little community called spayetteall, and it's breezy where they are. i don't see a lot of wind. the smoke plume doesn't say that. why do we care about wind? if this was blowing hard, we would have a real issue with the spreading fire. right now, from what i can see from this fire, being at the top of the ridge is a huge advantage. this is a nasty area for fires. we had the croix fire back here in 2002, big, big fire. when we saw the plume, we got very worried, more when we continue. >> bill, thank you so much. good evening to you. the search is on, the crime tape is up. authorities in novato looking for whoever set 10 fires in just a matter of hours. we began tracking those fires on our morning news. tonight, ktvu has learned these fires may be the work of the same arsonist who hit two years ago. ktvu's john fowler is no novato tonight with the clues investigators have as they work to try to find the person responsible. john? >> reporter: fire investigators say this fire started right here, at the base of this

hillside. someone started it and it's just yards from these homes on bryer wood court. >> it's scary. it's really scary now. the arsonist is up to it again. >> reporter: diane castro lives within yards of three of the fires set in dry grass near homes. possibly the same arsonist set a front door wreath ablaze, then a car inside the garage on trinity court, injuring the homeowner, who declined to be identified. >> hopefully catch the person doing it, and it is -- it's a scary thought, very scary thought. >> last night, somebody could have been killed with the fires that are going on. we take this very seriously. we're upstaffing our engine companies today t. >> reporter: investigators possibly detected an accelerant at one of the scenes and collected possible evidence in these bags. they declined to elaborate. police told us a string of 60 novato arson fires in january 2012, two years ago, remains unsolved. they say they are actively investigating now any links and

potential suspects. >> the evidence that was collected at the past fires and the recent fires and compare that. >> reporter: we obtained these photos from neighbors. these are the early morning fires as they burned. there may be a key clue in what homeowners noticed today. i'll have more on that, coming up at 6:00. reporting live, john fowler, ktvu channel 2news. investigators are also looking at a string of suspicious fires in walnut creek. one started last night near a community park. it's the fourth suspected case of arson over the past two weeks. we are with investigators, walking with them through the park. we'll have a live report ahead at 5:45. new developments in the violent beating of a 28-year- old woman you see here caught on camera. nearly a year after it happened, her attacker is going to prison and she is speaking out for the very first time, telling ktvu's david stevenson she suffered through very dark days after that attack.

david? >> reporter: gasia, we spoke exclusively this afternoon to the victim of that violent attack and we also heard from the man convicted of assaulting her. the attack was quick and violent. surveillance tape shot june 30th during san francisco's pink saturday celebration shows a young woman being kicked in the head and knocked unconscious, after being robbed by three people. the victim's memory of that attack is still fuzzy. >> i remember a girl came up to me and started to rob me. i remember struggling with her for a little bit and being knocked down to the ground and then i blacked out. >> reporter: a judge today sentenced 2-year-old christopher porter-bailey, the oakland man convicted in the kicking attack, to six years in prison. the victim, emily, came to court for the sentencing. she agreed to talk to us if we did not share her last name or show her face. the she said the first time she saw the video she didn't realize it was her. >> soon as i realized it was me in that video, my heart sank. >> reporter: in court, porter- bailey apologized to emily and said he couldn't explain why he

assaulted her. emily called his actions evil and said she considered suicide after the attack. >> i had a lot of anxiety and panic attacks, especially in social situations. i have a lot of fear of being attacked again and not really having a real sense of safety. >> reporter: christopher porter- bailey is one of three people facing sentencing in this attack. at 6:00, we'll have emily's reaction to the sentence the judge handed down and her message to christopher porter- bailey. reporting live in san francisco, david stevenson, ktvu channel 2news. the manhunt is over. a former calfire battalion chief who has been on the run for more than two weeks has now been arrested for the stabbing death of his girlfriend. orrville mo fleming is accused of killing his 26-year-old girlfriend in sacramento earlier this month. the sacramento county sheriffs detectives arrested him near where his pickup truck was abandoned in elk grove. we are working to get more information on how authorities discovered him. we'll have an update for you, coming up at 5:30. all lanes are clear tonight

after a mess on interstate 880 in oakland this afternoon. news chopper 2 was over the crash on northbound 880 near the broadway off ramp, involving a big rig and three other vehicles. officers tell us one of those vehicles was stolen. traffic was also backed up on the southbound lanes of 880, near fifth street. that's where a truck spilled a load of slabs onto the freeway. a member of our news team captured this video of drivers trying to get out of gridlock by making an illegal turn. they came from the 980 interchange and getting on the 11th street onramp in the wrong direction. a lot of people were stunned by how easy it was for a teenager to hop the fence recently at san jose international airport. you'll recall he then climbed right into the wheel well of an airplane, all without ever being noticed by anyone. tonight, ktvu's tom bay car shows us some interesting ideas to make it so it couldn't happen again. >> if there is a real intrusion event, it needs to be checked

out. >> reporter: in a sense, it was airport security show and tell day at the alameda county sheriffs headquarters. dublin congressman eric schwallwell invited high tech companies to show how they could make airports safer nationwide. >> there are no requirements today that airport officials be alerted when a perimeter is breached. >> reporter: that's exactly what happened last month, when a 15-year-old leaped across the fence at san jose's moneta airport, snuck into a plane's wheel well and made it all the way to hawaii. in this video after the plane landed, you see him leaping out of the lean and onto the tarmac. with this latest incident, the government finds itself playing catch-up again. >> in just the last five years, six major airport security breaches. some are better known than others. >> reporter: these mostly small companies say their technology works. some is already in use at small airports. spotter rf makes motion detection systems widely used to protect other critical

infrastructure. >> electrical power plants, substations, bridges and dams, as well as oil and gas, petro chemical plants and things of that nature. >> reporter: sensor fence analyzed sound waves coming in from fences, much in the same way a spider senses prey in its web. >> most things would be a cut, climb or crash, like with car or truck. >> reporter: with this system, the minute you try to scale the fence, guess what? security already knows. >> we can tell along a long fence, like a thousand feet or more exactly where the intrusion is. >> reporter: san jose airport leaders say they are all for the technology, but they need the money for it. >> i do believe that the american people would rather us make this investment now than after a catastrophe. >> reporter: an important post script. three weeks before the stow away incident, the san jose airport passed its tsa security inspection. ktvu channel 2news.

we're learning more tonight about a woman who was shot and killed by concord police. the shooting happened outside of a home near downtown concord yesterday. police have now identified the woman as 57-year-old valerie hawkins. investigators say officers were responding to a call hawkins made to 911, saying she had a gun and wanted to kill herself. officers say they arrived at the scene to find the woman armed. police say they ordered her to drop her weapon, but she refused and instead pointed her gun at them. >> one officer fired one shot at the woman and struck her. we did call emergency medical aid for her to the scene. however, she was pronounced dead here at the scene. >> investigators say hawkins had a long history of mental illness. fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy food at a new grocery store, all supposed to go to people in need, specifically for women, infants and children with wic vouchers. the problem is the store isn't accepting those vouchers. noel walker is in east oakland tonight. is it a company decision not to

accept those wic vouchers? >> reporter: no, not at all. in fact, the manager here tell me they want to be able to accept the wic vouchers and have applied to do so, but because of alleged mismanagement and price gouging within the program, new applications aren't being accepted. east oakland has been a bit of a food desert, but when food coopened in march, it filled a need, but not every need. the supermarket doesn't accept women, infants and children, or wic vouchers. the manager told us he would like to, but can't because the federal government has a moratorium on new store applications in california. we found out the new grocery store isn't alone. >> we're hoping we're going to get it. we have a lot of customers that come in. >> reporter: this market in east oakland is stocked with produce, formula, everything a new mom needs, except the ability to accept wic vouchers. >> it's not fair. they don't take it here because, you know, some women don't have cars. >> reporter: the inability to one-stop-shop is not lost on

gazelleys. the market is celebrating 10 years in business this month, but hasn't been able to accept wic for a year and a half, even though the store reapplied with the state. >> i just hope the state will maybe figure something out, because a lot of families, i feel, are at a disadvantage. >> there's women everywhere, kids everywhere. i think, you know, it's mostly for the kids and pregnant women. it should be everywhere. >> reporter: now, the managers at both stores told me they are losing business to wic clients who would rather one-stop-shop, so they are taking their business elsewhere. the manager here at foods co said they are supposedded to have their wic application by midsummer, but he's not at all certain that will happen. noelle walker, ktvu channel 2news. menlo park police are looking for a man who robbed a woman who is eight months pregnant. it happened wednesday night around 9:00. police say the woman was sitting in the passenger seat of her car when a man

approached her, broke a window and forcibly took $200 from her. he then ran away. she was hurt by shattered glass from the window, but otherwise is expected to be okay. with a little more than two weeks left until june 3rd primary, elections officials are making an appeal for more volunteers to help at the polls in santa clara county. the county registrar of voters says it needs more than 1000 people to serve as election officers. county officials say there is a particular need for people who are bilingual to assist voters. it is more challenging to sign up volunteers for california's june primary. >> it's not as high of a turnout as you have in the general elections, so we generally find that people have less awareness and there's a little bit less excitement as compared to what you see in the general elections. >> officials say the june election also comes when a lot of people are away on summer vacation. anyone who is registered to vote in california or a legal permanent resident is eligible to become an election officer.

a bus driver called a hero tonight, after helping a teenager girl. how he risked his own safety to protect her. >> what i did was something i hope anybody would do. >> also, wedding rings that were worn for 74 years, stolen. >> very sentimental, mean a lot to me for many reasons. >> how those rings went from these hands into the hands of a criminal. >> and after the break, from 90- degree temperatures to conditions much more comfortable, the system bringing in a dramatic change for your weekend.

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. new information in the breaking news on the fire in morgan hill. as we continue to bring you live pictures of the scene, lot of smoke in the air. we're also getting a much better idea on the location of this fire. we now know that it's at croix

ridge and mount madonna roads, as this map shows you. it's near the ksbw tower, a well-known landmark in the area. the area on the map and in the live pictures is a rugged area. terrain is the main issue here for firefighters. not a lot of homes, but there are some structures. at this point, we understand there are no structures threatened by flames. in the minutes since we first brought you live pictures at the beginning of the newscast, we have seen a number of planes making red fire retardant drops from the air. we've also seen ground crews on the scene with hoses. again, this is essentially a vegetation fire. at least 5 acres have burned, 12 engines on the ground, two air crews, at least 10 firefighters fighting by hand. again, the most important thing to remember at this point, no structures are threatened right now and we have not heard of anyone injured by the fire. we're staying on top of it. it is a very dry situation. it has been very, very hot. we will stay on top of this breaking news fire in morgan hill. we're sending a news crew to the scene as well. all that for you throughout

this newscast and of course ktvu channel 2news at 6:00. students in san francisco say it's a slap in the face, after their school decided to drop a student's graduation picture from its yearbook. ktvu has the story, all because of what that student was wearing. >> reporter: dozens of classmates doned ties in support of a student who decidedded to wear a tux for yearbook pictures. jessica's friend tommy clifford says jessica simply wanted to be herself for her grad photo. >> this is a really turbulent moment in her life and all of our lives, because this is a very -- could be a very potent and changing moment for not only us, but the archdiocese of san francisco. >> reporter: jessica's photo was axed from the yearbook at sacred heart cathedral prep because archdiocese rules require girls to wear the female dress. >> it's kind of a slap in the face to all of us. i'm really proud of my students actually today.

>> reporter: the school's principal says he can't comment because of privacy issues, but rules are rules. and discussion about what jessica would wear in a photo did come up months ago. >> it's an educational opportunity for the school and for the student body. >> reporter: jessica's girlfriend, katy emmanuel hopes so. >> i would like to see it revolved in a way that future kids feel proud to be fighting irish, proud to be who they are. >> reporter: social media has exploded with jessica's grad picture going viral. fellow classmates say the catholic church needs to catch up to the times and practice what it preaches. >> i don't understand when they are telling us to build up our self esteem that they are knocking her down, caping it's not okay to be who she is. >> reporter: the yearbooks have already been published, so is the picture will not be in it, but the principal says he is in discussions with the family to try to include the jessica in the graduation ceremony.

a teacher at one school is suing her employers, claiming the school didn't do enough to protect her after students took embarrassing photos of her and posted them online. the teacher claims that last year, male athletes at sarah high school competed to get upskirt photos of female instructors. six students were expelled and six others were suspended as a result of the case. developing news now out of southern california, where crews tonight are making progress against several wildfires burning in san diego county. fire officials say today's cooler weather is helping firefighters contain the flames. in fact, five of the 10 major fires are now fully contained. in all, those fires have burned more than 15 square miles. several homes and, an apartment complex and two businesses were destroyed. >> this stuff can be replaced, but you go through the initial trauma, the initial shock of seeing this loss, and, whew, tough stuff.

>> two teenagers who are 17 and 19 are now under arrest for arson-related charges in connection with those fires. >> so much loss in southern california. here in the bay area, we're dealing with our own fire in morgan hill. let's bring in chief meteorologist bill martin back into the discussion. temperatures are a big concern here. >> it s but as you look at the fire, it's at the top of that hill. that's good news for the firefighters, because it's not going to accelerant burning to the ridge line. conditions are were with a, but not as hot. 84 degrees at the fire, 4 mile- an-hour winds. that's not much. i've got reports of stronger winds down lower, but it's not a horrible fire condition right now. the real story in this area would be terrain because it's hard to get to this fire, except poll line road and madonna road are right there. firefighters had a great, rapid access to this fire. from what we can see in the pictures, certainly looks like they have the upper hand. that's good news. when we first saw the fire, lot of worry in the newsroom, because that's the area where we had the croix fire a few

years ago, over 10 years ago, 2002. that area has a tendency to want to burn. it's real dry in there on the lees side of the santa cruz mountains where rainfall is scarce. back home, temperatures are cool today, winds have kicked up, winds will continue to blow tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon, even a little stronger, and temperatures will continue, 26 miles an hour at sfo. temperatures will continue to come down. it wasn't cold, just not like what it had been. two record days in the row, two heat advisories in a row, all gone now. cooler weekend. don't change your plans. it's going to be good, just not as warm. gusty winds tomorrow afternoon. the low gets closer and more clouds on saturday night and then further cooling on sunday. what's going on there? sunday is your coolest day on the bay area weekend. the forecast, as we head into tomorrow, there's your morning clouds. 7:00 a.m. saturday morning, a little breezy. then it burns off pretty quick. there's your forecast highs. that's the cool marine air. those greens are just 60s.

in this area, we had oranges and yellows two days ago, 70s and 80s. big cooldown. this helps firefighters. it also helps the situation in southern california. that low i just showed you, as it gets closer, it impacts, just like us, onshore flow, cooler air, does the same in southern california. firefighters in san diego, not quite as dramatic. big temperature drop, but it will cool down, increase humidity, as it will ours, and bring temperatures into a more reasonable position for fire danger. fire danger is always high this time of year. there's your bay area weekend, always in view. you can see as we head into sunday, it will be the coolest day on the weekend. but that fire, a real concern. we talked about it in the newsroom, as we've been watching for about an hour, and that area is remote. fortunately, looks like they got a handle. top of the hill is always a good thing for a fire, top of the ridge. >> thank you, bill. general motors is fined for not alerting customers to a dangerous problem in their cars. while the fine is record- breaking, it's just a drop in

the bucket for gm. how long it actually takes that company to earn the amount of the fine. >> now, to julie haener in our newsroom with what we're working on for 6:00. >> ticket after ticket after ticket. many drivers don't think it's fair. >> there's no parking anywhere else. you shouldn't have to pay for it. >> but you do. ktvu learns just how much drivers in this one parking area have to pay up. >> plus, a mother and her child, killed in a fire. we are learning new information about the smoke detectors that didn't go off. these stories and more are coming up new at 6:00. the great american novel.

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today, general motors agreed to pay the maximum possible fine. $35million for failing to report a deadly defect in more than 2 million cars. >> what we cannot tolerate, what we will never accept is a person or a company that knows danger exists and says nothing. literally silence can kill. >> federal investigators say gm knew about the problem going back to 2004, that ignition switches in chevy cobalts and other gm cars could be turned off accidentally. that would disable the car's safety equipment, including air bags and brakes. at least 13 people were killed in more than two dozen accidents. a recall was finally ordered in february. >> the fact that gm took so long to report this defect says

something was very wrong with the company's values. >> gm also agreed to federal monitoring. general motors' stock fell about 1% on the news today. the record $35 million fine is the highest possible fine that can be levied, but it actually represents less than one day of revenue for gm. today, the transportation secretary said he wants to hike that maximum penalty in such cases to $300 million. on our website, ktvu.com, we've posted our special report about cars with open recalls and how they can still be sold in some cases legally in california. a bus driver stopped his route, seeing an angry dog bearing down on two teens. >> it's not, it's not heroic. it's, it's somebody caring about somebody. that's all. >> how he came to the rescue, and what we've learned about that potentially dangerous dog's history. >> he had been on the run for weeks. now, new information on the

capture of a fire chief who became a wanted fugitive.

. continuing coverage now on that breaking news. the fire that is burning in the south bay, these are live pictures from news chopper 2. it is burning at croix ridge

and mount madonna roads. these near the ksbw tower, which is a well-known landmark in that area. air crews are dropping fire retardant on the flames. ground crews are also on the scene. at least 5 ache freers what we understand have burned so far, but at least -- at last report, we were told no structures were threatened. now, it is hot out there, but fortunately the winds are light, according to our chief meteorologist. and that is certainly a good thing. you can see here from these pictures there isn't much wind blowing the smoke around there. again, breaking news, that fire continuing to burn now in the santa cruz mountains. as we get more information, we'll bring it to you. a bus driver springs into action to stop what could have been a violent attack. >> right here. yeah, the dog was right here. it was a little teenager. >> tonight, he says he doesn't think of himself as a hero. new at 5:00, the driver put

himself between a growling pitbull and some frightened teens. that driver is receiving high praise tonight for his brave actions. ktvu's rob roth spoke with the driver. he is live in dublin. rob, the driver told you he only did what anyone would do. >> reporter: right, gasia. this is where it all took place, right in front of the pinole public library. many people are calling the bus driver a hero, except, of course, for the bus driver himself. >> and the dog just kept barking. i just kept, just kept going like this. >> reporter: what craig willis says he saw from his west contra costa transit authority bus was scary. >> it was a bad situation. it was a dangerous situation, but somebody had to be there for the kid. >> reporter: from this bus surveillance video, you can see a pitbull on the right of the screen charging back and forth. lewis says it was barking menacingly first at one teenager, then at another teenage boy and girl all in front of the pinole public library. willis said he had one thought.

>> i had to man up and make sure these kids were going to be okay. >> reporter: willis got out of his bus. that's him on the left. >> i said it's going to be you or me. i said to the dog -- eventually i took off my belt. i knew i was going to get bit. i knew that. there was no doubt in my mind. and i don't know how i didn't die or get bit. >> reporter: during the commotion, library clerks ran to the door, telling them, come in. >> you can see it on their faces that they were scared. >> reporter: lewis says the dog ran off. police arrived, and he returned to his bus route. contra costa county animal services is investigating. an officer told us the dog owner has two pitbulls. this one is named colt. it slipped its leash. they say this is the second time in two months colt has charged at someone. officials are looking into whether colt needs to wear a muzzle and have other restrictions. as for craig willis, people can't say enough about him. >> what he did was super. he's like a hero. >> what i did was something i

hope anybody would do for my kids. it's not heroic. it's somebody caring about somebody. that's all. that's all. >> reporter: willis has only been a bus driver for three months. transit officials say they are very, very proud of him. reporting live in pinole, rob roth, ktvu channel 2news. emergency crews in vallejo saved two people who were trapped inside a vehicle that had crashed onto its side today. it happened at georgia and sacramento streets. crews ripped the roof right off of an suv and pulled out two people who were inside. emergency officials say one person suffered minor injuries and declined treatment. crews took the other victim to the hospital. no word yet on that person's condition. investigators are still trying to figure out what led to the crash. the young san jose father gunned down last night has been identified as 25-year-old jimmy copas, jr. it happened just

after 11:00 last night on gridly street as he and his wife were driving to get gasoline. another car pulled up alongside copas's car and shot him. he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. >> we're trying to come to terms with who would drive up in the middle of the night like a thief and steal his life. >> homicide detectives are talking to copas's family, trying to figure out if anyone wanted to do him harm. a massive manhunt is finally over. the former calfire chief accused of killing his ex- girlfriend is now in custody, after about two weeks on the run. ktvu's julie haener is in the newsroom with now and where he was found. >> reporter: frank, the massive search for former calfire battalion chief orrville fleming ended with his arrest this afternoon. relatives say they were told he was spotted walking on a sidewalk not far from where his calfire pickup truck was abandoned in elk grove. tonight, he is in the custody of the sacramento county sheriff's office. now, this all comes more than

two weeks after his 26-year-old girlfriend was found stabbed to death. today, fleming's sister-in-law said her entire family has been on edge since the body of sarah douglas was discovered and fleming disappeared. >> shock for 15 days, and now totally relieved that he's found. we'll be able to sleep better. we'll be able to sleep better, knowing no one else is going to get hurt. >> investigators say the manhunt for the homicide suspect was complicated by his extensive skills in the outdoors, as well as his familiarity with california's mountains. there were also concerns because he had a set of keys that gave him access to hundreds of state fire buildings and storage facilities. fleming was known to frequent the sierra nevada mountains, santa cruz mountains and yosemite valley. investigators had been following up on possible sightings of fleming as far as oregon. investigators released very few details about his arrest, but they have scheduled a news conference for about an hour from now.

we expect to learn more about that arrest. julie haener, reporting live in the newsroom. calls to close the wildlife museum in petaluma, after photos and videos surfaced of students abusing rats at the museum. for years, select students from petaluma high school have been taking part in programs at the museum to learn how to take care of animals. information from an online petition accuses a supervising teacher of encouraging students to inhumanely kill the feeder rat. but a student enrolled in the museum program tells us why the incident did happen, the teacher did not condone it and that the students acted order their own. >> these were two or three students and the claims on the website was our instructor allows and even encourage also the abuse of animals. that is where they are wrong. >> disciplinary action was taken against the students involved and they are not allowed back into the program. we've had three times as

many whooping cough cases this year compared to last year, according to the california department of health. they have received 1711 reported cases since january. that's more than three times as many as the same time last year. you may recall there was an epidemic of whooping cough in 2010 that ended up killing 10 babies. officials say the illness peaks every three to five years. earlier we reported on a north bay neighborhood frightened after a string of fires that were intentionally set, but people in another town miles away have the very same fear, they could be the work of the same arsonist who hit that town two years ago. >> new safety features at a major bay area airport will delay your flights. how this will protect you if a pilot makes a mistake. >> how a thief got to a 94-year- old woman's wedding ring.

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. a prayer vigil was held outside the immigration and customs office in san francisco

today. amely martinez' husband ricardo, the father of their 8- year-old daughter is being held in texas. the family is from guatemala. they were arrested in january, as they entered the united states. amely was released, but her husband remains in custody. backers say he has no criminal record. he and two other detainees with bay area ties are now all trying to seek asylum. >> all three of these people have really strong asylum claims. they came here as refugees and it is very likely they will be granted release and there is no reason for them to be detained this whole time. >> the other two detainees are sisters from honduras whose mother is a u.s. citizen living in san francisco. one sister is being held in texas, the other in the east bay. supporters say they were kidnapped by smugglers and have also been held for months. we reached out to immigrations and customs enforcement. a spokeswoman says it's up to another agency, the u.s. citizenship and immigration services, and the courts to

hear asylum cases. a humpback whale found tangled up in a steel rope is swimming free again tonight, thanks to a dedicated group of marine biologists. go pro video was taken during the rescue off the coast of santa barbara. weather hammered efforts to free the whale when it was first spotted, but a satellite tracker helped crews find and free the animal this week. a 600-foot drop in 60 seconds. the investigation into a very close call for two airliners and one bay area man's account of that flight. >> four fires just in the past week, and they could be connected to other deliberately set fires two years ago. the clues that point to the possibility that the arsonist is young. >> after the break, which weekend day will be the warmest. i'll have the specifics. price wars are on at sleep train. we challenged the manufacturers to offer even lower prices.

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. more now on that breaking news, the fire that has broken out near croix ridge road and mount madonna, a remote area in the santa cruz mountains, halfway between watsonville and horror began hill. we've been keeping an eye on the fire for about the last hour or so. it certainly doesn't appear as though the fire is spreading. again, it's in a very remote area. we've been watching air drops being made. crews are on the ground. the weather isn't causing too much of a problem, 80 degrees, winds are light. we do have a crew on the way

and we'll keep you posted as we get more information. happening now, crews are getting ready to close two of the four run ways at san francisco international airport. it will be closedded for about three to four months for safety upgrades. the airport says there could be some delays for flights, but hopes they will stay between 5 and 15 minutes. construction crews are to be adding new concrete to the run ways and the new concrete is designed to grip the landing gear if a plane overshoots the runway. it's called runway. it is soft concrete squares the plane will sink into without damaging the plane or passengers. the ntsb is reviewing a story of a san francisco writer who says his united flight had a close call with another plane. according to flight tracking sites, flight 1205 was cruising at 33,000 feet when suddenly the plane's collision alert system went off for the pilots and the plane dropped 600 feet

in seconds. this happened at the end of april, but townsend says there was no warning. >> came down the aisle. there's hundreds of people in front of me, noises of things that weren't secured falling around. >> both planes landed safely, but townsend wants to make sure the incident is investigated thoroughly. united says it is working with federal investigators. four cases that could be arson. last night near a community park in walnut creek looks a lot like an unsolved case from a couple of years ago. ktvu's paul chambers spoke with investigators tonight about what's next and he's live with that. paul? >> reporter: gasia, i'm standing on scorched land where firefighters say there have been three fires since saturday. now, just behind these bushes and through the trees, yet another fire was set last night, bringing back deja vu for one investigator. >> deja vu. when i arrived to this fire

last night, in fact, the same firefighters were on the engine that were there two years ago. we kind of looked at each other and said we've been here before. >> reporter: in fact, they had. investigators say the date was september 21, 2012. at that time, the wind picked up and burned a much larger area. that fire was ruled arson, same as last night's. the fire that occurred in this exact location two years ago was also determined to be intentionally set. >> we had a few leads there this we followed up on and nothing panned out. >> reporter: this map shows where three other fires occurred down the hill since saturday. with all of these fires, investigators believe they are connected and say they have a serial arsonist on their hands. >> we're starting to look at these fires as possibly being a recurrence of what happened in 2012. >> reporter: since this is an active investigation, officials couldn't tell us what they found to rule the case an arson, but did say with the time of day these fires are happening, it's a good chance that the arsonist may be a young adult. >> under that tree is a huge,

open party spot. you go up there, we found cigarettes, matches, beer cans, soda cans, all kinds of stuff. it's a place where all the kids are known to hang out and party. >> reporter: firefighters are asking people to be extra vigilant. they say most the fires happen between 1:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. if you see anything, give a call to walnut creek police or their arson tip line, 1-866-50- arson. paul chambers, ktvu channel 2news. we've just gotten an update on breaking news we're following, that fire that is burning in the santa cruz mountains not far from morgan hill and watsonville. we've just learned the fire is now 75% contained and that it has burned about 7 acres. let's go to our chief meteorologist bill martin. bill, you've been watching the pictures, along with the rest of us. tell us what you see there. >> the fire is burning at the top of a ridge. we were worried it was down in one of the canyons, which would burn rapidly uphill. but take a look at the area.

it's out by a reservoir, up on the hills, east sided of santa cruz mountains. winds are relatively calm, temperatures not that warm, not like it was a couple days ago. humidity is 28%, not horrible for this time of year. that area, when we first saw the fire, very worried because it's just a lot of tough access. in this case, poll line road and croix road were in good accessibility for firefighters. they got a quick handle on it. things look good for that fire. fires like that are the scary ones, because it's tough to get in there, if you can't get an air drop, tough to get the trucks in. temperatures outside right now are on the mild side. this is that cool bite of moist marine air. that's the onshore flow. you can see it based on the colors. there's onshore flow up here, but the heat appears. this is the moist marine air that's infiltrated into the bay neighborhoods over the last 24 hours, blown in on strong winds. napa, 23 mile-per-hour winds.

check out is the fo, gusts to 26. gust to 28 earlier. strong winds will continue tomorrow to cool things down. it will continue sunday to cool things down. so tomorrow, most of us are in the low 70s, mid-70s. hot spots, upper 70s, clayton, maybe a low 80 towards eastern livermore valley and santa clara valley. still a nice day. saturday is your warmest day on bay area weekend. sunday will be cooler. here's saturday. low pressure gets close, winds kick up, gusty winds in the afternoon, and we cool. sunday, the low gets even closer. that's your cue that things will cool down even further. still, a nice day on sunday. some clouds saturday morning early, but sunday, it will clear. saturday morning, clouds. saturday afternoon, clears out. then sunday, mostly sunny, but cooler and, you know, certainly less in terms of heat than we saw last few days. 81 in walnut creek. 81 in danville, forecast highs for saturday. sunday's highs will be down in

gilroy, gilroy on sunday, 78, something like that. 75 in sunnyvale. along the coast, the fog will stick around for a while. so coastal areas, you're in the 60s. the five-day forecast with your bay area weekend always in view, sets us up with exactly what we see. i keep tying this to southern california, because fortunately as we cool down, they cool down, so the fires in san diego get a break. again, good news on that fire, at least it appears to be -- that is one of the worst areas you can get a fire. very, very dry and very steep. >> that cooler weather is helping in san diego. we've got five of the 10 fires now fully contained. thanks, bill. a 94-year-old woman robbed while she was trying to recover. >> very sentimental, mean a lot to me for many reasons. >> how the thief managed to get away with the wedding rings she's cherished for decades. >> back down to julie haener in the newsroom with more.

>> reporter: 33 tickets in one parking lot in one day. >> that's a little much. >> reporter: the strict parking policy and where to watch out so you don't wind up getting ticketed. plus, a mother and child killed in a fire. the safety measure the family's attorney says failed and who he says is to blame. those stories and a plan to prevent more pollution from bay area refineries, all coming up in less than 10 minutes at 6:00.

. a tree trimmer hired by the postal service has been cleared in the preliminary investigation into an incident involving a wood chipper and baby birds. the u.s. fish and wildlife says no baby herrons went through the wood chipper. several baby birds were injured and are being cared for at a center in fairfield. the incident happened may 3 at the post office at 13th and alice streets. the post office hired a tree trimmer to cut trees that were housing nesting herrons, which are protected by the u.s. migratory bird treaty act. golden gate capital is set to become the new owner of the red lobster restaurant chain. the proposed sale is a $2.1 billion cash deal. it comes as red lobster and its sister restaurant the olive garden are struggling to keep customers. investors challenged the deal, but red lobster's current company says the transaction does not require a shareholder vote. however, it does still need approval from federal regulators. new at 5:00, wedding rings

stolen from a 94-year-old grandmother. the theft happened as the woman's large family was gathering for an anniversary celebration. as ktvu's robert handa reports, she is still hoping those rings might somehow be returned. >> more than just wedding rings. >> reporter: 94 betty leary of san jose is trying to recover stolen me men toes of her personal and family history, jewelry including her engagement ring and wedding band she wore on may 18, 1940 when she married ibm inventer thomas leary, rings specially made. >> my father was a jeweler in los angeles and he designed the engagement ring and the wedding band. >> reporter: betty's son david was holding the rings during his mom's brief hospital stay, but his rented suv was broken into last night at the flames coffee shop on winchester boulevard in san jose. the rings were in betty's walt, tucked away in a laptop case. betty is taking a philosophical

attitude, because of her many years with thomas before he passed away, and because her family has rallied around her. >> i'm blessed in so many ways that i realize that they are material things. >> reporter: while police investigate the crime scene, betty says she's hopeful that since the thieves didn't specifically target the jewelry, maybe they will realize the true value of the rings can't be measured in cash. >> they were gifts of love and my family knows how much my husband and i loved each other, how much they meant to me. i would hope they would look at it that way. >> reporter: one-fourth nate thing, betty still has her husband's wedding ring around her neck. she refused to take that off at the hospital. in san jose, robert handa, ktvu channel 2news. now at 6:00, continuing coverage of breaking news from the south bay. a wildfire sending up smoke that could be seen for miles. we just got good news about the battle on the ground.

>> a brutal attack caught on video, as a woman is beaten and robbed. tonight, we hear from her for the first time. >> i couldn't put the piecing together. as soon as i realized it was me in that video, my heart just sank. >> the compassionate message make she has for her attacker. >> and mounting parking tickets, adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. why so many people are getting ticketed in this parking lot. . news chopper 2 over a wildfire burning in morgan hill. we have been following the fire for about two hours. we just got an update from the fight from calfire. it has burned 7 acres and is now 75% contained. we've seen multiple air drops of fire retardant and ground crews are working the area as

well. >> there are stables and other buildings nearby, but so far, we haven't seen or heard of any structures burning. to recap, we are going to keep an eye on this and update you as we get any new information. you can also follow us on twitter with any updates that we get. good evening, everyone. i'm frank somerville. >> and i'm julie haener. new at 6:00, family and friends are gathering right now to remember a 3-year-old boy and his mother who were killed in a fire that ripped through this san francisco home. it happened at the sunny dale housing projects on brooke dale avenue. the fire department says smoke detectors didn't work. ktvu's melanie woodrow is live in san francisco with new information about what happened. melanie? >> reporter: you can see some candles here and stuffed animals just ahead of the vigil that should be starting in a few minutes here. tonight, a spokesperson for the housing authority tell me there were five smoke detectors in the unit. you're looking at video