>> they can't keep the day care facility here open, so that means they have to be home or i have to find an alternate. >> we've got team coverage on the hazardous air that's going to affect your entire day. including a live report from the fire zone, where all of that smoke is coming from. what the president has planned, as he's preparing to come to california. "today in the bay" continues right now. and a good friday morning to you. thanks for starting your morning here with us on "today in the bay." i'm marcus washington. >> i'm laura garcia. the big story is the smoke. we'll get to team coverage in a moment. first want to check that morning commute with mike. not as many cars on the road? >> probably not, because thanksgiving approaches. folks are traveling so it's a big travel day but not for the early morning commute. concern b.a.r.t. has just announced a ten-minute delay out of the bay fair station. reminder anyone along that ride over in toward dublin pleasanton or along the peninsula, many b.a.r.t. stations are outside, with the smoky air, they have to wait longer, muni and vta

offering free rides to reduce the amount of time folks who normally walk can get rides to get to their destination faster and out of the smoky air as well. we watch for the effects of that air quality. the all the of your drive the speed sensors look great, green all over as we talked about. no major problems coming down through contra costa county, highway 4 a little bit of slows. folks waiting outside of the b.a.r.t. stations, we have an issue out there. >> we do. you don't want to stand outside for long periods of time. look at the numbers. i've been trying to keep them updated and looking at how high they are, and where we are seeing the worst air quality. right now it's in san francisco, as the smoke moves into the marine layer, and it's very shallow, so it's keeping that smoke trapped near the surface, so we're seeing very unhealthy levels at 315. it's also really bad in walnut creek this morning. we're going to see this sticking with us throughout the day, so you do want to make sure you're limiting wyour time outside.

we'll talk about this and the forecast coming up in a few minutes. we'll continue our team coverage this morning. it is the big story of the morning, everyone is talking about it. you've been probably dealing with it, in fact, all week. the smoke that is just choking the bay area, and it is reaching those dangerous levels. listen to this, the air quality reporting network is saying the san francisco bay area is experiencing the worst air quality in the world. >> now we want to give you pictures of san francisco here, and the city really doesn't want to you drive if you don't have to, or be outside, so it's providing free public transportation. today muni rides are going to be free and in the south bay, you won't have to pay either if you want to ride vta. >> let's talk about the classrooms. most bay area schools are shut down. there are so many closures, we're running them at the bottom of our screen. we'll have them up all morning. we have links on our facebook and twitter pages as well. most colleges and universities are closed, including san francisco state, san jose state,

santa clara, uc berkeley and stanford. let's take you back outside this morning, where "today in the bay's" pete suratos is live in contra costa county. one of the areas sadly experiencing some of the worst air quality. so many schools that are close there had, pete. there, pete. >> reporter: laura, so many schools. as we show our viewers here on the television screen, these schools closed because of the air quality issue and we're standing in front of one of them, pittsburg high. the whole unified school district, the contra costa unified school district is closed as a result of the air quality issue, the smoke coming in from the camp fire. i want to point out santa clara unified has not canceled classes and they said in a statement "students are safer and better served indoors within their schools." it's a different tone at the contra costa county unified school district. we spoke to a spokesperson explaining why they decided to cancel classes. >> a lot of our students still had to be exposed to outside air, even to go to restrooms.

we're not the midwest, not back out, we're in california where our schools are wide open. >> not just schools we're talking about, but also universities and junior colleges canceling classes due to air quality. at last count, there are about 21 universities and junior colleges closing today due to that air quality. one of those universities include uc berkeley. we'll see if that affects the big game happening tomorrow. we'll have more on that issue in the next half hour. we're live in pittsburgh, pete suratos for "today in the bay." >> pete, thank you. now we want to show you this really great interactive website. it is called purpleair.com. you can find out what the conditions are where you are right now, or maybe where you work or your houses. take a look at that, in the upper left-hand corner you put in your zip code, say morgan hill, 95037 and what that will do is it will pull up the air quality span specific to the

area where you are. i think i gave my producer the wrong zip code. that's my bad. let's try willow glen, california, in san jose, 95125. there we go. and see it shows you there the interactive map of what the air quality is, and as you expand out, you are able to see where it is worse in some areas. the darker the color, the higher the number, the worse the degree of the air in there. it's a great interactive map. it's purpleair.com, and it gives you a really good sense of what the air conditions are, and as they change throughout the day. we've had a lot of people using that as a resource, too, so i think with some millions of people in the area, clicking on that website has been making the maps load more slowly but you know to be patient and look at that, and be mindful of how bad it is. we're trying to keep you updated right here, as we take that live look outside over emeryville. very unhealthy is the main thing you need to know. the smoke advisory has been

extended through tuesday night, and you want to make sure you're taking all those extra precautions. our winds flowing in from the north, right into the bay area, and this will not change as we go throughout the day. we'll talk more about this, also the incoming rain in the forecast, that's coming up in just a few minutes. >> thank you, kari. 6:06 for you right now. developing in butte county with the number of confirmed deaths growing even higher from that tragic camp fire, new uncertainty about what is now an enormous number of people missing. last night, that number jumped to 631. the sheriff did make it clear that many of those people may actually be safe. authorities simply want to account for all of them. also, there are now 63 confirmed deaths, and the camp fire has burned 141,000 acres, with 40% containme containment. right now, we have new video for you, this is drone video giving us a better idea of how much damage was caused there in paradise.

those flames really also hit that area of concal east of paradise. both towns leveled by fire with 9,000 structures destroyed. "today in the bay's" bob redell is live in chico. i know the president will be visiting the fire zone tomorrow. >> reporter: correct, president trump the examined to arrive at beale air force base, about 60 miles south of where we're at. we have a shift change come on right now. the president will travel up here to butte county to visit the town of paradise, which was devastated, destroyed a week ago yesterday during the initial start of the camp fire. president trump's visit comes a week after he sent out this tweet. look at your tv screen, blaming the state for the wildfire because of forest mismanagement, and threatening to withhold federal payments.

in a turnaround, he's since praised the firefighters for their courage and promised federal assistance. last night, during a town hall meeting, we spoke to residents of paradise to get their thoughts on the president's upcoming visit. >> i'm looking forward to it. we have a purpose in paradise, and that's to rebuild, and this is not a time for disliking and hating people. this is a time to bring us together. he has the power to get some bills passed for federal funding and to speed up fema. >> i think it's a good gesture. we will welcome him, if he's sincere. if he's sincere and honest, and he's somebody that we can believe in, and if he's going to, in fact, help us. >> reporter: tomorrow will be only the second time president trump has visited california, since he was elected to office. the first time was back in march, when he examined the prototype for the new wall along

the mexican border near san diego in southern california. coming up at 6:30, how firefighters here at base camp are handling fatigue as we enter day eight of the camp fire. reporting live here in chico, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> so many people affected by this, thanks, bob. 6:09, we want to switch gears. happening today, san francisco spca unveili ining its holiday display. this is in macy's union square. it will feature as you see right there, some of those cute little pets there in need of homes. you can adopt those cats and dogs. this year's windows titled "the wonder of giving" to celebrate the bond and tradition between family and friends. the displays have helped more than 9,000 animals find homes over the last few years. >> a tradition over there. >> they'll be on display until january 1st. you have time, so bring a bet

home, give them a loving place to say. >> the crowds form in front of the windows. >> move them out of the way. this morning we take a live look in dublin, it is starting out very cold as you get ready to head out the door. we still have a lot of smoke. let's get to you the pleasant hill b.a.r.t. station with a look at our temperature trend, 38 degrees, that's how cold it will be and at 10:00 in the mid-50s, and we are still advising everyone not to stay that long outside, because of the unhealthy air quality. our highs today heading into the upper 60s and low 70s. mike, we have a major delay for b.a.r.t.? >> it's what we've been following over at the bay area station in the east bay in oakland. talking about that station closure, undisclosed details. we have police activity cited as well as technical problem for b.a.r.t. the police activity of course is the reason i think they closed the station. folks cannot get on or off trains there. that is resulting in a major delay for that portion of the

line so it will be a problem because it in oakland, critical to many lines as you travel through the area. muni and vt are offering free rides, it is related to the air quality and the rest of the flow of traffic, want to check out the roadways. no surprises, except for the light friday drive for the roads. back to you. >> thanks, mike. coming up next on "today in the bay," the air quality just impacting schools and so many people here in the area. air travel also impacted. what to expect today, as bay area airports thanksgiving travel officially begins. >> facebook fights back against allegations in the "new york times." and later at 6:25, helping to feed those in need. live report on the food drive, happening across the bay area this weekend. and the simple way you can help. you're watching "today in the bay."

right now it's 6:14. as you head out the door, it is cold this morning again. here say live look in fremont, with some lower 40s possible as we go through the next couple of hours. at 9:00, we're at 44 degrees, reaching into the upper 60s. still smoky again today, looking at some more smoke this weekend, but we'll talk about what will help us out. the rain chances is coming up in less than five minutes. right now, the build over in the east bay, richmond to san

rafael, west 580 and the bridge getting more traffic here. you see the smoke in the air is a major concern, especially riding b.a.r.t. we'll tell you why you have to wait longer. a very happy friday to you. glad you're with us. stocks snap back on thursday on word the u.s. would delay its next steps on china. it worked perfectly, oh, no. wells fargo laying off a thousand, not a huge number percentage wise but it's the second time we've said layoff this week. shares of nvidia under pressure because of bitcoin. bitcoin has really run as far as it's going to go, sort of a crypto hangover there. they're talking about cryptocurrency, the santa clara companies helps make fast computer boards to find new bitcoin. other things in the news, facebook held an hour and a half long telephone news conference to respond to damning allegations by the "new york times."

"the times says facebook officials knew russia was interfering with facebook and the election long before they admitted it. the allegations are seriously enough people are openly talking about who should leave facebook. it's not going to be zuckerberg as he owns a majority of the company stock, and zuckerberg says it won't be sheryl sandberg either, in fact, he says, "sheryl is doing great work for the company. she's been a very important partner for me and continues to be and will continue to be." "the times" report goes beyond russia. it says facebook hired a pr firm to deflect criticism away from the company by blaming george soros, the same liberal democrat billionaire conservatives blame for the caravan. let's leave you on a light, fluffy note. you see the cap da goose coats and know them because of the little logo on the shoulder. very warm, very fashionable and crazy expensive. school in great britain banned them. wood church high school wants to poverty proof the school. in other words, some kids can afford to wear them, some can't. now nobody gets to wear them.

little bit like school uniforms, which i've always been in favor of. it levels the playing field. i don't know about this, but cool uniforms i think are cool. >> maybe they're having a problem with it, distraction in class. thank you. >> thanks, scott. we all know thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the holiday travel is expected to kick off today but with an influx of travelers now across also comes the increase of delays and cancellations of the flights and it's all due to the smoke. the airport recommends arriving early and checking with your carrier to see if your flights are affected. sfo expects to see more than 169,000 travelers today alone. as for the holiday season, the airport is expecting 6.7 million people between now and new year's day. we all know most of the bay area schools where children have probably never experienced a snow day, but all of those schools pretty much throughout the bay area, a lot of them are having a smoke day, and some serious unhealthy air quality

there, really prompting the school closures all at the same time. >> that's right, many schools are closed today from kindergarten all the way up to college universities. this morning, we're talking with karen takata, contra costa school's superintendent. we want to talk to you a little bit about, you closed the school. how much leeway did you give parents? seems like you closed fairly early yesterday. >> the school districts got more in phone communication yesterday afternoon, and we made the decision approximately 2:00 in the afternoon after watching the air quality monitoring sites. >> the matter in the east bay in contra costa county is very bad. some parents are considered. how did you come to the decision

to close it down in contra costa county? >> we quickly -- we've been monitoring the air quality sites for the past week. we monitor it throughout the day, and yesterday it was very interesting, because the air quality was continuing to worsen, and so when we looked at it early in the morning, it was of concern and when we got closer to noon, we made a decision to quickly get on the phone conference and we got the majority of our school districts together and we hashed it out together on the phone to make a decision. this kind of decision is difficult, because we do want to keep kids in school. we don't want any lost learning, but then on the other hand, we have responsibility to keep kids safe. so because it's been a

cumulative effect, and there have been some pockets, we're a huge family, 720 square miles, there are some pockets where the air quality is extremely bad, so we made the decision together, and it was a pretty -- >> tough decision. >> -- important discussion. >> it's important for kids, their lungs are still developing, thank for joining us, miss sakata from the contra costa unified district there. we've been talking about the weather, how it's not just affecting the school-aged kids but adults as well. >> we've been talking about that website purpleair.com, i was just clicking around, in martinez right now is the worst air quality in the bay area with particulate matter levels at 339. it is so bad out there, and then we are talking about those numbers, and maybe as you look at the map, you can see close to where you are in some of the numbers that are above the very unhealthy range. this affects everyone, not just

people with breathing problems. you may have a scratchy throat, a watery eyes, you start coughing, those are some of the symptoms people have to deal with. when air quality levels and par particular matter measures over 100, a spare the air alert day is issue . we see unhealthy and hazardous numbers here. around oroville it's over 500 this morning. so very dangerous out there with the wildfire smoke from the camp fire in butte county coming down into the bay area. we have a very light northerly wind. minor shifts in the wind over the next 24 hours but the winds sore light it's really not going to move anything. we have storm ranger mobile doppler radar scanning and getting ready to track the next storm set to move in early next week. finally a change in the weather pattern that will allow for the storm systems to move in. we can see the clouds and moisture drawn up into the pacific as we look at the change

in our jet stream that will bring the storms down into the bay area and we could see several of them over the next few days going into next week. the first wave of rain set to arrive in the bay area and looks descent, could be here by late tuesday into wednesday. another round on thursday and then possibly a third moving in for the weekend. so i'll continue to track that and get an idea of how much rain we could see and mike, now you have a new alert for mass transit. >> i do, sfr the smafrom the smn mar marin. medical emergency is all we're hearing about, that will affect folks riding the smart dratrain. if you have to wait outdoors, that will affect, wear that massing. b.a.r.t. has major delays, because of police activity and technical problems there.

muni vta giving free rides, that's the good news but the bad news is it's because of the air quality. they want folks to ride not walk to their destination and get back inside with hopefully filtered air. the roadways, those roadways are moving nicely. mass transit has the problems this morning. the roadways almost green all over the bay. back to you. >> thank you, mike. 6:23 right now. coming up, it's a big nbc bay area holiday tradition. our team fans out across the bay area to help collect food to make the holidays a special time for thousands of people. "today in the bay's" kris sanchez is standing by with how you can help. ♪ >> reporter: hey there, we cued the music and the bags are all packed and ready to go. $10 will feed a family of four. nine meals, we're going to tell you how you can help and tell you where we're going to be and we'll give you more of this lovely music to start your friday morning. this is not a bed.

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harvest food drive is now welcome back, everyone. 6:26. feel-good news we could use it. if n giving you receive. nbc bay area and second harvest food drive is a day away. we're impressed with the generous spirit of people in the bay area. >> kris sanchez joins us live from the safeway store in pleasanton with how we can help. kris? ♪ >> reporter: hi there, marcus and laura. i've been at several different

safeway stoerds for the feed the need campaign food drive. i've seen the same generousity at so-called rich stores as poor stores. people are so willing to help neighbors. we cued the music here this morning to give you a little back drop, get you in the giving mood and the bags are packed and ready to go. susan bateson from the food bank is here. lot do turkey drives, you do things differently. explain why we do the tear sheets and the $10 bags. >> it makes it easy for people throughout our community to contribute and be a part of our movement to end hunger. at alameda county food bank we serve one out of five county residents to make sure they have food for the holidays and beyond. >> reporter: we talked to the president of safeway earlier in our newscast. he arrived in town to take over the territory at the time the food drive was taking off last

year, and he said he was surprised by the generosity. i would assume you're not surprised. ment. >> i'm not. this is a giving community. i hope people will generously support their food banks this holiday season. >> reporter: we remind you how it works, go to the cash register at any one of the 175 participating safeway stores around town, and there is just a little tear sheet so you don't have to wary it around in your basket. take the care sheet and they'll take your money from $1 up to $10. we've seen people buy hundreds of dollars worth of tear sheets and bags and we know that that is put to very good use. most of that money goes to feeding the needy. not a lot of administrative costs. thank you and we'll see you tomorrow. i'll be at the willow glen safe way an bird avenue. hope you stop about i to say hello. >> join all of us here on "today in the bay" for the feed the need food drive. >> tomorrow we'll be at various

safeway locations. laura on dunn avenue in morgan hill from 7:00 until 9:00 a.m. for more go to nbcbayarea.com. >> we'll broadcast live from down there. be sure to join us. coming up next on "today in the bay," it's what everyone is talking about, and our top story there, the air. up next, the latest on the school closures across the region and a live team coverage. plus a south bay house goes up in flames overnight. the quick emergency response to help the family living there.

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a microclimate weather al welcome to friday morning. it is a smoky one across the bay area as there are major concerns with the particulate matter in the area from the butte fire. the bay bridge toll plaza a look at the approach. how the smoky conditions to lead to an easier commute for you. some free offers out there for you. good morning and thanks so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. the big story is the smoke there and we'll get to that coverage in a moment. first we'll check in with mike inouye with your commute. >> b.a.r.t. station is closed at bay fair station blocked. there is some sort of mechanical issue, a smoking train, they have to avoid that station, but folks will be out in the open a lot longer and if you're waiting for a train because of the delays, you need to wear the

mask as well. delays for the smart train in the north bay, as laura talked about, they'll talk about why vta and muni are offering free rides for folks. kari, the roadways are extra light today. it's friday p it's before vacation, thanksgiving holiday and also universities and a lot of other schools are off today so a lot fewer commuters. >> a few people out there, and that's what we're advising, try not to go outside, if you don't have to. here is a live look in dublin with that smoke really thick over the bay area. it's very unhealthy to be out there for all of our microclimates and the smoke advisory extended until tuesday evening. if you're on your way out the door in san jose, it's chilly. bundle up, grab the mask and we'll talk about what to expect as we head through the weekend, coming up in a few minutes. >> thank you very much, kari. this is certainly what everyone is talking about. the smoke pouring into the bay area and today sadly it's going to get worse. one group saying we have the worst air quality in the world right now. live pictures of san francisco to show you this morning, some

cities and counties are providing that free transportation. they don't want you walking. mike kind of mentioned that in his last report there, but that smoke is also closing a lot of schools today, including universities. we've been running a list of the closures at the bottom of your screen and also have provided links on social media. if you have concerned, make sure you give your school a call ahead of time. right now i want to show you this image here, this is from space and showing that smoke from butte county as it pushes into the bay area, and then it just lingers on, right here, covering the entire bay area. let's go to live to contra costa county where "today in the bay's" pete suratos is. one of the places experiencing that really tough air quality to take in, and pete, this is difficult for a lot of people to breathe in. >> reporter: very difficult to breathe, and we're seeing this issue all across the bay area. as you mentioned, a lot of school districts are closing as a result of this air quality,

and we're standing in front of one of them at pittsburg high, all of contra costa unified school district the schools are closed because of the air quality issues. it extends to universities. one of the universities is uc berkeley. so cal has decided to cancel classes because of the air quality. i know they had classes yesterday but they decided to cancel it. officials are going to closely monitor the conditions leading up to the big game tomorrow between cal and stanford to see if they're still going to play that game. for now, the game is going to go on. we had a chance to speak to students about the air quality there. here's what they had to say. >> i feel a bit uncomfortable, because it's not nice to the outside breathing in the air that is bad. >> those guys will be running around for a presumably long time with no masks on. you have to factor in their health. >> reporter: how about this video, posted by cal students of smoke alarms going off in the campus building. it's unclear if that was triggered by the smoke coming from the camp fire. we're still working to confirm

that information. but as you guys mentioned, several school districts are closed as a result of this air quality issue. of course, we'll monitor things to see if that list changes throughout the morning. we're live here in pittsburg, pete suratos for "today in the bay." >> you see there just how that smoke is affecting so many areas of the bay area. pete, thank you. developing right now, thousands remain evacuated from the butte county wildfire and the sheriff is now saying that the number of unaccounted for has exceeded 600. although it's likely at least some of those simply have been unable to notify authorities. there are now 63 confirmed deaths in the camp fire, it's burned 141,000 acres with 40% containment. president trump plans to visit some of the hardest-hit areas. he is scheduled to fly to northern california tomorrow. in the meantime, firefighter fatigue is certainly settling in on the front lines. "today in the bay's" bob redell joins us live in chico now. it's now been a week since these fires broke out, and they've been nonstop fighting this, bob.

>> reporter: law camera, we're at the silver dollar fair campgrounds here in chico. this is base camp for the camp fire, where the 5600 firefighters come to rest, recharge and refuel before going out back to the front lines, and as these firefighters enter day eight of this fire fight in butte county, as you mentioned, fatigue is an issue. these men and women are working 24 hours on, 24 hours off. firefighters from city base fire departments, fighting a wildfire say different kind of work. the front lines can be much more unpredictable, filled with smoke, flame and steep terrain. we spoke with the menlo park fire chief who sent firefighters up here. he added the level of destruction in paradise really wears on a person, regardless of who you are, that includes firefighters, and other thing to keep in mind, when you're off-duty, it's not like you go back home. you're stuck at base camp, sleeping in a tent, camper, your own truck and most likely

preparing your truck and gear for the next shift. for one local firefighter, the stress is even worse. this is jason hawkins, his own home in paradise burned down last week. he says as soon as the fire started he evacuated his family and went about evacuating the rest of the town. he and his wife bought this home two years ago. like dozens of people whose homes were destroyed, they need to find another place to live. hawkins wanted to stay with his family but it was his wife who convinced him to help everyone else. >> there was a part of me, i wanted to be with my family and my wife convinced me you need to go back and help your community. >> president trump expected to visit the butte county area tomorrow, specifically the town of paradise, for all that destruction, where it took place. reporting live in chico, bob redell "today in the bay." >> tough to deal with, so much

going on there. thank you, bob. back here in the bay area, san jose family is looking for a new place to live after a fire burned their home. it started just after 1:00 last night on martin avenue, near the alame alameda. fire crews say the flames started outside and spread to the house. neighbor was able to catch this video on cell phone. 6:39. happening today, new revelations will come to light about google's deal with the city of san jose for its downtown development. let's bring in "today in the bay's" kira klapper. what are we expecting to learn? >> sometime the city will release its mou, like a contract without the legal weight. just for some quick background, google is planning a community in downtown san jose for 15,000 of its employees to live and work and eat and shop. so earlier this week on tuesday, san jose mayor sam liccardo says

the deal has google paying full freight for land taxes, and community benefits, including affordable housing. sounds good, right? the mayor says this is a contrast to the billions of dollars in subsidies amazon has asked for and got from local communities in new york and virginia, where amazon will split its second headquarters. even so, earlier this week, two community groups filed suit against the city of san jose claiming the city and google reached that deal through non-disclosure and closed session meetings n violation of the brown act. that's the act intended to keep the city business out in the open. the city attorney says san jose did nothing wrong. the city council is set to vote december 4th on whether the project can move forward. when the city posts the mou later today, we'll bring you what's in it on air and online at nbcbayarea.com. back to you. >> a lot of people concerned about it. thanks, kira. coming up next here, we talk live with a bay area health officer about those long-term effects of the smoky air. become,

then i need to get into character. ♪ ho ho ho this is christmas, baby ♪ [ groans ] dude, how many candy canes did you eat? [ mumbles ] that's hurtful.

right now it's 6:43. smoke keeping us inside and we're not able to enjoy the temperatures today, that will reach into the upper 60s in palo alto. we'll talk about air quality and the incoming rain in the forecast in less than five minutes. >> we're looking at major problems for the b.a.r.t. system, a major delay. bay fair station is closed, no trains going through that station. we'll talk about why, but we also have a delay for the north

bay coming on the tracks. a strange twist to the russia investigation. court filing reveals julian assange has been charged by american authorities, who are seeking his arrest. to remind you, assange is the head of wikileaks, hold up in the ecuadorian embassy in london to avoid charges in europe. federal authorities are charging him in america and want him arrested. there are all kinds of constitutional questions, can you charge a foreign national for publishing things are true? what about the first amendment? let's connect this to mueller's investigation. the suspicion is the russians hacked hillary clinton's emails, gave those emails to assange, who tipped off trump's aides that they were going to release them. brings us back to the question,

what did donald trump know when he said this -- >> russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. >> trump has become more aggressive in his attacks on mueller, tweeting yesterday, "the inner workings of the mueller investigation are a total mess." the president shouldn't know about the inner workings of the investigation into himself, and he didn't when sessions was attorney general. sessions had recused him. but just days after trump appointed matt whitaker, who is new mueller's boss, suddenly president trump says he knows lots about the inner workings of the investigation. we will watch president trump. will be in northern california tomorrow to examine the fire damage. we will, of course, have full coverage right here on television and on be nbcbayarea.com. 6:45 for you right now. back to the microclimate weather alert we've been talking about

all morning, the smoky conditions from the butte county wildfire making what one air quality monitoring network is calling the worst air quality anywhere in the world right now. >> you walk out of your door, you'll be able to tell. we're talking now this morning with the contra costa county health officer dr. chris farnitano. who are the most vulnerable here? >> the main message is stay inside as much as possible, especially important for children, pregnant women, anyone with any heart or long decision, people with asthma or copd. >> you have a lot of people walking without the masks on. necessarily i didn't feel the sense of the poor air quality. what are the long-term effects for those who choose not to wear those masks or spend a lot of time out in the air without any protection? >> or they can't find one? >> well, it's most concerning for people with lung conditions, where it can make their symptoms

worse. we don't know a lot about the long-term effects of this kind of exposure. we know that firefighters who spend a career in these bad air conditions can suffer some long-term effects but the exposure or days or weeks, there's not much data about long-term effects. short term they can cause breathing irritations, stress to the lungs and heart. >> dr. chris faritano with the contra costa county health department, thank you for giving us an update what we need to be mindful of. >> you can feel it, thank you very much. you can certainly feel it, i do in my voice, i think it's deeper today. >> that's cool, but not for the right reasons. >> no, exactly. look at the air quality. we're used to seeing so much fog but the smoke is such a big concern. >> me, too, a scratchy throat, i keep coughing. >> you have no why where to escape. >> not anywhere in the bay area. it's been so bad, we've been

monitoring the air quality for you using a network that gives real time updates. here is a look at the numbers right now, and some of the worst air quality is in the east bay. i've been looking at walnut creek, where the numbers are over 300 right now in martinez, nearby, it's been at about 330, and we talk about these numbers. what does that mean? this is the amount of particulate matter in the air, and this is everything that burned in the butte county fire, the camp fire. it's basically floating in the air right now. we're breathing it in, taking it into our lungs, and it's going to cause some adverse health effects not only for people with breathing problems but everyone out there. this is a look at the view in san francisco. unfortunately, i'm not seeing much improvement and that smoke alert has been extended through tuesday for all of our microclimates, and some moderate air quality possible on wednesday. but that's also when the rain will arrive. so we've powered up storm ranger, our mobile doppler

radar, that's to scan the red beam that you're seeing coming out of san jose. i'm going to widen out the view and show you where the storm is now, as we continue to track it, seeing a lot of clouds, and that moisture being drawn up out of the pacific continuing to move off toward the east into the bay area, headed into next week. this is a look at our forecast. how the computer models paint the picture, we're going to see the first round of rain moving in on wednesday and there may be pockets of heavy rain in the north bay, lighter elsewhere across the bay area. another round coming in shortly after thanksgiving on friday and possibly a third round of rain, but this one looks to mostly be for our north bay microclimates. as we look at how much the computer models are putting down in terms of rain, this far out, they may not be all that accurate, but showing that there will be some decent totals out there, possibly over an inch, maybe even two inches of rain especially farther to the north, but that also raises the

concerns with rainfall that heavy will all of the toxins in the wildfire burn area be washed into our water system? so a lot to monitor here over the next few days. we're looking at temperature wise some upper 60s, smoky conditions through tuesday, morning temperatures dropping down into the low 40s. heading over to mike, the air quality is also affecting the commute. >> it is, kari. first of all, visibility but that's not a major problem. we've been dealing with that. the issue is that the air quality has caused all the school districts to close their schools. universities, colleges, a lot fewer drivers on the roadways, so folks are taking off for thanksgiving perhaps earlier or figuring out what to do. some parents stayed home from their drive. we made a light commute very light on the roadways. another concern for the commute is folks waiting at outdoor stations, maybe they have a bus stop or they have a b.a.r.t. station and that's an additional problem, because b.a.r.t. has a major delay, that bay fair station is blocked. no trains through there because of smoke coming from one of the

cars and an investigation continues there. ac transit is providing the bus bridge but you go outside and got to wait outside for the b.a.r.t. stations. i hope you have the n95 mask. in the north bay a smart train has hit somebody on the tracks there. there is a bus bridge in place and we're following that story as well. looking at mta and vta both providing free service to just get folks who are walking over to their destination quicker. back to you. good to note. thanks, mike. happening now, the conjoined twins from bhutan have been separated in a melbourne hospital and healing well. the two were joined from the lower chest to just above the pelvis. next on "today in the bay," a quick look at the top stories including the heavy smoke in the area, extremely unhealthy and causing schools to close. plus helping feed those in need. live report on the food drive happening across the bay area in weekend and the simple way you can help. we're back in two minutes.

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on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. and now, the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1299. plus 24-month financing on all beds. ends sunday. welcome back. before you head out the door, it is 6:54. here are the top stories on "today in the bay." >> friday morning and we're in the microclimate weather alert. sun just came up, and we're getting really our first glimpse of what today will bring. the heavy smoke in the air extremely unhealthy. taking a live look outside there, it almost looks like one continuous picture of fog there.

that's in san rafael and dublin, and that is smoke. big danger there as well, causing schools across the bay area to close from preschools and kindergarteners up through universities. long list of closures. we've been giving you the list of closures on our screen but since we're going off the air soon, find a list of closures on our website, nbcbayarea.com. also call your school ahead of time if you have concerns. for more on the school closures and smoky conditions, it's a great time to download our free nbc bay area app and a great tool for breaking news we always follow. we're also breaking into the "today" show all morning with the live updates for you. that smoke coming from the butte fire there in the county there, right now thousands remain evacuated, and the sheriff now saying that the number of people unaccounted for exceeds 600, although it's likely at least some of them have simply been unable to notify authorities they're safe. there are now 63 confirmed deaths and the camp fire has

burned 141,000 acres with 40% containment. a new drone video giving us a better idea about just how much of paradise went up in flames. those flames really also hit that area of concal east of paradise. both towns leveled by fire with 9,000 structures destroyed. president trump is scheduled to fly to northern california tomorrow. you've probably seen the protests. the marriott hotel strike is expected to continue through thanksgiving. that strike began six weeks ago, when 2,500 workers marched outside of eight hotels there, according to the "san francisco chronicle," the strike is a result of contract disputes. workers are asking for lighter workloads and higher wages. they have negotiating with marriott this week, but have not reached a deal. ready for some feel-good news? i think we could use it about now. nbc bay area and second harvest

food drive is a day away. we're always impressed with the generous spirit of the bay area. >> "today in the bay's" kris sanchez joins us live from the safeway store in pleasanton with how we can help. kris? >> reporter: this is how excited folks are. we got a band to come in early and volunteers are already here trying to get you pumped for the feed the need food drive campaign and your part is easy. grab one of these tear sheets from one of the cash registers there, and make your donation without picking up a single can of food or item of food. but the volunteers really work behind the scenes to make it happen. this is michael, how many volunteers are we talking? >> alameda county food bank rely on 20,000 volunteers every year to get the food out to our community. we serve one in five. we have hundreds out this weekend, volunteers make an enormous difference. we can't do our work without them. >> reporter: justin, you have the day off from school. why do you do this? >> we have over 6,000 all around

the bay area and even though school is out we're out here helping out with feed the need so it's going to be great. >> reporter: as i said, your part is really easy. all you do is take a little tear sheet at the register, they will take your money anywhere from $1, as little as $1 and as much as you want to donate. one gentleman ponied up 100 bucks and bought ten bags. each has enough to feed a family of four nine meals. this is a little different from a traditional turkey drive but this is the way the food banks in the bay area think they can best surf that need, collect enough as much as they can to stretch it out beyond the holidays because we know hunger is a year-round issue. stop by at your local safeway store. there are 175 different stores that are participating, and say hello to your morning family. i'll be at the willow glen safeway in san jose. >> got a map of it, too, so we want everyone to join us for the feed the need food drive.

the "today in the bay" team will be out and about. >> tomorrow at various safeway locations. laura and i on dunn and in morgan hill from 7:00 to 9:00. for more go to nbcbayarea.com. >> kari and bob will be in livermore and mike and scott in santa clara. you want to come out. smoky conditions, although. >> still smoky tomorrow and not going to see much improvement in our air quality until about tuesday. we're tracking that rain still set to arrive in the bay area on wednesday, and you want to make sure you keep checking in for updates not only on air quality but also our forecast. b.a.r.t. riders may have to be out in the smoke longer. >> the san mateo bridge view shows all the smoke in the air. the traffic is light on the roadways but the transit problems continue. the b.a.r.t. station is closed at bay fair because of a train that was smoking. they have to figure out what was going on. ac transit taking folks around there. there will be a longer wait at the outdoor b.a.r.t. stations. roadways are clear for drivers.

>> thank you very much. that's what's happening "today in the bay." we're going to be back at 7:25 with a live local news update for you. >> right now taking a look at sfo on this friday morning. you can barely make it out, if you are headed out, check your flight before headed to the airport. . good morning. chaos, the northeast brought to a standstill by a record setting snowstorm. >> never would expect this in november. >> students force to sleep in their classrooms, drivers trapped in their cars overnight. more than 10,000 flights canceled or delayed coast to coast. >> i have never seen anything this bad. >> and the misery is not over yet. breaking overnight, from bad to much, much worse. the number of dead and missing in those california wild fires skyrockets. authorities now say more than 600 people are unaccounted for.