eco-friendly artist retreat. (banker 3) so, you're expanding your business... (woman) ...and our family! can you help me plan for that? (banker 1) yeah! let's get started. (vo) ready to meet the dream team? you can with wells fargo.

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in dc. and that is where we find abc news reporter kishan cordero with a look at today's events. christian. >> hey, reggie. good morning. former president carter has brought people together from across the political divide. president biden is scheduled to deliver the eulogy at today'sto funeral service. and yesterday, president elect trump stopped by to pay his respects. today, the

nation says goodbye to its 39th president. >> president carter was the first person i ever voted for. the first time i was able to vote. just so impressed with him, the way he carried himself and how he served our country. >> for two days, former president jimmy carter's casket sat draped under an american flag in the capitol rotunda with a military honor guard standing alongside day and night. hundreds of people stopped to pay their respects during the public visitation. >> carter, come along with the level of integrity that he demonstrated in every area of his life. he was just what the country needed at the time. >> i think his legacy is really his time after his presidency that he shows that like, he obviously, like reached the highest office in the land, but then went on to still like fight for causes he believed in. >> among the visitors, president elect trump and first lady melania trump. today, carter's casket arrives at the washington national cathedral for a national funeral service that

includes the u.s. marine orchestra, the armed forces chorus and generations of dignitaries tasked with putting carter's legacy into words. the former president this afternoon travels home to plains, georgia, one last time to be laid to rest next to his wife, rosalynn. married 77 years and together again for good. now, carter will fly home via uh- from joint base andrews aboard special air mission 39. a hearse will take his remains to maranatha baptist church in his hometown of plains for a private funeral service. reggie, back to you. >> christiane, thank you. and we will have live coverage of that state funeral today. and abc news special report is scheduled to start around 645. you can see it wherever you watch abc seven news. >> let's get you caught up on those headlines. there are still multiple fires burning out of control in southern california. three are considered major. the largest is the palisades fire. it's in malibu and pacific palisades. the deadliest is

the eaton fire near pasadena, with five people killed so far. there's also the hurst fire near san fernando. the woodley fire that started yesterday morning near van nuys, and the lydia fire east of santa clarita, broke out around 2 p.m. so far, five people have died, and there are also several other injuries. as you can imagine, the property damage is extensive. combined, the fires have destroyed at least 1200 buildings. the palisades fire has burned more than 17,000 acres to the northeast. the eaton fire has ripped through more than 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours. and there's the hurst fire, which is up by sylmar. it's at about 700 acres. oscar nominations are being delayed due to the wildfires burning in southern california. the film academy is extending the voting window for 10,000 academy members by two days to accommodate those affected by the fires, and the nfl is monitoring the fires. league officials say monday

night's wild card playoff game between the vikings and l.a. rams could be moved from sofi stadium in inglewood to state farm stadium in glendale, arizona. >> the nominees for this year's screen actors guild awards are officially out now. they're supposed to be announced this morning live, but because of the wildfires, they decided to just do it by press release. wicked and shogun lead the way with five nominations each. the 31st annual sag awards will stream live on netflix february 23rd. kristen bell is the host. >> oh, okay, i like her. i still haven't seen shogun. me neither. but everybody who sees it is like, you gotta watch it. >> amazed by it. they want more. >> yeah, they do want more. all right. this morning we are tracking a really nice day here. but all eyes still on southern california with those gusty winds. a live look outside from our exploratorium camera. here are the accuweather headlines. we have warm sunshine today. records are possible later on this afternoon. we'll likely see a few cities get into the low 70s later on

today. we're tracking a breezy saturday. we'll have some gusty winds developing to kick off the weekend, likely 20 to 30mph, and we just showed you the last few minutes that map of california, and we are pretty much rain free the next seven days on the accuweather forecast. this is our coldest morning so far this week. look at the 24 hour temperature change 10 to 20 degrees cooler across much of the region. so you do need a couple extra layers compared to earlier this week. we have temperatures mainly starting out in the 30s and in the 40s. good morning palo alto. it's chilly right now 38 the same in santa clara, up to 49 though in oakland we are seeing temperatures in the 30s and in the 40s in the north bay, 38, in santa rosa, 37 right now in napa. so here's future weather, sunny skies this morning. we warm up pretty quickly by 10 a.m. we're well into the 50s, if not approaching 60 degrees in some areas around lunchtime. if you can grab that meal outside, it will be nice. light winds, full sunshine, really a nice afternoon ahead, and then we'll get those temperatures

about ten degrees above average. and again, we could see a couple of cities hit the 70 degree mark later on today. so highs we are above average 65 in oakland, 70 in santa rosa near 70 in san jose today, 64 in san mateo hit about 68 in fairfield. ukiah quite warm today, coming in at 73 degrees overnight tonight we'll have mainly clear skies and very similar temperatures in the 30s and 40s heading into friday. let's take a closer look at those wind speeds on saturday. you'll notice they'll pick up throughout the morning and into the afternoon. we'll have those gusty offshore winds about 20 to 30mph, but they do back off early sunday morning. so here's the accuweather seven day forecast next seven days for you. records possible today a little cooler here tomorrow, but we're bright and breezy here on saturday. and that sunshine and dry pattern continues for much of next week guys. >> all right drew thank you. coming up the seven things to know this morning one aie offering customers an ai assistant to help make the airport a little smoother. >> the perks that delta concierge will provide. >> and here at 519, we are

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multiple fires continue to burn out of control. we know at least five people have died in the disaster. all killed in thee eaton fire. the dangerous winds that have been driving the flames are starting to ease, but they will return later today. >> number two, president biden has signed an emergency declaration allowing more federal money and resources to help southern california. the total damage is already estimated to top $50 billion, making it the most expensive wildfire disaster ever. >> and number three, we are looking at warm sunshine here later today. temperatures well into the 60s could see some records possible later on. today we continue to watch southern california. that red flag warning has been extended. it now ends tomorrow night. >> number four, today is a national day of mourning as the country prepares to say goodbye to former president jimmy carter. abc news will have live coverage of the state funeral starting at about 645 this morning. wherever you watch abc seven. >> number five, former congresswoman barbara lee has

officially entered the race for oakland mayor. in a campaign video, she says she wants to prioritize public safety, mental health services, homelessness and fiscal responsibility. >> and number six, if you take bart and you travel between the coliseum and the oakland airport on the oakland airport line, there are up to 18 minute delays right now, so you can take ac transit. they're offering bus 73 to help out. >> number seven, a new guarantee from at&t. the company is promising to communicate more quickly and efficiently about service outages. at&t also says it will credit customers when outages meet certain thresholds. >> if you think your rent is too high, a new lawsuit could help. california has joined several other states in a legal battle, going after major property management companies. abc news reporter andrea fujii explains what this lawsuit is accusing them of. >> across america, rents are on the rise. one recent study found half of all renters are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. but now a growing legal battle over why those rents are

so high. the government is suing six major landlords, accusing them of illegally collaborating to raise rents nationwide. >> that has resulted in rates being raised more quickly than they otherwise would have been. >> north carolina is one of ten states now joining the justice department, alleging these major property companies operating more than 1 million housing units in 43 states are using algorithms to set rents and share sensitive information with each other to reduce competition and boost profits. >> there's basically this piece of artificial intelligence software that is allowing landlords, we believe, to collude with each other instead of compete with each other. >> greystar real estate partners is one of the defendants. it denies the accusations, saying at no time did greystar engage in any anti-competitive practices. a white house study found algorithms cost renters an average of an extra $70 per month, totaling nearly $4 billion in 2023. renters in

atlanta hit the hardest, paying an extra $181 a month. the software company realpage is also being sued. its software allegedly helped landlords set prices. the company denies the charges, calling the lawsuit a scapegoat for housing policy failures. andrea fujii abc news, new york. >> this morning we're looking at how artificial intelligence could shape the workplace, according to a new survey from the world economic forum, 41% of employers will cut staffing levels in favor of ai automation by 2030. nearly 80% of large companies worldwide say they will prioritize training employees to work alongside ai over the next five years. jobs are expected to see the biggest declines in employment are executive secretaries, payroll clerks and postal service clerks. delta is turning to a new ai powered tool it says will help customers in every step of

their journey. so it's a tool called delta concierge, and it will be found within the airlines app sometime this year. it will guide travelers to where they need to drop off their luggage, as well as the location of their gates. it will also notify customers about possible visa requirements and if their passports are set to expire. coming up at 530, we continue to track the heartbreaking scenes out of southern california as home after home burns to the ground. officials still reporting zero containment on multiple fires. abc seven news reporter zach fuentes is live from altadena. with the

abc seven mornings live. >> thousands of homes destroyed, thousands of firefighters on duty and tens of thousands still under evacuation orders. now, at 530, the ongoing battle in la as multiple fires burn out of

control. >> it's devastating to see what this community is going through, to see the devastation. i was watching the coverage before we came down here. >> abc seven news reporter zach fuentes is reporting for us live in southern california this morning. he's checking in on the altadena area, where five people have been found dead inside of burning homes. good morning everyone. it's thursday, january 9th. >> we'll get to all that in a moment. but first we check in with meteorologist drew tuma. >> hey good morning guys. we are looking at a very nice afternoon here locally. lots of sunshine later today and some warm temperatures this morning. our camera showing you calm conditions. clear skies in oakland. winds are light if not calm across the region. our coldest areas right now into the 30s. so this is the coldest morning so far this week. you'll notice that when you step outside. but we recover really nicely this afternoon. i mean, look at these numbers. could have a few records possible. above average temperatures, lots of sunshine and light winds. we continue to track the fires across southern california. the two big

fires we're tracking currently, the palisades fire and the eaton fire. our own zach fuentes is near the eaton fire in altadena. he'll have a live report coming up. we do have another burst of winds coming our way later on today. so the winds pick up throughout the morning and then into the afternoon and evening. we'll likely see winds gusting 30 to 40mph, if not higher, atop the hills. let's check in with gloria and see those drive times this morning. >> good morning so far. things looking pretty good out there here in the bay area. so we do have a live look right now at our camera. i hope we can take it. okay. golden gate bridge camera. there you go. so it is pretty slow as you can see, heading from the north bay into the city, so you won't have any issues there. and looking live at our emeryville camera, traffic is pretty busy west of the eastshore freeway, and we don't have any delays. as you're going from highway four to the city, it will take you about 35 minutes at this time. >> guys, we're starting by tracking the wildfires in southern california, estimates show. estimates show that already this is going to be the

most expensive fire disaster in history. >> and at least five people have died in the eaton fire near pasadena. that fire has burned close to 11,000 acres. the palisades fire is the largest of the fires, and it also is the of most destructive. it has burned more than 17,000 acres and destroyed 1200 structures. the hurst fire near sylmar is up to 700 acres, the fire chief from pasadena said firefighters had almost no chance against the flames last night because of the conditions. >> but i'll be clear, we could have had much more water with those wind gusts. we were not stopping that fire last night. those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the fire. and that's really what caused the rapid spread of this fire. >> president biden was briefed on the situation in southern california this morning. he did issue a disaster declaration to cover all of the wildfires. >> abc seven news reporter

zach fuentes went from the y area to southern california yesterday to cover the fires. he's in altadena this morning. this is the eaton fire he's looking at. and what are you seeing in these neighborhoods, zach? >> just devastation. pure devastation. it has been unbelievable driving through these neighborhoods and seeing what we've been seeing. and i'll show it to you right now. this is just one of many homes leveled. we're seeing some flames coming through in the gas lines still. but you see this this is a home, a car in the driveway. and it is blocks and blocks and blocks in altadena that look like this right now. this is just one block like that. you know, we've been seeing some christmas decorations that were like outside on fences here just a couple days ago. a couple weeks ago, people were here celebrating the holidays. now this is what they have to come back to. i'm going to show you some more of the homes. the other thing that we've been dealing with, even just driving here, has been the damage to the infrastructure. there have been downed power lines, hanging power lines. it was difficult to drive through here. we have a high profile news vehicle, and so it was difficult to get through here. that means there's

not power to the homes that are still standing right now and talking about infrastructure. there was so much going on here that the demand on the water system was so high. there was almost no water pressure for firefighters and the people who stayed behind to try and protect their homes, which is not recommended by officials. but many people did still do that. i was just so struck yesterday by one man i talked to. he didn't have water pressure either, but his mother collects water, standing water for her plants. when it rains, she collects it in tanks. that's what he used to fight the fire at his home, to protect his home and even neighbors homes. he shoveled dirt on the flames to protect his home and his home, and a couple others were still standing, but so many of his friends and neighbors did not. we had one neighbor after another coming and checking on him, saying, what happened to your home? he told them the status of his home. he asked them the status of theirs, one right after the other. they talked about their homes being burned to the ground. the other thing that is so striking out here that we've been finding out is just so hard to even process, is that there have been looters. police have made several arrests for people looting the homes

that are still standing, and people just trying to come through and see what they can salvage here. so it has just been really tragic to hear that part of it. but again, there are so many people coming together to help. i know people from all over have been asking me to, how can i help? what can i do? there are ways abc news has some links on the website about how you can help. i have that on my social media. so again, a lot of people coming together to help, but so much that these folks have to rebuild from it's not just homes, it's businesses. as we were driving yesterday, you saw so many of these neighborhood businesses just leveled entire communities. no matter where a wildfire happens, it is tragic, but this is not a remote area. this is a legitimate city, okay? and people's childhood places that they would frequent. i saw a school burned down churches. it is just very little for these people to come back to again. there are some homes still standing. that is the amazing thing. but for those people to come back and see literally across the street, their neighbors homes that they've known for years leveled, that is going to be tragic for them. some people have lived in this neighborhood. the man i was talking about who was collecting that water and use it on his

home, lived here for more than five decades, says he's never seen a fire like this. so again, the neighbors are working together to help one another. we do see law enforcement in the area patrolling, you know, trying to protect people from the downed power lines in the road and to keep people from looting. but again, so much that folks have to come back to uh- the road to rebuilding. i don't know what it's going to look like, but they say they are resilient and they will rebuild. and i believe that. and seeing how the people here have been interacting with one another. >> zach, remarkably devastating. thank you so much for your report, zach. stay safe out there. now, the palisades fire is currently the most destructive of the wildfires in the l.a. area. since breaking out yesterday morning, it has burned at least a thousand buildings. but there are estimates that up to up to 75% of the homes in pacific palisades are damaged or destroyed. we know reporter monica deanda is live there. she was earlier this morning. >> hey good morning guys. right now we are on lockman lane. and if you're familiar with the palisades area, i got to tell

you, we took bienvenido avenue all the way up until we hit lockman. and if you take a look here behind me, this just goes to show we got here at 1:00 this morning, and this house was already on fire. and since then, in the last three hours, we have seen the flames completely engulfed the home. we've seen the minute the windows started going off and you hear popping noises, and we're still hearing a lot of crackling sound out here. uh, i got to tell you, it was really heartbreaking to see two people sitting across the street watching, and they're still here. >> they've been here since 1:00 this morning, and they told us they are just keeping guard, trying to make sure that this fire, that the embers of this fire don't cross the street and somehow catch it, their home on fire. and they're sitting here watching someone else's home burn down. and here's what they had to say for myself. >> it's heartbreaking. yeah. we're just i was just sitting, talking to my girlfriend like, who knows what's in here? like someone's really treasured possessions, and there's just

nothing that we can do. you know, we would love to help out, but at this point, there's nothing we can do, and we're just really feeling for them now as we come back out here, live neighbors are telling us that firefighters are actually pumping water from the pools in the homes next door, trying to get these flames out that way. >> we do have one fire engine that's here, but like you guys have seen, there's not a lot of resources. now we're trying to hear some of the glass on the windows shatter because of the fire here. >> of course, the fire engine that's here, the firefighters that are with them on there trying to make sure that the fire doesn't spread. >> but of course, this home is now a complete loss. >> and it's just devastating because we've seen over a thousand structures in policies alone burn down to the ground. and these are people's homes. this is their livelihood. >> and that is exactly why you see people out here at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 this morning, just sitting on the ground, looking hopelessly at the fire and getting ready to hopefully

do what they can to defend their own homes. that that man you just heard from, jessica smart, he tells us that he's here helping his girlfriend and that they are using the pumping water from their pool as well to just get ready. and they say that they've helped save a few homes in this neighborhood. this one, they said unfortunately, their pump could not reach it. and that's why we're seeing what we're seeing here. but it just goes to show the devastation at john rachel that we're seeing this morning. >> and of course, we will continue to talk to more people out here and to survey the damage, because this home here is going to be lost. >> but there's homes across the street that are still standing, and those are the people that are really hoping that they can they can really pull through. for now, reporting live in palisades. monica deanda abc seven eyewitness news. >> fire crews from santa rosa left yesterday to help in los angeles. and for many of these firefighters, the experience is a reminder of past wildfires in our area. the eaton fire, that's the one where zach fuentes is

right now, is currently burning. and the widespread chaos putting extreme strain on fire resources and experience that, santa rosa fire marshal paul lowenthal says reminds him of situations local fire crews faced in 2017 and 2018 strike teams that were strategically staged in southern california in advance of this windstorm. >> and now we're seeing that surge of additional strike teams and task forces from northern california getting pushed to the south to help them out. >> lowenthal says three strike teams have already made their way down to la. that means a total of 15 local engines will be assisting in the firefighting efforts. you can help people affected by the california wildfires. donate at redcross.org. slash abc to help the red cross respond and help people recover. >> and this disaster is turning into a political battle between newsom and president elect trump, who is now calling for the governor to resign over the fires. abc seven news reporter lena howland joins us live in studio this morning

and is breaking down the claims. lena. >> well, amanda, this is something familiar we saw during president elect trump's first administration as well. while he was critical of california's fire management plans. but yesterday, he pointed the finger at governor newsom over the decisions he believes made the fires worse. trump posted on truth social, saying newsom, quote, refused to sign the water restoration declaration but put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow melt from the north to flow daily into many parts of california, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way. on wednesday morning, newsom toured the devastation in pacific palisades. he said the document trump is referring to doesn't exist, calling it pure fiction. his office said he is focused on protecting people, not playing politics and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need. cal state east bay political science

professor dan lee explains what this could mean as trump enters his second presidential term. >> i think the state just needs to be prepared for not having federal funds. i think that we have to be smart and creative in ways that we can protect our people here. >> remember on the campaign trail just this past october, trump also threatened to withhold funds over water issues. yesterday, newsom praised president biden for granting federal help for the wildfire response within 36 hours of the fire, starting calling it a game changer. live in studio lena howland, abc seven news. >> the streets of chinatown filled to the brim with vendors, dancers and musical performances, all celebrating the new mayor of san francisco. a closer look at those festivities. but first, a check on the weather with drew.

>> hey there reggie. time now. 541 this morning and we are tracking a really nice day later on this afternoon. a live look from our east bay hills camera. it is quiet. it is clear. winds are calm this morning and they will stay that way throughout the day. so looking at your day planner. clear and calm this morning, it's the coldest start we've had this week so far. temperatures right now in the 30s and in the 40s. look at that warm afternoon. lots of sunshine. some of our warmest areas touching about 70 degrees later on today. this just in. we just got the latest drought monitor. and now southern california, including the city of los angeles and san diego, are now in a severe drought. this just came in within the last five minutes or so. that's because the southern half of the state has not seen any rain so far. that's why northern california is doing quite well. we'll take you to the winds around the fires. they're gusting 20 to 30mph. they will pick up. so the current fires are watching the palisades and the eton fire right now. and as we head deeper into the day,

the winds are going to ramp up and they stay pretty steady throughout the evening. back here at home, we'll have some gusty winds approaching later on this weekend. we'll show you that in the seven day forecast in (woman) oh, come on! come on! (vo) fargo lets you do this: (woman) fargo, turn off my debit card! (woman) i found it! i found my card! (vo) and also, this: (woman) fargo, turn on my debit card. (vo) do you fargo? you can, with wells fargo. what else can fargo do? quickly tell you what you spend on things like food.

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this morning, the metering lights have flipped on over at the bay bridge toll plaza. so we're going to give you a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza at this time. it's not too busy just yet, but again, those metering lights are on. so from highway four to san francisco it will take you 35 minutes. they flipped on at 538 this morning, and we also have another alert for you. for those who are taking the san mateo bridge to foster city, there's an incident in san mateo. this is near the shore view area on westbound 92. before 101. there's an accident that's blocking the two left lanes, and traffic is backed up to foster city boulevard. so right now, speeds are down to

seven miles per hour. that could definitely cause you some slowdowns this morning, guys. >> all right, gloria, thank you. we continue to follow the breaking news in southern california. here's a live look this morning from the palisades fire. it's active, ongoing ands widespread. we know firefighters have had their hands full for another night with three major wildfires, along with several other small fires. at least five people have died and more than 1200 structures have burned. the largest fire is the palisades fire at more than 17,000 acres. we want you to take a look at this cal fire map. the yellow zones are evacuation warnings. the red shows where residents are told to evacuate immediately if they're not already gone. >> now it's time for our abc seven mornings advancer our way of highlighting some things happening in the day ahead here in the bay area. >> today we're focusing on the impact of president joe biden's executive order he made late last month to honor jimmy carter. today, all departments and agencies of the federal government will be closed. take a look

at your screen. post offices are shut down and mail will not be delivered. according to usps. package delivery will be limited. some federal courts, immigration service centers and stock markets will also close. national parks, landmarks and historical areas will generally be open. the national park service says people should check individual park websites for closures and more information. city and local government offices could also be closed. some counties are considering closures. again, it's best to check for closures online. >> a homicide investigation is underway in the north bay, where four people were found dead inside a home in santa rosa. emergency crews discovered the bodies yesterday afternoon on a property that's part of a senior community on monarch court. they also found two dogs and two cats that were still alive. officers say it appears the bodies, all of which were adults, had been in the home for at least two days. >> i asked the paramedic, i said, can you tell us anything?

i mean, is it what's going on? he goes, all i can tell you is it's bad. >> police have not said if a gun was used or fired. they only say there is currently no threat to the community. openai chief executive sam altman is responding to allegations made by his own sister that he sexually abused her when they were children. gloria rodriguez is taking a look at a lawsuit just filed. >> gloria, this morning, sam altman is denying the abuse allegations made by his sister, and altman filed a lawsuit in federal court in missouri on monday, claiming that he sexually assaulted her from 1997 to 2006 at their home near saint louis. according to the suit, the abuse began when she was three years old and her brother was 12. she claims that she's experienced ptsd, extreme emotional distress and mental anguish as a result, and altman is seeking at least $75,000 in damages. in a joint statement with his mother and brothers. sam altman says the claims were false and that his sister

struggles with mental health issues, but refuses treatment. >> amanda, this is our moment. >> this is our movement. >> this is our oakland. >> so let's do this. >> former east bay congresswoman barbara lee is making it official. yesterday, lee formally announced her candidacy for oakland mayor. in a campaign video, she says she wants to prioritize public safety, mental health services, homelessness and fiscal responsibility. oakland's special election for new mayor is in april. voters recalled sheng tao in last november's election. people in san francisco are waking up this morning to their first full day with a new mayor. mayor daniel lurie was sworn in yesterday and the city is celebrating. the energy was high last night in chinatown. a huge crowd gathered on grant street for fireworks, performances and a night market. people there said they are hopeful for the future of the city. >> it's good luck for him.

hopefully everything will be a fresh start for san francisco. >> i thought it was a great idea to combine like the community and the music and bring people together, not just the asian communities, but like everyone. >> i think it's a really good thing to bring all these things back to an area of the city that's been, you know, facing some challenges. right. so i'm looking forward to this evening. >> mayor lurie arrived to the sounds of celebration and sites of chinese tradition as he greeted the public and made his way into his inaugural dinner. he shared this message with a crowd of supporters. >> it is a new era here in san francisco, one that is going to be defined not only by change, but accountability and service to the people of san francisco. >> mayor lurie also committed to be an ally to the aapi community, looked busy. >> it did. >> packed that night market. >> yeah. it was you, the dj, right? >> very cool. >> big draw. yeah. very nice.

all right. so today we are tracking a really nice afternoon here locally. we're keeping our eyes on southern california because they still are under that red flag warning. as fires continue to burn down south. here's a live look from our tam cam this morning. the accuweather headlines locally. we're calling for warm sunshine. records are possible today. we'll see daytime highs, upper 60s maybe some lower 70s out there. so that is above average for this time of the year. watching saturday some breezy conditions do pick up. we're tracking some gusty winds about 20 to 30mph to kick off the weekend, and we do remain rain free over the next seven days. you saw the tam cam moving just a little bit. we do have a bit of a breeze in our hills. it's not excessive, but from time to time we are seeing some gusts over 20mph at the surface though, away from the hills around the bay, shoreline winds are calm and it will be a calm day today. but we do have a much colder morning compared to this time yesterday. in fact, this is the coldest start we've had so far this week.

we're about 11 to 20 degrees cooler in many cities compared to this time yesterday. so 30s and 40s on the board this morning, a couple extra layers. 38 in palo alto. good morning, castro valley. you're at 40 degrees in the north bay. a lot of 30s on the board. sonoma right now coming in at 36 degrees. so a lot of sunshine this morning. we'll get temperatures into the 60s already by lunchtime. good idea. if you can get outside, eat your lunch in the sunshine. the warm conditions temperatures today above average by about ten degrees in many cities, so a high of 70 in santa rosa. we'll go to 65 in oakland, 69 in san jose, 63 in the city, beautiful along the peninsula, palo alto coming in at 65 degrees overnight tonight. we expect calm conditions, overnight lows in the 30s and in the 40s. we'll track those winds on saturday. they do pick up here saturday morning into the afternoon. future tracker showing you the winds gusting about 20 to 30mph. but they do back off early sunday morning. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. records are possible today. slightly cooler tomorrow. there's that breezy start to the weekend, but we'll keep it sunny and dry for much of next week guys. >> thank you drew. still ahead, another major port

strike averted the deal, keeping thousands of dock workers on the job and off the picket lines this morning. >> and here at 552, we'll take a

that could have shut down all major ports from maine to texas has been averted. the deal between port operators and the longshoremen's union overcame a major sticking point the introduction of automated cargo moving machinery. this tentative deal includes a compromise allowing the ports to modernize shipyards with new equipment, as long as jobs are added. alongside that technology. had a deal not been reached, ports could have closed as early as next week, potentially costing the economy hundreds of millions of dollars per day. >> if all the east coast and the

gulf coast ports are closed. businesses will be bringing things in from the west coast. ultimately, what that means is higher costs for consumers. >> the longshoremen's union still has to vote on the deal, but that approval is expected. >> in today's gma, first look evacuees from the southern california fires are sharing their stories of survival and their devastating losses. here's abc news reporter andrew dymburt. >> in this morning's gma first look, the devastating wildfires in southern california reducing homes to ash. >> hundreds of structures in our town were on fire. >> lisa, marie and stuart watched the fires creep into their altadena neighborhood. >> we looked in and there it was. it was already racing up the mountain. >> there's our house. or was our house? >> now they're returning to their home to find they've lost everything. >> it was pretty, pretty wild. when it's your own home. and just like it taps into a different part of you. >> even though things are gone, things are not gone. and we're okay. and our community is going

to be okay. >> coming up at 7 a.m, we'll have full live team coverage of the wildfire devastation and talk live to actor cameron mathison, who recorded these images of his home also tragically destroyed by the fire. with your gma first look, i'm andrew dymburt, abc news, new york. >> and at abc seven mornings at six. we're also going to continue following the breaking news out of southern california. >> we'll have the latest updates on all the fires burning in l.a. county this morning. >> and a meteorologist, drew tuma, back here in the bay area. we are tracking a really nice afternoon. light winds here. lots of sunshine. look at those warm temperatures today. upper 60s to the lower 70s so we could see a few records possible later on today to southern california. we go. the red flag warning has now been extended. this is now going to last through tomorrow evening because we're going to see another pulse of stronger winds later on this morning and into the evening. looking at the wind forecast across southern california. winds are okay right

now, but you can see they do ramp up later on this morning and through the afternoon. the and through the afternoon. the news at six is next. a victory that is there for the taking. grab it. now that was a great halftime speech. let's go win. [jim valvano] don't give up. don't ever give up®

major destruction in southern california. more fires have sparked overnight and at