good morning. we have developing news out of vallejo where firefighters are on the scene of an early morning fire. coming up we'll tell you why fire victims say their first desperate calls for help went unanswered. a mystery in marin county. a body found buried in the backyard of a home. why investigators are returning to the scene this morning. and the surprising person of interest they are trying to find. plus, the overnight decision on a controversial crime fighting tool in san francisco. that's all ahead here on the

ktvu morning news. good morning. thank you for waking up with us. it's thursday february 24th. i'm pam cook. for a look at this morning's weather we say good morning to steve paulson. hi, pam. we have mostly cloudy skies. there are a few breaks in there. we're getting ready for this system to rush in some clouds and then some rain later on. so mostly cloudy. cooler each day. these temperatures coming down about three or four or five degrees. continue that theme today and the rain will begin in the north bay later and really cold air still on tap as we head towards friday and the weekend. here's sal. steve, right now on the san mateo bridge traffic moves well heading out to the high-rise with no major problems. morning commute looks good if you're driving on interstate 880 here in front of the coliseum. 4:31. let's go back to the desk. thank you, sal. we begin with developing news in vallejo. right now firefighters are on the scene of a house fire.

ktvu channel 2 reporter claudine wong is live with why the victims say their first calls for help went unanswered. claudine. >> reporter: pam, certainly a very tragic story out here. firefighters still on scene here f. you look behind me you can see the headlights on. that's actually the red cross vehicle. the victims of this fire inside that vehicle right now trying to figure out where to go from here. the house is right here. you can see the damage to this front bedroom area. now this fire actually started a couple of hours ago. and inside the home at the time of the fire two teenagers, two 14-year-old -- a 14-year-old boy and 15-year-old boy. they woke up to the sound of the smoke detector and got out. what they first did is went to every neighbor on the block banging on doors asking for help. and they say no one would answer their door. no one would call 911. so what they did is they ran four blocks to the nearest fire station and started banging on the door there.

they got no response there as well. firefighters tell me the bedrooms in the fire house are actually in the far back so it's impossible to hear someone banging on that front door. their mother who was downtown and had her car broke down downtown she was walking home about a mile and a half when she ran into her boys along the street. and this is what she told us about what she did after hearing that this fire started. >> my car broke down on me downtown. i just walked. walking back from downtown in these boots i took them off to walk home and as i got home my boys were coming. i saw them coming from the fire department. >> reporter: they ran there for help? >> they were knocking on all the neighbors doors and nobody would open them. they went to the fire station. they wouldn't answer the door. i called 911. >> reporter: chesses right after she called 911 she saw an

immediate reaction from firefighters. we are also learning that a neighbor actually did call firefighters moments before. we come back here live out here on 1000 block of sheridan. you can see what is left of what was in the bedroom where this fire began. as far as the cause, we're going to talk to firefighters. they have an idea of how this fire started. and we'll keep you updated coming up on the morning news. live in vallejo, claudine wong, ktvu channel 2 news. this morning the marin county coroner will remove a body that was buried in the backyard of a home in novato. police and the f.b.i. found the body last night underneath a patio at a home on rebecca way. investigators believe the body is 74-year-old dale smith who has been missing for several weeks. they say his wife is a current person of interest. her current whereabouts is unknown. their discovery changes the focus of this investigation.

>> it went from a missing person investigation into a criminal investigation and our investigation obviously will be focused on following up with additional interviews. >> police say the missing man's wife never reported him missing. it's believed her husband was dealing with some serious health problems. ktvu's kraig debro is talking with investigators right now. he will have a live update in our next half hour. a head on collision involving a wrongway driver sent two people to the hospital. that happened at about 10:00 last night on interstate 880 near the fifth street exit in oakland. chp says a wrongway driver crashed head on into another car. that driver described as an elderly woman suffered injuries to both of her legs. the other driver complained of pain to his ribs and legs. chp is looking into whether alcohol is involved. the san francisco police department has been given the green light to look into using tasers. at 11:30 last night the san

francisco police commission voted 6 to 1 to allow the department to study the use of tasers. this comes almost a year after the commission voted down a similar proposal from former police chief. a new police chief is happy with the board's change of heart. >> we want the officers to have another tool in their tool box. another tool to use at their disposal instead of having to use their firearm in certain situations. >> at last night's meeting officers demonstrated incidents when a taser would have helped take dangerous suspects into custody. those opposed to the plan say tasers cause serious injury and death and are often used excessively. the chief will research the dangers and use of tasers and present his findings to the commission. a massive rescue operation continues in new zealand following that devastating earthquake. rescuers applaud as survivors emerge from the rubble.

but we hear 226 people are still missing. and the number of dead has gone up to 98. police say many victims may still be trapped underneath the collapsed canter bury television building. many other buildings still need to be searched. one man says he doesn't know what to say to his daughter about his missing wife. >> got up and said where's mom. said she's still at work. >> the city is now working to repair badly damaged infrastructure caused by that magnitude 6.3 earthquake. water tankers have been set up so people can fill buckets and bottles until water service can be restored. in libya, anti-government protesters have reportedly seized control of the second and third largest cities, but it's a different story in the capitol city of tripoli. witnesses report an army unit loyal to gadafi attacked a

group of protesters camped at a mosque. hundreds of americans are still waiting to leave libya. rough seas delayed their ferry, but they are said to be safe on the boat. well, the violence in libya is sending crude oil prices to their highest level in nearly three years. it passed the $100 a barrel benchmark before slipping back to $98 in trading. that's after reports that half of libya's oil production has shut down. now that sharp rise has many drivers worried about $4 a gallon gasoline. right now the national average is $3.19 a gallon. that's almost a dollar higher than this time last year. the current price in san francisco 45 cents higher at $3.64 and it's a nickel less in san jose and oakland. some analysts say if the instability in the middle east becomes widespread, we could be paying more than $5 a gallon. 4:38 is the time. that could certainly effect the

commute, sal. i think maybe people would opt for public transportation. >> i think we might see a change if it gets that high, pam. i asked that question the other day and people did send responses to that effect. good morning everyone. let's go out and take a look at what we have on 80 westbound. you can see traffic is moving along pretty well here coming out to the macarthur maze. people may also adjust their patterns to save a little money if you drive to work when the -- when you don't have to idle or be in stop and go traffic. that will also save you gas. traffic moves well getting into san francisco on the bridge. if you're driving in san jose, northbound 280 traffic looks good. right now to highway 17 looks like there's a stalled vehicle there on 280 northbound near burt avenue. 4:39. let's go to steve. thank you, sal. changes beginning. yesterday wasn't too bad. we had partly sunny, partly cloudy skies but cooler. temperatures mid-50sed to more low 50s. couple mid-50s in the leading edge of our big change already starting to show itself. there will be clouds out in advance of that. go with any breaks in the

clouds. won't last too long. start to cloud up and rain start in the north bay as this cold system starts to drop in. you can see right off of portland there 33, 34 degrees. that cold speckled right there that's what we're waiting for. and all signs point towards that heading towards us over the next 36 to 48 hours. 40s for many here or 39 san jose. but temperatures are up due to the cloud cover especially towards the north bay. you can get a good look at it starting to work its way in. a lot of low clouds in advance of that. cold air coming over the relatively warmer ocean waters. but there's the system off seattle starting to turn and drawing in moisture from the west. combination of these two are setting up for a rather active pattern. it starts today. cloudy to mostly cloudy in the morning. then cloud i up. rain begins later on. cooling continues. rain in the north bay first and then tomorrow's really the main day. but highs today will go into the 50s. low to mid. 51 santa rosa to about 54 or 55 for morgan hill and san jose. that's about it.

tomorrow though much colder -- tonight actually. it will be much colder actually. rain begins, colder combination of rain and snow. weather advisories out for the north bay hills above 1,000 feet and east foothills and diablo range. saturday morning we'll get really cold air and then clear out. sunday will be all right. it will just be really cold in the morning and brisk and breezy. thank you, steve. a huge step forward for same sex couples. the action being taken by a california senator to further their cause. loud noises and dust and the complaints over cal's new stadium don't stop there. what's happening tonight that could help. good morning. traffic is moving well in marin county. southbound 101. we'll tell you more about the morning commute straight ahead.

good morning. we have cloudy to mostly cloudy skies. not as cold due to the cloud cover. end up with a mostly cloudy morning and then turning cloudy and rain develops in the north bay as this system approaches by late tonight. this week the public is getting a chance to weigh in on the america's cup race. and it's environmental impact on the san francisco bay. in two years the world's top yacht racing teams will compete for the oldest trophy in sports before an estimated half a million people. environmental groups are concerned though about the bay and the massive construction plans for the san francisco waterfront. there will be a public hearing

at san francisco's pier one tonight. that follows one last night at city hall. tonight uc berkeley will hold a public hearing on a big construction project that many neighbors say has become a noisy nuisance. that's the sound people living near cal's memorial stadium say they hear from morning until night seven days a week. and complaints about the massive stadium renovation project don't end there. neighbors say they are also worried about the dust and possible health problems along with the noise. >> really been trying on one's nerves and people are really agitated. it gets to you. it kind of gets right into your body. it drives me crazy. my wife can't take it. she has to leave the house. she can't stay here during the day. >> the university hopes tonight's public hearing will help find a way to make the big projectless noisy and more

neighbor friendly. senator diane fine stein plans to repeal the beal of the marriage act once and for all. follows an announcement by eric holder to stop defending the act which defines marriage as only between a man and woman. same sex marriage advocates in the bay area are praising the decision. >> we're hopeful that soon our marriages will be recognized in all 50 states from sea to shining sea that our quality will be the law of the land. >> legal analysts say the government's announcement means legally married same sex couples could share federal social security benefits as well as health insurance and inheritance rights. boehner criticizes the move saying the white house should focus on creating jobs and cutting spending instead. the state of hawaii is also celebrating another milestone in the fight for same sex marriage. the governor there signed legislation yesterday allowing

same sex civil unions. the law gives gay and lesbian couples the same rights as married het heterosexuals in the state. today wisconsin state workers are calling for the largest day of demonstrations in state history. today's plan follows days of protests over the governor's budget repair bill. the governor's bill calls for an annual vote for unions to maintain their certification. democratic state senators say the republican governor's proposal is union busting. a vote on the bill is scheduled for noon today. oakland police are hoping a surveillance image will help them identify a person of interest in an assault case. they sent us this video of the man they want to talk to. take a look. investigators say he may have beat and sexually assaulted a 50-year-old woman. the attack happened in the

woman's apartment near oakland's chinatown two weeks ago. palo alto police say they don't believe a spike in car burglaries in the past few weeks are connected. there have been 34 car breakins in different parts of the city in the past month. in some cases police say thieves have used tools to unlock the cars. one woman says her car has been broken into so many times she just now leaves it unlocked. >> got tired of having the car at the repair shop having windows fixed. i just figure if they're going to open it up and take something, i would rather not have to put it into the repair shop. >> the burglars appear to be targeting cars with gps devices or tops left out in the open. police say drivers can help deter thieves by locking cars and taking valuables out. we have an update this morning on that parolee sweep we first started following on mornings on 2 yesterday. police say they arrested ten suspected criminals during the raid.

operation sunrise targeted an area that has been known for crime and drug dealing. in the past six months police say there's been more than 200 robberies and two dozen shootings in that area. in alameda county judge is holding off on making a ruling on a controversial gang injunction in oakland. the injunction would prohibit 40 suspected gang members from gathering in oakland in an area of the fruit vale neighborhood. but critics argue that it could lead to racial profiling. two more hearings on the issue are set for next week. want to be a star? well, the casting call that starts today in san francisco. and who exactly they are looking for. and a major bay area airport with a different name. why some local leaders are pushing for the name change.

welcome back to the morning news. new developments from london this morning. about an hour ago a british judge ruled that wikileaks founder julian assange can be extradited to sweden. swedish prosecutors have been wanting to question assange about accusations of sexual abuse from two women during a visit there last summer. assange is denying any wrong doing. he now has one week to appeal the ruling. president obama is thanking the mexican government for capturing six suspects in the killing of a u.s. border patrol agent. the men are all alleged members of a dangerous drug cartel. they are accused of taking part in fatally shooting agent and injuring his partner during an ambush last week. they tell authorities the attack was a mistake and they mistook the officer's suv for one used by a rival drug cartel. the justice department is

taking on big tobacco today. it is asking a federal judge to force cigarette makers to come clean and admit that they lied about the dangers of smoking. the department also wants tobacco companies to be required to make corrective statements that would appear in magazines and on cigarette packs. phillip morris, the largest tobacco company in the u.s. says it will fight back. san jose leaders are considering a change to the name of the biggest airport in the south bay. special committee proposes making it norman y. san jose silicon valley international airport. quite a mouthful. but the panel says adding the phrase silicon valley would help the airport be recognized outside the region. airport officials are looking for ways to bring more traffic and airlines in. just a few minuting a fueling started for the final flight of the space shuttle discovery. the oldest surviving shuttle in the fleet will carry supplies and a robot to the international space station on

its last voyage. the launch was originally scheduled for november but fuel leaks postponed it until now. discovery is expected to liftoff at 1:50 this afternoon our time. of course we will be watching for that. and all the latest developments there. right now let's check in with sal for a look at traffic. any problems, sal? pam, it's doing pretty well out there so far. i think we're off to a pretty nice start there if you are driving around the bay area. northbound 101 as you come up to the 80 split tell you where there is, there is san francisco in the bay area looking pretty good so far as you come up to the 80 split. as i mentioned also this morning we're looking at the bridges. san mateo bridge traffic looks good heading over to highway 101 and peninsula. this morning's drive on southbound 680 out of pleasanton through fremont that's a nice drive on the way to san jose. at 4:54, let's go to steve. all right, sal. very quickly get temperatures out there for you. low 50s for many today. already a few light, very light, showers developing but the rain begins later on.

low 50s for almost everybody or mid-50s. time line for today, tomorrow and into saturday. that's really the next three days are really when everything's going to be developing here. so the rain begins today. snow level about 1500 feet. tomorrow's when this whole cold core begins to move closer towards us. it will turn very cold. low snow levels. we have winter weather advisories out for the north bay, hills and also for all the bay area hills by friday. east bay hills, diablo range. freeze watch for saturday morning. rain and snow showers will be left behind. tomorrow's more of a rain day today and tomorrow. and then you get behind after the system goes through and then turns showery in nature. if there's any available moisture what falls saturday morning would be falling in the form of snow down to very low levels. maybe 500 feet or lower. system is starting to send in some cloud cover and occasionally some light showers. but the bulk of it will come in later on. 30s and 40s. but because of the cloud cover the lows are slightly warmer. but santa rosa still 39.

39 livermore. san jose was 39 now they're 41 degrees. plenty going on. everything starting to cloud up to the north of us. that's all going to drag southward throughout the day. it's going to be a gray day. cooler day. the low is right off seattle. you can see the really cold system. that's the one that's going to drop believe it or not over us. so this whole system develops and starts to move in here. the low looks like it's going to end up around sacramento saturday morning. so the rain begins today. winter weather advisories are out for snow and maybe even believe it or not there's possibility if you can get some wind out of this may get some blizzard conditions up around 1,000 feet or 1500 feet. i know it sounds crazy for us but it's possible with this system. very low snow levels and really cold saturday morning. really cold. so it's -- the day to cover up your plants and don't forget your pets is not only saturday but saturday night and sunday because everything will clear out and sunday morning's going to be darn cold. cloudy, rain begins today. starts everywhere but the north bay first and then sweeps over

the area. cloudy, rain on the way. colder, rain and snow on friday with winter weather advisories out for the bay area hills. cold saturday morning with any available moisture means snow at low levels. cold and windy the rest of the day. sunday looks great after a very cold morning and then monday will be mostly sunny and warmer. whole different pattern as we go into march, pamela. thank you, steve. cold, cold, cold. well, an early morning fire at a home in vallejo. take you live to hear why victims say their first desperate calls for help went unanswered. investigators are working this morning to unravel a mystery involving a body found buried in a backyard. why police are calling a missing man's wife a person of interest.

>> reporter: good morning. we're live in vallejo where an early morning fire destroyed part of a home. we'll tell you why the two teenagers were inside when it started say they couldn't get help when they asked. well, get ready. here comes our system. light rain has already started but really cold air and all the advisories coming right up. also investigators found a body buried in a backyard. why the neighbors say they had a bad feeling something was up. it's all ahead on the