out in southern california, thousands of acres scorched and evacuation orders under way. good afternoon. i'm audrey asistio. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. we'll get you the latest on that new wildfire burning in l.a. county. we're also tracking other stories on this wednesday, including president trump's executive order ending da in federal workplaces. we are making calls looking into how this could have an impact right here in the bay area. also, the count is underway. leaders in santa clara county begin the monumental task of counting the number of unhoused people in the south bay, and we've got new numbers on rents. they're actually at a three year low nationwide. our scott budman will join us in just a little bit with the bay area market outlook. but let's go ahead and begin with breaking news now. firefighters are battling a new fast moving fire burning in la and ventura counties. it sparked another round of evacuation orders and a

closure of interstate five. this is called the hughes fire. started at around 1030 this morning in the hills near castaic, north of la and santa clarita. let's go and take a live look out there right now. this is from the ground. you see, right here we have a. that's a reporter you're seeing on the right. but behind her you could see all of those flames there. that heavy smoke. we're learning that this fire has grown to over 8000 acres with no containment right now. it is not threatening any structures. but nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated just over an hour ago, teams shut down both directions on i-5 through what's known as the grapevine. you're looking at video there. now look at all that smoke coming from there. this comes as crews continue to fight the palisades and eaton fires, all while dealing with red flag conditions. so let's go and bring in our meteorologist, vianey arana, with a closer look at those fire conditions. when we're talking about red flag conditions, that means strong winds indeed. and the

ingredients unfortunately all there you know we're seeing bone dry conditions. this is what it currently looks like right now near that hughes fire. this is in castaic right near santa clarita. so just to give you an idea that perspective wise, also right near magic mountain, six flags to kind of place it on the map for you. notice the wind speeds right now from the north northeast at about 19mph. you might be thinking, well, that's not as gusty as what we've seen play out before. however, look at this humidity level here. we're talking less than 10% 6% humidity. so it i very dry. and all of that vegetation can quickly ignite, which we have seen unfortunately play out time and time again. temperature wis. we're still above average in the 70s, but i think the biggest factor here that will play out will be just how dry it is. i also want to talk about that red flag warning, because it was extended for all of the areas that you see highlighted in this red until thursday now. so again, all of these areas that includes parts of san bernardino stretching into parts of la as well, and even down through san diego, we're now seeing these red flag conditions, at least

that red flag warning through thursday. and here's a big reason why you notice me pointing out that humidity. and i took this, you know, through today, but also through tomorrow. and look what happens with these numbers. so we're seeing about 4% in a lot of these areas even in la and around the water coastal areas. not much relief there either. typically we see a recovery overnight. we're not going to get much in the way of recovery with that humidity leading into thursday morning. also, let's monitor the wind speeds. so i we're not in the clear just yet of those gusty winds. we've got 40 plus mile per hour winds. if i advance his time stamp forward, you'll notice overnight into the early morning hours on thursday. so about 6:07 a.m. we do get another peak wind event right here. notice the wind speeds kind of go up. and if you're wondering about that smoke, well a lot of this is blowing from the east and north. so the areas that are really going to start to feel the impacts of that smoke will be ventura county oxnard camarillo as that wind direction continues to blow the smoke in the direction. so navigate that poor

air quality as well. we'll be back with a local forecast in just a few minutes. audrey. all right. vianey, thank you. closer to home, an investigation is underway after an apartment fire in san jose. this started at around 2:00 this afternoon on los gatos almaden road, not too far from good samaritan hospital. you see right here. video shows the flames smoke coming out of that roof there. firefighters say the complex was evacuated. thankfully, no one was hurt. they did have to rescue one cat. crews are investigating what exactly started that fire, which damaged eight apartments in two buildings on capitol hill. it is day three of the trump admistration, and the house is sending the first bill to president trump's desk, aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. the republican led house passed an amended version of the laken riley act this afternoon. it requires ice to detain undocumented immigrants who are charged, arrested or convicted for committing acts of burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting. two amendments also

included the assault of a law enforcement officer and ax causing death or bodily harm. 46 democrats joined all republicans in support of that measure. mr. trump is also directing the justice department to make identifying undocumented immigrants and prosecuting violations a top priority, including prosecuting state and local officials who resist enforcing new immigration laws. the defense department is also sending 1500 additional troops to the border. also today, the deadline is up for d e i employees under president trump's new executive order, federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles must now be placed on paid leave. all federal da websites and social media accounts were also ordered to be taken down by next friday. federal agencies must submit a plan outlining how they intend to dismiss employees who are part of da offices and programs.

it is not yet known how many employees will be impacted from this, but some fear the move will pave the way for private industries to eliminate these programs as well. so here with the federal government eliminating dei efforts, we know that tech companies have already been moving in that direction, and we worry that this will give them further permission to do so. we did reach out to the university of california office of the president because it does receive federal funding. the office said it is still assessing the possible impact of the order on the uc system, but it will continue to uphold policies that support and benefit students, faculty and staff. bay area organizations are fighting president trump's immigration policies. our velena jones will have much more on how they're countering threats of mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship. she's going to have that story coming up in less than 30 minutes. the count of unhoused people in santa clara county started

today, and some of the people surveyed got to talk to the san jose mayor himself. here's nbc bay area's kris sanchez. we were with san jose mayor matt mahan as he and dozens of other volunteers fanned out across the city and the county to count the number of people who are living on the streets, and to also ask them how they got there and what they need to move forward. empezar puede ser si pues yo digo primero un trabajo y digo y si uno bueno como la renta. manuel garcia, who has been unhoused since 1997, told mayor matt mahan and the other surveyors that to start over, he needs a job. he says he has no vices, but feels it's healthier for him to live outside than in a group shelter where he fears he could get sick or his few belongings could be stolen. hearing from unhoused residents is so important that the city is paying about 100 of them, $150 to help volunteers and advocates

do this year's point in time count. the mayor says that what the survey reveals will help the city tailor resources to move people indoors first, and then on to permanent housing, job training and health resources. but to get those answers, there has to be trust. it does make it easier to make that connection and that relationship, because people understand and might have experienced what they're experiencing. so it brings a level of humility and understanding to really connect with someone. we need to invest in these solutions, expand safe, managed places where people can be, and we need to hold people accountable for coming indoors and taking advantage of them. but i believe in including everyone. i also think it's important and you'll see me push more on this in the budget process this year that we create pathways to skill building and employment. the point in time count is mandated every two years, and the last count revealed that more than 9900 people were living unhoused in santa clara county, the most out of all nine bay area counties.

as the mayor addressed volunteers before they hit the streets this morning, he said that the city will triple the number of safe spaces this year for people who are living on the streets. we do expect the results of this count in april or may in san jose. kris sanchez, nbc, bay area news. all right, chris, thank you. now to our making it in the bay series. the latest numbers are out on rent. and believe it or not, it's actually the lowest it's been in three years. that's the national number. but what are we looking at when it comes to the bay area numbers? let's bring in our business and tech reporter scott budman. okay, scott, what's it looking like? what are the numbers? yeah, audrey, as you can imagine, the bay area numbers are higher than the national numbers. in fact, about twice as high. good news, national number. and this is a number from redfin. they track housing and they s you typically need about $63,000 a year in income. if you want to rent a typical one bedroom apartment that literally doubles here in silicon valley, about 126,000. the interesting thing about the cost coming down is it

shows while income is remaining steady and wages even rising a bit. we talk about that a lot. there is at least more inventory when it comes to apartments. so many cities, including here in the bay area, have been adding more apartments and condos and places to rent, and that, because of supply and demand, eventually lowers the cost. so it has stayed steady to a little bit lower in the entire nation, including in the bay area. but because of the salary range we see, especially in the tech industry, it still costs more here than just about anywhere. even if you want to rent an apartment double. and i think a lot of people listening right now, they're like, we're not surprised we see that, right? and that's what you knew was coming. like the overall trend is good even here. but the amount of money that it takes not only to buy a house, and we talk about that a lot here as well, but to just rent an apartment is also so high here, because you're competing with people in the tech industry that maybe are not quite making enough to buy a house, or put down a down payment, or have just moved here and are just sort of starting out. but all of

these tech salaries are so high that everybody is kind of competing, whether you're trying to buy a home or rent an apartment. yeah. it's tough. so what's the outlook when it comes to the rest of this year? the good news is we have seen some building, and that's why that gradual cost has come down. and if we continue to see more building and more units and people still have their jobs and their wages and even a little wage growth, there will be more people out there of all ages able to rent, which at least means you're in housing. and that's really good news. but, you know, the outlook for owning a home is still depressing if you're not making a lot of % young people and they're saying, hey, renting is right in our wheelhouse. that's why we're working. as far as the even idea of owning a home in the bay area, if you're young, you're really saying, i just can't imagine that. and that is the big worry that we may lose young people that traditionally start companies and hire people and create all this wealth if they decide to go to other cities. the silicon valley really suffers because it is based on

young people with great ideas starting companies. all right, scott, thank you. you bet. have you noticed the pinch? gas prices have been creeping back up statewide. the average price for a gallon of regular has jumped $0.12 from december. aaa warned earlier this month that higher global costs for oil were driving up prices at the pump. so here's a look at what we're paying in the bay. san francisco's average is up to $4.63 per gallon, oakland is at 4.48, and san jose is sitting at 4.45. right. sending help to first responders following the deadly southern california wildfires the way one bay area law enforcement agency is making sure deputies and officers are fed on the front lines. also making sure your finances are in tip top shape. some expert tips on meeting your goals. but before we head to break, we want to know what trending story would you like to see later on in this newscast? i do 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. post malone unveils oreo collab. new inductees for songwriters hall of fame or first airline teams with venmo. we'll tell you all

because she has been investigating the state's 911 system and has a huge development today. yeah. that's right. deployment of this new statewide 901 system was put on hold recently after we exposed serious public safety problems. we're talking about misrouted calls, outages that would delay life saving help. well, now a state senator is getting in the conversation. she is demanding answers from the state agency involved. and at 530 tonight, we're going to have the story explaining her call for action on this issue that she says impacts every californian. all right. looking forward to hearing from her. thanks, candice. we'll see you then. all right. we want to go ahead and take you back to our breaking news. we've been following here.

evacuations are underway as a new fast moving wildfire continues to grow in southern california. you are taking a live look at the scene right now. you saw our reporter just walk through our shot. but that's because this is a ground. look at that area. you can see all the flames coming from there, the smoke as well. this is called the hughes fire. it's burning north of santa clarita right now. we know there is no containment. it is focused on an area. you're looking here of exceptionally dry brush. and we are learning that this has now grown to over 8000 acres. it's growing fast. crews have shut down all lanes of i-5 through the grapevine. looking at video now of the firefight here, firefighters are dealing with red flag conditions in that area. now, while that's going on, the two major fires that devastated l.a. county over the past few weeks are still burning. the palisades fire in pacific palisades is now 68% contained, while the eaton fire near pasadena is 91% contained.

evacuation orders are slowly being lifted there as crews watch the red flag conditions carefully and make sure hotspots don't reignite. and victims of those fires are getting help from law enforcement leaders on the peninsula, the san mateo county deputy sheriffs association and the organization of sheriffs sergeants pooled donations last week to buy lunch for deputies in los angeles as a sign of solidarity. a resurant that sells managed to deliver 200 sandwiches to the first responders. the firefighters get all the praise and the glory, but what people forget is that, you know, our brothers and sisters in law enforcement are down there also putting in long hours also on the front lines, you know, evacuating, making sure looters are not coming in. so they're up there as well, and we don't want them to be forgotten about. for us, it was a no brainer. we wanted to help out our brothers and sisters in blue down the southern southern california. they say during similar wildfire disasters on the peninsula, they received support when they were on the

front lines. and the act of generosity is a way for them to help pay it forward. all right. i am back now with meteorologist vianey arana to take a look at the weather today. it's actually pretty nice out there. yeah, we've been starting out frosty with frosty conditions on those wind chills, but by the afternoon we've actually been above average. so let's take a look right now at your microclimate forecast local condnditions. right now notice it's about 64 degrees in san francisco. but the average high for a day like today would be around 58. so definitely feeling more of that warmth as we head forecasted 63 degrees right now in walnut creek. we've got those clear skies. and just to give you an idea of the warmth that we're feeling, look at this. this is right now we're nearing the 70 degree mark in san jose at about 69 degrees right now, also up through parts of the north bay and through the interior. and here's a quick check of the 24 hour temperature change. so definitely felt a bit more of that warmth as that high pressure kind of sets over the california area. it's going to keep the conditions clear. but as we head into tonight with those light winds, expect another frosty morning. here's a

look at what you can expect tomorrow. i took this about 6:37 a.m. notice 30s yet again on this map, including the area up through parts of the north bay wind sheltered valleys. and that is the reason why we are going to see another frost advisory go into effect now. by tomorrow we're going to see daytime highs very similar to today, upper 60s. a couple of 70s will be possible as well. and let's take a look at that frost advisory, because this one does not include santa clara valley, but it does include areas in the north bay, santa rosa, san rafael, napa, stretching in through parts of oakland and even livermore. this goes into effect starting at 11 p.m. tonight and remains in place through 9 a.m. tomorrow, so keep that in mind. your plants, your pets, and your pipes as well. we're also monitoring, of course, the changes up ahead. a look at the 7-day forecast. we've got 60s notice. we get a cooler air mass and also a chance for some showers. now that will also include areas in southern california. but make sure to stick around at 5:00. we've got another update on what's going on in southern california and of course your local weather with chief

meteorologist jeff ranieri. all right. vianey, thank you. happening tonight, santa rosa is considering a new proposal to send drones to emergency scenes before first responders arrive. the drones would fly straight from the police station to an emergency. live streaming information to first responders. drones would get there minutes before the first officers do and give critical details. we did speak to santa rosa's police chief this morning on today in the bay. whether it be for structure fires, whether it be for missing persons, whether it be for wildfires in our community doing damage assessments, perhaps after earthquake or other natural disasters. so it really is more multi-purpose than just crime. certainly, though, i believe it's going to have an impact on reducing crime. but the chief says the program won't be cheap and the city is trying to fix a budget deficit. you can learn more tonight. the department is having a public meeting to detail the program. it starts at 6:00 at the utilities field operations building on stony point road. was one of your new

year's resolutions to be better with money? well, you're actually not alone. here's marcus washington with some tips to help us all be smart savers when it comes to making it in the bay. money always a big factor, maybe even more so at the beginning of the year. now, this is all according to a recent fidelity investment survey. it finds nearly two thirds of americans plan to set real financial goals for the year ahead. now this after more than 7 in 10, experienced some financial setbacks last year and nearly half dipped into their emergency savings. we actually spoke with one fidelity advisor, who suggests starting small when it comes to setting those goals and minimizing your debt as much as possible. we suggest spending no more than 50% of your take home pay on essential expenses like food and housing, so that you can use the other 50% to address some of those other goals, like a long term goal for retirement or saving up for a house, as well as any goal to

attack that dt. now, she also advises be realistic and have a map or even a plan to follow. finally, whenever you reach your goals or milestones, celebrate just a little bit. and to see more stories like this, be sure to join us every morning for today in the bay. we start things at 5 a.m. we go until seven. you can find us there and online always. i'm marcus washington. back to you. marcus. thank you. still to come, top trending stories voted by you on my instagram survey. also an iconic home is sold. we'll take you inside the home alone house and tell you how mh ituc

if you are ready to buy that plane ticket and it's jetblue, you can now use venmo. airline announced it is the first to accept venmo if you book directly online payment app is available on jetblue.com and will be rolling out on the jetblue mobile app in the coming months. this is the latest tech

innovation from jetblue. last year, fliers were given the ability to track boarding time even when phones are locked. and as always, i will be posting links to the other stories you voted for on my instagram. nba all star weekend is coming to the bay area, and today we learned folk pop artist noah khan is performing in its star studded concert series. other performers include rapper flo rida, german dj zedd and the grammy award winng duo the chainsmokers. concerts will take place at varioious locions around the san francisco area, including pier 48 and chase center, and it all kicks off next month. for the first time in years, the iconic home alone house has a new owner. this chicago suburb, home from the beloved christmas movie, was just sold for $5.5 million. home has five bedrooms, a gym, indoor sports court and it's one of the most googled houses in the world. new buyers will even get to keep that giant lego figure you see right there in the movie theater room of the main

character in home alone, kevin mccallister. thank you so much for joining us. at 430. jess is working on the 5:00 newscast next. we're back in two minutes.

how those orders signed by president trump are reverberating across the bay area. also, an east bay serial killer sentenced for the brutal murders of two fremont women found dead in 1986. his ties to a nine year old girl who disappeared from hayward almost 40 years ago, and san jose police bust up a sophisticated burglary ring. and the suspects, who they were targeting in the south bay. good afternoon. the news at five starts right now. thanks for joining me, i'm jessica aguirre. the presidential pen in full force again tonight, with donald trump

continuing to act on his promise to overhaul laws. thousands of federal employees woke up to discover this morning that they are now on paid administrative leave. this comes as president trump is also dealing with more backlash for his broad january 6th pardons and the ramping up of his immigration policies. here's nbc's alice barr from capitol hill. first full day. president trump continuing a flood of executive actions with an order placing all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles on paid leave. by this evening, in preparation for shutting those programs down and firing the workers, it's unclear how many will be affected. capitol hill responding. what you're going to see under president trump, reacting to the to the feelings of the american people is to go back to a race neutral, gender neutral system based on on merit. i think this die leave