cutbacks due to budget problems. one city in alameda county is bolstering its forces. we'll take you to today's celebration. plus. >> by all acts, to be secretary of defense. >> i would be shocked if anybody voted against him. >> president-elect trump's pick to lead the dependent of defense facing allegations of alcohol abuse and disparaging comments about women in the military. right now millions of people in southern california are on alert once again as extreme winds return to the region. good evening, i'm ryan yamamoto. firefighters are still dealing with the three big fires happening right now, along with a new one that forced evacuations overnight in ventura county. a look at the hills above santa clarita

today. you can see the winds whipping around the brush. because of the wind threat, thousands are in potential trouble spots all around central california. more than a thousand people are under evacuation orders today. people are asking to be ready at a moment's notice. concerned about flare-ups from the palisades fire. the utility company is now turning off power for tens of thousands of customers to prevent power lines from sparking any new fires. let's give you a live look from high above l.a. county. you can see the destruction in malibu as they zoom in on some of those communities where homes have been devastated and destroyed. neighborhoods completely wiped out. while firefighters were keeping them from growing today. we spotted this flare-up deep in the canyon of the fire.

more smoke right there. looking into the cause of the fire they were seen at the top of the ridge. this is a popular hiking destination, and they were looking for any evidence. officials are trying to determine if embers from a pre-dawn fire on new year's day in pacific palisades may have reignited. our kelsi thorud joins us live in the brentwood neighborhood where evacuations are still in place as people would watch for those winds, kelsey? >> reporter: hey, ryan. yeah, we are actually right on the border of where the evacuation zone is here. you can see behind me, it had is the check point. you see there is police out here. there's national guard. they're only letting in first responders and residents who can show proof that they got a permit from the city. so they're being very strict about who they are letting in this neighborhood. that is because as you said, they are still worried about this area. the palisades fire, still not 100% contained. worst-case scenario if something were to pick up overnight, this would

be the neighborhood at risk that's why it's under an evacuation order. a lot of residents have been out of their homes now for about a week. they're starting to get frustrated. we spoke with one woman who hasn't had power in her home for a week. it's been an exhausting week. >> it's just very difficult. it's hard to put into words being displaced like this. >> reporter: eileen lives in brentwood. april, in pasadena. when the eaton fire first broke out last week, april was forced to evacuate. >> literally it was raining ash, like chunks, almost like snowflakes. you couldn't breathe. >> reporter: april got out of her neighborhood safely and came over to this side of town to stay with eileen. but the pal saids fire grew. forcing vem to evacuate again. >> so we packed up my staff,

the dogs, and went to her place in pasadena. >> reporter: the two friends have been staying at april's place in pasadena since then. that's because her house remains without power, still right on the edge of the evacuation zone. >> i have hardly slept. >> reporter: eileen says, of course, she remains concerned about the high fire danger, but also concerned about security >> i don't want to complain because nobody should have to be going through what our palisades family and friends are going through. i'm not complaining, i'm grateful. but it is still terrifying knowing your home and everything is just sitting there, vulnerable. >> reporter: eileen says she has been coming back to her house every day. sometimes even

at night to check on things. the national guard and police are deployed to keep it as secure as possible. she is thankful for all they help. she and april are just holding on to hope that the worst of the flames have passed, and the whole frightening experience will finally end soon. >> i feel like, yeah, finally, it's taking a turn for the better. hopefully it will remain this way, i'm praying, really praying hard. >> reporter: the good news, ryan, that the winds that were expected to really gust through here today didn't. we did not see any wind in this area, so that is really good news. but as we have said earlier, the fire crews are going to stay out here all night. they are still blocking off this area. it is still technically under an evacuation, mandatory evacuation order. so residents are not being allowed in here.

the power to the entire neighborhood is still shut off. so while today looked really good, we are still not out of the woods yet. they are still looking at tonight and into tomorrow. after that, hopefully people will be able to come back into their homes here. >> and kelsi, the fire has been going on for more than a week now. is there a sense of optimism that maybe the worst is already over? >> reporter: yeah, there really is. a lot of people that we would talk to here this afternoon, they did not even realize that there was still kind of a high fire risk today. it was a beautiful day here today. a little chilly, but they know what happened last week, and they won't wait around, so they're taking these

evacuation orders seriously and that they are ready to get back into their home as soon as it is safe. >> and it actually looks like clear skies behind you. >> reporter: the air quality is good. i don't smell any smoke. we went up to check out the actual evacuation zone, but we did not see any flames, any smoke from the canyon on the other side. we are in brentwood. that's the area just kind of a little bit north of us. that's the area that would burn over the weekend. that's why they were so concerned about this area because we did see a nearby neighborhood burn. that's a really good sign. >> a good sign there and better, but still not completely out of the woods. reporting live, thank you so

much for joining us. and the flare popped up in altadena. police showed up until firefighters arrived, burning about 14,000 acres, now 35% contained. it was a week ago when they forced thousands of people to leave. >> the elevators were obviously out of order. staff was able to use. we have had staff carry our residents down. >> and no word on when they will be able to return to their neighborhoods. last night firefighters had their hands full with a pair of new wildfires caused by all the whipping wind. cal fire says the otto fire quickly grew to 56 acres, quickly forcing evacuations. as of this afternoon, the fire was 25% contained. even better progress in the riverside county, where firefighters stopped the clay

fire from spreading close to homes, and the europa valley, the fire is now 50% contained. now look at the winds, compared to how the fires started to spark last night. >> last week was an exceptional event, so don't need to be that bad. they're not out of the woods yet. a look at the big picture pattern here. severe winds have been offshore in southern california as everything is just flowing down slope. the santa ana winds will be blustery as we head through tonight and tomorrow. let's take a look at the monitor here. we'll check out the conditions around the site of the various fires that are burning in southern california. we'll zoom in for a closer look as you can see the fire perimeters in red here. that's one of the concerns, the

humidity and the wind speed and the direction all come wining to elevate that fire threat. the winds are gusting into the 40 to 60 miles an hour range. again, not quite as strong as anticipated, but not out of the woods. continuing for parts of -- and air quality has not been a huge concern today. there is still some smoke being produced by the smoldering fires, but not nearly as much. and burning into those new areas, where the air quality made it back to the okay category. and that looks like it will continue, and that is always the big wild card with this kind of set up. again, at least another day, maybe two more days of elevated fire weather conditions. around the bay area, if we don't have such similar concerns, our weather looks fine. the take a look at your seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> all right, thanks, paul. a live look at the state capitol where lawmakers canceled today's special session hearing. governor newsom originally called the

session to lead efforts to prepare. last night that lawmaker would also discuss vis as terry leaf from san francisco. and he did not explain why. barr now with currently in charge of the senate. and the previous chair of the democratic has been allegedly linked to a federal corruption probe. coming up tonight on the cbs evening news with norah o'donnell. our elizabeth cook will introduce us to a family that was dropped from their insurance plan before the wildfires destroyed their home. for our eye on america, we look at how it this family and so many others have been caught up in california's insurance crisis. cbs evening news starts at 6:30 right here on kpix. and a live look at our nation right now. bay area lawmakers will help a community better prepare for disasters

like wildfires. eric swalwell introduces the act. and today it would increase fema's pre-disastir medication system funding and also require feed baa collect on the impact of the national communities. and congressman was in fremont today as the city celebrated a booth. they will keep theming with positions because of this case. and to hear them actually expanding their fire resources? >> reporter: right, ryan. well the fires in southern california have put more scrutiny on recent cuts to funding for public safety resources and has added questions as to whether or not fire departments are adequately prepared for disasters with those cuts. here in fremont, city officials are celebrating a rare increase to fire resources. a station six here behind me adds a different

company to the station. >> i heard them go available on the radio, and we got to a point where we didn't know if this was ever going to happen. so when i heard that on the radio, it became really real for me. >> reporter: captain ahmad was just a rookie when the seeds were planted to add another fire company in fremont. as he would work his way up the ranks and up ladders. he was row lentless for his calls with extra resources. >> when you have worked in the city for almost 25 years, and there is an addition of a new piece of equipment that you know will be beneficial to the community. and also that they would remember that you're out there doing a job. it is monumental. it's more weapons for us. more tools in the tool box. >> reporter: the need was clear back in 2004 when just three fire stations handled half of fremont's emergencies. since then, the city has seen a 13% population bump according to

the census data. one of the highest in the bay area. >> all we could do is just ask, you know, ask for resources, ask for equipment. even with as much as you would try to prefor us to respond to the call and do the job that you're sworn to do. >> reporter: the new company adds an extra fire engine and nine additional firefighters to station six. it's a bright light at a time when other cities are making tough choices to cut fire resources amid budget travels. even though fire season is just year round in california. just up the road in oakland, last week city officials announced the temporary closure of two of their stations. but in fremont, the fire chief knows that issue all too well. >> at the end of the day, the people impacted are those that were here to serve. >> reporter: a former oakland firefighter herself, she's pushing for a pro active approach to public safety,

gearing up her crews to be ready before disaster strikes. >> when you have to do more with less, it is not giving our members an opportunity. members of the fire service an opportunity to really cover. so having an organization that will allow us to hire, recruit and hire and promote on a timely basis is so rewarding. >> reporter: for captain ahmad, he hopes the community will see the impact of the new company, not just today, but for generations to come. >> reporter: now the new company is already getting put to work right behind me, but i'm told by city officials that the funding for this was approved in the city with their 2022, 2021 budget. chief diaz tells me it is because of these adequate resources that fremont fire was able to send 14 firefighters down to help in southern california. >> all right, lauren toms reporting live in alameda county. up next, a contentious

hearing for president-elect trump to lead the department of defense. >> you can admit it that you had sex at that hotel on october 2017. you said it's consensual, is that correct? and no coffee, no seat. the new policy from a major coffee chain, and the reason behind the change to their once open door policy. >> breaking down the devastating wildfires that are happening in the middle of winter. and we will look at why we're seeing a fire storm of this magnitude in january, and will this

(vo) struggling with moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis? talk to your doctor about #1 prescribed entyvio, offering two maintenance options, including the entyvio pen. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. pml, a rare, potentially fatal brain infection cannot be ruled out. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, or are prone to infections.

liver problems can occur. entyvio. relief. remission. for real. ♪entyvio, entyvio, entyvio♪ lawmakers had some pointed questions for the army national guard veteran and former fox news host. >> reporter: democratic lawmakers wasted no time

grilling president-elect trump's defense secretary pick, pete hegseth on sexual misconduct allegations. >> and youd admitted that you had sex at that hotel on october 17. you said it was consensual, isn't that correct? how do you explain your judgment? >> i was completely cleared. >> reporter: some senators expressed concerns about hegseth's ability to manage the pentagon's nearly trillion dollar budget, citing his handling of finances. >> and by the time you left, that organization had deep debts, including credit card transaction debts of about $75,000. >> reporter: republican joni ernst questioned hegseth about the role of women in the military, given the comments that he said women should not serve in combat roles. >> will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles? >> yes, women will have access

to ground combat roles given the standards remain high. >> reporter: a month ago, his confirmation appeared in jeopardy with several republicans expressing concerns. but since ten had, president-elect trump and his allies have rallied around the former fox news host. >> i can't speak for everybody else, but i would be shocked if anybody voted against him. >> reporter: hegseth can afford to lose no more than three republican votes on the senate floor if all democrats oppose his nomination. >> the committee is expected to approve his nomination for a full senate vote. well, overnight, the justice department released special counsel jack smith's report, detailing president-elect donald trump's efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. he wrote the evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustained a conviction at trial. trump was first charged with trying to overturn the election it in 2023, but the

case faced multiple delays. then when he won the presidency in november, smith asked a judge to dismiss the charges. following the released report, trump attacked smith on social media. >> it is called law fair and weaponization of justice. jack smith is a deranged individual. >> in a letter, he pushed back against the bias claiming it is in a word, laughable. jack smith resigned as special counsel yesterday before releasing that report. well n san jose, the south bay's largest water agency is set to decide on whether to help fund a major project that would move water from northern california to southern california. governor newsom has been pushing the state to spend $20 billion on the delta tunnel project. concrete tunnel would carry water from sacramento to -- from the sacramento river, 45 miles under delta marshes to pumps near tracy. and then it would be diverted to other parts of the state. supporters say it would help move water to

storage areas and avoid waste. and they say they would degrade water quality and harm wildlife. the santa clara water district will consider contributing more than $9 million towards planning for the project. once again, this is the delta tunnel project, which has been in the area for several years in sacramento, once again, bringing water from northern california down to southern california. okay, a live look right now from high above l.a. county, as we continue to look at the wildfires right there. let's go ahead and check in with our forecast. >> i'm going to start with the situation in southern california, as well as the winds earlier. they're still offshore. not as blustery as was feared for today, but it will be a couple more days before the winds will die down. this is the animation of the wind speeds, but they will start to shift a little bit as we head into thursday, running more parallel to the coast. there are signs. bit end of the workweek on friday, a weak

onshore breeze will develop. now shifting winds could certainly complicate the efforts of the fire crews trying to burst the crews along the fires, but they will take that if they will add a little bit to the atmosphere. they would like to add some moisture, but no rain chances are headed for southern california any time soon. let's go to the offshore winds if the bay area that are not as strong, but efficient to keep our skies completely fog free, a beautiful sunset as we would look at downtown from treasure island. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s to around 60 degrees. another unseasonably mild day. tomorrow's high temperatures will be mild as well, topping out about 5 to 8 degrees above what is normal for this time of the year. again, the fog won't be a concern at all throughout the day. a look at the low temperatures that will end up tonight. the you wouldn't guess that we would end up above average. it will be a mix. mid to upper 30s and the lower 40s for overnight low temperatures. the but really not out of the ordinary for this time of the year. the temperatures are within a few degrees of what's typical, even in the spots when you're

dipping down closer to freezing. and once the sun will come up without any fog dissipating, our temperatures will warm up in a hurry. getting up into the upper half of the 60s. for the most part, we are talking about high temperatures in the low to mid-60s. it won't be strong, but it will be enough to stir the atmosphere around. and results in a very uniformed temperature pattern. everybody topping out in the 60s. some of the warmer spots, getting up into the upper 60s by tomorrow afternoon. doesn't look like we will see too much of a change in temperatures from tomorrow to thursday. but then we're going to see a bit of a cool down throughout the end of the workweek. one thing that will be something that we'll need to monitor. air quality with the stagnant air quality in place. we will see the air quality deteriorate in most zones tomorrow, the forecast all the way through the end of the workweek with a few orange dots showing up on the map as well as more wood burning smoke as they fire them up. but the chilly overnight low

temperatures, there is zero rain in the forecast any time soon to wash any of that haze off the horizon. and there is absolutely no rain headed our way any time in the near future. take a look at your seven-day forecast, which is just bone dry. temperatures do retreat a little bit towards the end of the workweek, dropping down to basically normal levels, which will mean mostly in the upper 50s with some passing clouds on friday, saturday, sunday. but no rain falling out of those clouds. again, the forecast will also be mostly dry, but there might be some hipts way down the line. we will take a look at that coming up in the 8 to 14-day outlook in the next half hour. >> all right, thanks, paul. another live look down at l.a. county, a new fire that is burning right now. these are chopper images from the small fire that's burning. you can see the flames and the smoke will continue to billow right there. this is what they were fearing that a spread of new fires are popping up. of course, you can see it close to those homes right there, using the streets as a defensible space to keep those homes and those businesses and those

buildings safe right now. the once again, fire crews are on the scene to knock this down. air resources are now being called in. we will keep an eye on this new fire once again, flaring up in to the town and community of selmar. poised to become a reality. the key vote within the last half hour. and people from all walks of life are stepping up to help the people impacted by the southern california wildfires. how a group of bay area rock legends are - man, i need some serious help with this health insurance stuff. - check out covered california. it's a free service from the state that helps you get health insurance. millions of people have used it. - wait, for real? - mmm hmm, they even offer financial help to lower the cost. - nooo... how you know about all this? - that's how i got my insurance. i got a great plan for about $10 dollars a month. - okay, i see you. - if you've got questions, covered california can help, every step of the way. enroll by january 31st. covered california. this way to health insurance.

i'm not happy with the way that pg&e handled the wildfires. yeah. yeah. i totally, totally understand. we're adding a ton of sensors. as soon as something comes in contact with the power line, it'll turn off so that there's not a risk that it's gonna fall to the ground and start a fire. okay. and i want you to be able to feel the improvements. we've been able to reduce wildfire risk from our equipment by over 90%. that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds]

owned by the county and city of oakland until they shared its shares to the a's

in 2019. the negotiations had delayed the developers purchase of oakland's half share of that site. leaders say the money is necessary to help reduce the city's budget deficit. well, they will call it a fight for food justice. advocates and residents from the fillmore district marched to city hall today, making their voices heard about the upcoming closure of the neighborhood safeway. it is set to shut down next month after 40 years. they say they want a say in what will happen next for the site calling the closure a huge loss for the community and their neighbors. >> they are seniors, whether they get bags at the groceries. the it will just take a lot from them being the only grocery store in the neighborhood. >> reporter: and they say they decided to close the stores because of ongoing concerns about safety because of issues

involving thefts at this location. they plan to reassign all employees to the other stores in san francisco. well, if you want to sit inside a starbucks or use a restroom, you will need now to buy a cup of coffee. they posted their new code of conduct online saying those who don't follow the rule may be kicked out by staff or police if necessary. and it was put in place after the pr embarrassment for starbucks. the two black men were arrested at a philadelphia store after being asked to leave for not buying anything. a new policy is designed to help prioritize paying customers. okay, another live look right now from high above l.a. county, keeping an eye on the new fire that's burning. this is a wide look right now. you can see the big response of the firefighters and the first responders right now along the roadway, but the fire was burning very close to homes. you can see choppers, doing the water drops onto the area. but