remaining on high alert. one

final day of dangerous winds whipping in southern california as crews make progress on the destructive wildfires. good afternoon. i'm audrey asistio. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. it is a small step forward in the fire fight in l.a. county. santa ana winds were not too strong today, and firefighters were able to gain more ground against the devastating and deadly burns. but still, the two major fires, the palisades and eaton fire, are far from extinguished. last tuesday, you may remember palisades fire sparked in pacific palisades between santa monica and malibu. so far, flames have scorched more than 23,000 acres. but the fire didn't grow overnight. containment is at 19%. that's up slightly from this time yesterday. the eaton fire in altadena has burned more than 14,000 acres. it is 45% contained. the national weather service warned of strong santa ana winds that could spread the

fires. some areas had gusty winds, but they weren't as bad as expected since the flames broke out last week. the eaton palisades fires have claimed the lives of 25 people, and an estimated 10,000 structures have been destroyed. when you stare at your front door, that's gone and you, you have the few moments to contemplate. what does this really mean to my life? i mean, i still don't fully understand. everything i have is gone, but you have to decide. i have to makeke. i have to find some meaning in why this happened. i am here now with our chief meteorologist, jeff ranieri, who's been keeping a close look at those fire conditions. what's the latest out there now, jeff? well, we still are expecting this break to come in as we head through late tonight, also into tomorrow. and we did get in on some isolated gusts, but thankfully it was nothing like last week. certainly a little shred of good news out there.

let's go and get you the latest on these fires and what we've seen in terms of those maximum winds. and as we get you into this closer view here, you'll see the santa ana winds in some part did get 40 to 60mph, those very dry northeasterly winds. but most of that was contained to the mountains and certainly not nearly as widespread as it was this time last week. so when the fire burn zone here of the palisades, fire gusts right now ranging anywhere between 15 to 40. there hasn't been much hotspot activity as well. so that has been excellent out here in the palisades fire and on the eaton fire. wind gusts right now ranging 15 to 30mph. so here's the deal. as we head through tonight, we're under this red flag fire warning only until 6 p.m. still some gusts that could get up to about 50. and what we're tracking ahead, this is still the last thing any of us want to really hear, or even think about, is the fact that we may get into some more wind as we head into next monday and tuesday. there's still a lot to learn about that, but it might

be another dry wind event where winds could be 25 to 50. again, we're going to be monitoring that in the days ahead. but i think at least in the short term, we're going to be exiting out of this wind event certainly as we continue through tonight. all right, jeff, thank you. i want to go ahead and bring in chase king now live in southern california for us. chase, amid all the destruction out there, one of the country's richest museums, the getty museum i see there is still standing. tell us, how did that happen? audrey? fortunately, a few good things came together. this is the getty center. there's also the getty villa, which is over in pacific palisades, both of which were impacted by the palisades fire. palisades fire even came close to the getty center here. but last tuesday, last wednesday, when i was right there at the heart of the palisades fire, we kept hearing reports that the fire is getting really close to the getty villa. that was actually the one that was built first in the late 70s, that holds thousands of pieces of artwork from ancient rome and

ancient greece. i mean, some of it is more than 8000 years old. but even when they built it in the 70s, they had the foresight to realize that they needed it to be to withstand fire. what they did a renovation several years ago, they even strengthened it more. so the outside is, you know, it's a stone exterior. there's tile roofs. they also have these extensive sprinkler systems that has the ability to basically become airtight. and it seals off almost like a vault to keep any embers from getting inside the museum. they had also been doing work to make sure they were clearing space around the outside of the getty villa. so because of all that, they actually sent us a few photos of the getty villa, where you can see that the building itself is still completely intact. there's a few trees that are singed on the property, but still green grass. you know, some of the ponds on the property covered in a pretty thick layer of ash. audrey. but all things considered, because of the way they built it, but also the way they maintained that property, that's what helped slow down the fire enough so that firefighters last week were able to actually get there, do their job and protect this place that holds, you know, so much treasure and so much special artwork. audrey.

wow, chase, it's incredible to see that the villa and the center look pretty. they look the same. they really were not touched out there. i'm wondering what is next for that museum. well, they say, you know, of course they're always trying to evaluate things right like that. they want to make sure they can continue to protect these special places. and, you know, one of the things when i was talking to the president of the getty foundation today, she's like, you know, this is difficult because we're obviously really thankful that the physical facility, that the artwork is safe. but so many of her neighbo, so many of our neighbors have lost their homes. in some cases, theve lost their lives, like there is so much loss. and so it's difficult to talk about an art museum. but she did. she she gave me a reminder. she was like, you know, we need places like this. wewe need cture for people to come and have an escape, to learn, to experience. so protecting places like this is still really important. and that's why actually, just about an hour ago, they announced a brand new fund. they're starting it with about $12 million. they're going to open donations to support local artists and the

art community here in los angeles. so for people who have been impacted, for artists, for musicians who have been impacted by these fires, starting on monday, they're going to be able to apply for grants, for assistance, to be able to help. and so the getty center is one of the organizations here in los angeles thas kicking that off with $12 million. so a little bit of a silver lining in what has been just an otherwise heartbreaking, devastating week, audrey. absolutely. and a huge help to so many. all right, chase, thanks so much. the l.a. fires are now casting a shadow over the future of the 2028 l.a. olympics. so far, the fire hasn't destroyed any of the arenas there that are set to be used during the games, but that hasn't stopped people from questioning whether l.a. county can rebuild in time to welcome 15 million people. in an interview for meet the press, governor newsom says he is optimistic they can get it ready and says this is an opportunity for the incoming trump administration to lend a helping hand. the wildfires have overwhelmed already crowded animal shelters in l.a. county.

we've talked about this, and now bay area shelters are stepping in to help. to help make room for animals displaced by the fires, volunteers flew 30 shelter pets from l.a. up to the bay area today landed about 20 minutes ago. nbc bay area's ian cull is live near moffett field. okay, ian, take us through what is happening out there. well, audrey, it's quite a scene out here with a lot of smiles, actually. and as you mentioned, all of this developing in just the past 20 minutes. in fact, the plane still here, members and volunteers of the san francisco s.f. spca still here coordinating. they've loaded all these 30 furry animals into their vans and are getting ready to take them up to the city where they're hoping to find their forever homes. now, this flight was made possible by amelia air rescue, a nonprofit that saves shelter pets by flying them to new families. but it was orchestrated by multiple agencies, and the san francisco spca will receive these animals

from shelters in l.a. that have been overwhelmed in the crisis areas and were over capacity. and it's important to point out that these are not animals that were lost or found in those fire zones. they were already in the shelters. so they're nobody's pets yet. instead, they were already at the shelters and are now coming here hoping to find new homes. yeah, it's good to hear that. there are a lot of smiles out there. 30 new pets now in the bay area. so where do they go from here? i mean, obviously, they're hoping to find new homes for these pets. exactly. and yeah, they'y're gog to be driven up to the spca in the city and put up for adoption. and to prepare for the influx, they launched a free puppy adoption promotion there that actually led to 71 animals finding homes this past weekend alone. the east bay spca also brought back ten dogs from l.a. and is waiving all adoption fees through sunday, and the san francisco shelter already scheduled a second transport

mission for next week in case the la shelters need more support. and they're asking people right now if you're asking, hey, how do you help in this situation? help adopt, adopt one of these adorable. and that's an objective opinion from this reporter. adorable dogs that just came off of this flight, and also the ones that they have at the shelter already. because then that will help clear out more rooms so they can bring in more flights from los angeles. and if you can't do that, they're also asking for people to foster some of these animals, and specifically dogs, if they can. if you're able to do that in your home, they say it's a big help. you can also go on to their website and help donate to. that helped make all of this possible. so again, we're out here right now. the plane literally just got done unloading and loading into the vans right now. they'll be going up to the city where we have a photographer as well, mikey vang, who's going to be getting some video for our later newscast. audrey. all right. i did see those puppy faces. they

are adorable. ian, thank you so much. and you can find resources to help victims of the southern california wildfire and develop an emergency plan for your family at nbcbayarea.com. we're also posting updates on the wildfires and investigations underway. right. live. look now at the white house ahead of president biden's farewell address to the nation. president is set to speak in about 20 minutes. that's at 5:00 from the oval office. earlier today, the president released a farewell letter to the country. he wrote that four years ago, the country stood in a winter of peril and possibilities, in the grip of the worst pandemic in the century and the worst economic crisis since the great depression. he credited americans with coming together and emerging stronger, more prosperous and more secure. all right. you likely saw this on nightly news. after several rounds of failed negotiations, israel and hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal. agreement is set to take effect

on sunday. if it gets the expected final approval from israeli cabinet members, the deal stops 15 months of fighting in gaza and unfolds in three phases. the first phase 33 women, children, elderly and injured hostages are set to be released in exchange for palestinian prisoners. much needed aid will also start flowing into gaza. later, israeli troopss wl withdraw to a border buffer zone and soldiers and other maleges would be released. we are grateful and it's a time to be joyful for those that will be reunited, but there's still work to be done. the agreement is very similar to a proposal president biden announced last spring. president elect trump is crediting his upcoming inauguration as a catalyst to finally move forward. still ahead, three high school students are killed in a crash in the south bay. what we're learning about them and how their classmates are coping with

the tragedy. also, new numbers on inflation from groceries to energy. our scott budman breaks down what it means for our bank accounts. but before we head to break, we want to know what turning story would you like to see later on in this newscast? have a survey up right now on my instagram, and you still have a little bit more time to vote for one of these stories. you see right here. this european country set tourism record all you can eat popcorn deal at theaters or

would you be a superhero or a supervillain? hmm... superhero. superhero? ok. i joined the military for my kid. i was always gone. everyone's vaping, constantly. that's how a lot of people try to deal with mental issues. i was hooked like that. ♪♪

i caught my son trying to hit my vape. he's like a little me. he does everything that i do. that was it. i had to quit. californians are beating big tobacco. you can too. crash. chp says the three people killed were among four people traveling west on shore road in gilroy around 7:00 last night. that's when their car veered into oncoming traffic and hit another vehicle. three students died and a fourth person in that same car survived was rushed to the hospital. paramedics also took the driver of the other car

to the hospital. investigators are now trying to determine how the crash happened. their identities haven't been released, but it didn't take long for students and staff to find out. the victims were students at their school. when i got the news of this. at first we didn't have the ids yet. so once we got the ids, it was it was heartbreaking. you know, you go through that little bit of shock and then you're ultimately jumpingo, oka now we got to help support our students, support our staff, support the families and help everyone getes are on hand at the school, and morere programwill be set up in the coming days. a community gathering to provide support is also in the works. tonight, the oakland police commission is inviting the community to discuss concerns over the department's controversial pursuit policy and governor newsom's call for it to change immediately to allow officers to chase suspects more often. current policy prohibits officers from chasing anyone unless they're known to have a

firearm or are suspected of a violent crime. some community activists, businesses, and even governor newsom believe criminals know the rules and are exploiting them. so tonight, the commission that oversees opd plans to discuss next steps for potential changes and take recommendations from the public on the policy. chief floyd mitchell recently gave his proposal to the commission for review. the new interim mayor is among those pushing for a quick change. we want to ensure that safety is paramount in this, but we also want to make sure that people don't come to our city and violate our laws because they think that they can get away with it. and so my message to the police commission is urgency. meanwhile, critics of the governor's call for change argue that police pursuits are dangerous for everyone involved and do not drive down crime. last month, newsom warned his office would limit additional help from chp officers in oakland unless the policy changes soon. tonight's meeting starts at 630 at east bay church

of religious science. okay, now to our making it in the bay series. and it is only getting more expensive for everything. you likely know this. the new numbers are out on inflation and yes, they are going up. let's bring in our business and tech reporter scott budman. okay, scott. so of course, from grocery to energy, it just seems like everything is costing more. it's true, audrey. and those are actually the two things where we have seen the most growth in prices for certain groceries, especially eggs, because of the avian flu, but also gasoline prices, energy prices. it is cold. we're using more energy to heat our homes. the good news is, though, inflation though rising and has been steadily rising, it's rising much more slowly than either last month or last year. you remember a couple of years ago the pace of prices rising was super, super fast and that was really catching everyone by surprise. now we're at this very slow growth phase, and economists say the reason prices are still rising are actually for good things. job numbers are up. even wage growth

is up. so we are actually making a little more money. we are still shopping confidently, and that's why businesses feel confident that they can raise prices and still sell things, which often lead to new jobs. and this whole cycle beginning and continuing. so it's actually a pretty strong economy we have right now. and one of the things that we see in a strong economy, yes, is gradually rising prices. well, people are still willing to spend. i know you got to speak with an economist. excuse me, economics professor. did they say is there any sign of relief for people really concerned? hopefully prices going down a little bit. there could be. and that could be, you know, interest rate cuts or just gradually slowing down these price hikes. it's just a question of the way she put it was it really depends on where you are in life right now and how much you're making. most people are making enough to continue to buy groceries, even as the prices go up, to continue to buy gas, even as the prices go up. now, when it comes to rising home prices, that stops a lot of us in our tracks, because

here in the bay area, those are so high. but where the inflation is possibly going to go down is eventually we just might see that tick up of 0.4 go down by 0.4. so she says it's not likely we'll see a big move down anytime soon. but the good news is the moves up have been very slow and gradual, simply because we are all out there spending money and putting more of it into the system. i know you've been out and about speaking with shoppers as well. are they noticing the slow rise in prices? what are they telling you? they have and they've noticed specifically things like eggs. wait a minute. eggs were up and then they were down, and now they're up again because of this avian flu. but overall, it is a consistency that has settled in. remember, a couple of years ago, people were talking about having to cut back on certain things. now it's just, well, i'm consistently shopping for things that i know i can buy. i'm putting the gas in the car that i know i need. but yes, everyone is aware that prices have been steadily rising. i mean, you check your grocery bill every week and you see that it's a little bit

higher and a little bit higher. but so far, most of the people we talked to have not gotten to the point yet where they say, okay, i've got to stop doing whatever it is because it gets them to work, it gets them to their job. and again, they say for the most part, their wages are at least keeping up with, if not passing the higher prices, which is good news. okay, but the best we can hope for. yeah, seriously. all right scott, thanks for that update. appreciate it. okay. if tiktok's parent company, bytedance decides to sell it to app, potential buyers like elon musk may have to dish out a lot more money than previously thought. cfra research says tiktok's u.s. operations would be worth as much as $50 billion. some billionaire investors have said they'd be willing to pay less than half that amount, like around $20 billion by dance has been under intense pressure to sell tiktok or be banned in the united states because of data and privacy concerns, according to a person with knowledge of the cocompany's planning. tiktok is preparing to potentially make the app unavailable to u.s.

users on sunday. the u.s. ban on tiktok is set to take effect on the same day on sunday. all right, i'm here now with chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. i know so much going on with tiktok. soo sunday, don't know if you use tiktok, but you may no longer get to use it. i use it a lot. oh man. so it looks really nice out there in san francisco today. it's been really amazing. lots of sunshine out here across the bay area, and we're going to stay with that trend right into this weekend. so let's go ahead and get you a look in san francisco. and you can see that blue sky we have right now. a temperature of 56 degrees. and those numbers are going to drop pretty quickly 52 here at 8:00. and eventually some 40s coming in by ten and also 11. let's get it out to the east bay right now in concord. unlimited visibility and 61. and we're at a chilly 48 here at 8:00 and eventually 44 at 11 p.m. and then down here into san jose. we are currently at 64 under sunny skies. got you at 54, 7:00 pm and 48 here at

11:00. now, with all the talk of the gusty winds in southern california. i did want to show you right here across the bay area. we are calm and i'm expecting calm winds as we head all the way through thursday, friday, saturday and sunday. by the time we get to next monday and tuesday, we might be looking at some gusty winds that could get 20 to maybe 45mph here in the bay area. we're still watching that situation pretty closely here. we'll have more in the days ahead, but as far as it goes for tomorrow morning, 30s and 40s to start. so have that heaviest jacket out by the afternoon. look at this. what a rebound. we're getting up to 69 in morgan hill 68 san jose 64. martinez 63 here in san francisco. coming up tonight at 5:00. we'll take a look at the weather pattern and what's happening with our rain chances. and when audrey, when we may finally get some more rain. again, that's at 5:00. all right. we'll see you at 5:00. jeff. we're also going to see miss janelle wang, who's been working on the 5:00 news for us. hi, audrey. just minutes from now, as you mentioned, at the

top of the show, president biden will deliver his farewell address from the oval office. it's scheduled to happen at the top of the hour at 5 p.m, and we will bring it to you live. he will reflect on his time in office and the future of this nation, and likely mention the israel-hamas ceasefire agreement reached this morning. san francisco's new mayor is trying to fulfill one of his campaign promises. today, he rolled out his first legislation, which aims to address the city's fentanyl epidemic. but it's already raising questions from some members of the board of supervisors. joining me for more local news. right after the president's address at 5:00. all right. looking forward to it, janelle. thank you. still to come top trending story as voted by you on my instagram survey. also, are you taking part in dry january but still want to go out? maybe this might help. there's a new bar in contra costa county that's focused on serving up nonalcoholic drinks. what's on the menu? when we co

amc theaters is inviting moviegoers to celebrate national popcorn day with all you can eat, unlimited popcorn refills in their theaters. the one day deal is available this sunday with the purchase of any size popcorn at amc theaters. there's also a special $5 off deal for people who want to watch at home and order popcorn through doordash or uber eats. as always, i will be posting links to the other stories you voted for on my instagram. dry january doesn't have to mean boring drinks. at least that's what a new bar in walnut creek is hoping to prove. scipio's is creating a stir by serving those avoiding alcohol. recently opened next to the macy's at broadway plaza, scipio's focuses on nonalcoholic beverages. owners say it's for people like themselves who don't drink alcohol and are tired of being stuck with mocktails. mocktails are juicy, sugary things, and this is an actual nonalcoholic adult cocktail. and that's what

we wanted to create with someplace that i didn't feel like a kid going in and just drinking something sugary. scipio's has close to 30 nonalcoholic beers, wines and cocktails. special moment for one young hockey fan who got to swap sticks with schaar chase center macklin celebrini. that's easton right there, throwing a mystery mini stick over the glass to celebrini. after the hockey player just gave him his safe to say easton sign he brought to the game worked. easton's proud stepdad posted the video and photo on social media. celebrating is known for his fun interactions with fans. you may remember earlier this month, he stopped to play rock, paper scissors with a few kids there during a pre-game. all right. thank you so much for joining us at 430. lester holt is getting ready for a special report, as president biden is set to deliver his farewell address from the white house. so make sure to stay with us. we are back in just two minutes.