. >> i'm ama daetz. in hours the threat will increase exponentially, red flag warning.ong winds, high heat, low humidity. >> bad news for firefighters. ranch fire threatening to spread. new mandatory evacuation orders for lake county, area shaded in orange. evacuation warnings issued for western clooussa county lou louisern and clear lake area as >> 84,000 acres, 33% contained. river fire containment increased by 50%. >> being fuelled by hot temperatures and difficult to access rugged trying to stop the northern push to lake pilzbury, full of summer rentals and the national forest. >> difficult with the weather. >> bring in spencer christian. >> the conditions are challenging. red flag warning in effect tomorrow. gusts up to 30 miles an hour, making containment very difficult. and low humidity, the fuels will be dry. temperature of the ranch fire, 66, wind is calm. that's good news right now. river fire, temperatures in 60s as well. humidity is rising a bit. gusts in the area up to 17 miles per hour. wind gust animation overnight. relatively gusty, calm down early, rein

. >> i'm ama daetz. kristen sze is on assignment. the war on cars in california is heating up. >> the white house wants to evoke california's authority to set its own strict emissions rules, part of a bigger fight over federal standards. >> abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez is live with more. >> reporter: we're talking about how it was years ago. the standards will go into effect after 2021 will be frozen. this sets the stage for a legal clash between the federal government and at least 13 other states, including california. if president trump has his way automakers would no longer have to increase fuel economy to 54 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by the year 2025. the trump administration has now set the standard at 37 miles per gallon. this is expected to reduce the sale of hybrid and electric cars. governor jerry brown reacted saying under his reckless scheme motorists will pay more at the pump, get worse gas mileage and breathe dirtier air. california will fight the stupidity in every conceivable way possible. >> ca

i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil. dan and kristen are off tonight. there are several steps you can take right now to protect your money. let's get to chris knew nguyen live in san jose with important advice. >> reporter: the fraud scheme is referred to as an atm cashout. if you haven't changed your password or pin code lately, experts say now would be a good time to do so. automated teller machines under attack across the world. the fbi is warning american financial institutions about the possibility of cybercriminals carrying out a scheme to access personal bank card information. >> once they are into the system they go to the administrative account and move any kind of limitation. whatever's in the bank at that time they can just cash that one. and that do it at a predetermined time all over the world. >> reporter: fraudulent copies of debit and credit cards are created by sending the stolen data to the master minds who transfer it onto a reusable card with a magnetic stripe. >> they have to do a lot of things on their side to upgrade firewalls and

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. bernard is live in oakland where people got a chance to meet one another, cornell, face-to-face. >> yeah, that's right, dan. in fact, there were 500 national night out parties across oakland tonight. neighbors meeting neighbors and police. >> enjoy yourselves at national night out. this is for everybody in the neighborhood. >> neighbors near jack london square shut down madison street with the soul purpose of making connections. >> communities are better when everyone knows each other. >> this national night out street party gave janet pruitt a chance to catch up with her neighborhood that is always in motion, always change. >> with gentrifications, with all changes, with changes in diversity and community, it's important to meet your neighbors in general, to say hi to them, to shop local with them. ♪ >> some neighbors enjoyed music at this night out gathering on telegraph avenue, and here on bay place near lake merritt, where hundreds turned out. >> it's something to make us learn th

. >> i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz.that shannon fox was street racing when he ran >> cornell has the details. >> reporter: tonight police say they arrested shannon fox, fled the country after causing accident that claimed the life of a little girl. on the run for years but law finally caught up to fugitive shannon fox, captured outside the u.s., wanted for death in 2009. >> want to commend our police department for sticking with it, investigating, tracking down mr. fox and bringing him to justice. >> reporter: menlo part mayor pete otalky remembers the case well. say fox was street racing, ran a red light, plowing into the xavier's family car, teresa was killed. fox was a suspect, never found. days after the tragedy, abc7 news attended a vigil at laurel elementary in atherton where teresa went. grandmother spoke through her tears. >> she was taken away but there is nothing to cry but only to remember and be happy all the things she has done. >> reporter: tree on campus is lit once a year in teresa's honor. many local re

. >> i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz. residents and tourists are preparing for devastating encounter with hurricane lane. warning issued for big island, maui and lanai. >> heavy rain, state of emergency in effect. >> going to be new experience for everybody if it maintains current strength. i'm hoping and praying i will diminish in strength. >> maui's mayor said several stores have run out of food. urged people to have enough for seven days. california has sent help, fire crews from peninsula and san jose among the members of task force leaving with equipment. drew tuma is tracking the storm. >> seeing the latest in from the hurricane center m lane continues to be a major category 4 storm. whopping 145 miles an hour, turned northwest. off the coast of hawaii, tomorrow evening, still major category 4 storm. approving oahu will weaken the storm, then a left-handed turn as it approaches some spots could receive over 15 inches of rain and dangerous surf is high concern. that's the latest. closer look at accuweather forecast l

i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil. dan and kristen are off tonight. your money. let's get to chris knew nguyen live in san jose with important advice. >> reporter: the fraud scheme is referred to as an atm cashout. if you haven't changed your password or pin code lately, experts say now would be a good time to do so. automated teller machines under attack across the world. the fbi is warning american financial institutions about the possibility of cybercriminals carrying out a scheme to access personal bank card information. >> once they are into the system they go to the administrative account and move any kind of limitation. whatever's in the bank at that time they can just cash that one. and that do it at a predetermined time all

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. let's go to live to cornell bernard on the scene. cornell? >> dan, am marks very serious situation unfolding here in paradise valley in the city of fairfield where a wildland fire is definitely threatening homes at this hour. mandatory evacuations under way here on couples circle. fairfield and vacaville police just moments ago going door to door, telling people to get out, don't waste any time, get out of your house now. flames just getting too close. we've got some aerials of that fire. it's burning on a hillside just east of downtown fairfield. the fire was burning in open space up until about 30 minutes ago. but then started to make its way in a westbound direction close to homes. flames where we are only about 200 yards from structures. now let's come back live here. cal fire now making its appearance here on scene. we have seen one air drop of flame retardant being dropped on this hillside. we are literally again just 200 yards from cobble circle here in the development in the p

i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil in for dan ashley. derick spoke with us from santa clarita jail yesterday after a judge rejected his plea deal on friday. >> abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow is in the newsroom with today's update to the story. >> ama and larry, attorney mary alexander says the families were very pleased with the judge's decision regarding almena, she says he continues to speak about himself instead of expressing remorse. one day before alameda county judge james cramer rejected derick's plea deal, almena says the judge told him not to worry. don't fight back. don't deflect. just apologize. >> but almena says it was hard for him to do that. >> to truly be sorry and apologetic, i feel i also have to offer up a somewhat of an explanation. >> it's that explanation he offered in a lengthy statement that resulted in judge cramer reject his plea deal. the deal was for almena to get nine years in jail while max harris would get six in exchange for no contest pleas to involuntary manslaughter. the judge said almena ghost shi

. >> and i'm ama daetz. two men face criminal charges for the 2016 fire that claimed 36 lives in a story you will see only on abc 7 news tonight. derek almena speaks out about a decision to throw out their plea deal. derick almena spoke video hookup from santa rita jail. he told abc 7 news he was stunned when the judge dismissed a deal that would have resulted in a nine-year sentence for him. last friday judge james kraemer ordered them to stand trial saying almena didn't show remorse. almena says he has always been remorseful for the fire that took the lives 36 people, and says judge cramer took quotes from his written statement out of context. >> you know, if you take anything out of context, you can twist it around and make it about me. this statement was about everything. i've been remorseful from the moment this happened. >> almena also blasted city officials and he read from a statement which he says a judge prevented him from reading during friday's hearing. >> of course you heard from our honorable m

. >> and i'm ama daetz. bart's new safety and security plan doesn't add more police officers to the system. however, it requires all the existing officers to work longer days and to give up part of their weekends. >> abc 7 news reporter carolyn tyler is in the newsroom with the details on this emergency plan that really puts all hands on deck, carolyn. >> that's right. and there are a number of safety proposals, and some will be presented to the bart board this thursday for approval. but commuters may notice that big change, more police on the ride home tonight. and for the next three or up until now, there has been one bart police officer for every two or three stations, covering the entire system. as of today, you can add in another 20 or so because emergency staffing is under way. officers will now work six days, 12 hours a day on their normal day off they'll spend it instead on the trains and on the platforms. >> there is a lot of creepy people on there, and they'll approach you. so it would be nice to h

i'm larry sfwheel i'm ama daetz. news reporter kate larson is live outside hemlock tavern on polk street with the story. kate? >> reporter: larry, ama, the manager tells me over the years more than 15,000 bands have played here but not much longer since the building is going to be demolished to build new housing. >> it's sad. now that you this is gone and red devil, i don't think anywhere to play. >> reporter: when hemlock tavern first opened in 2001, chris would come and play his bass guitar with punk and noise rock bands. now 17 years later, he's soaking up the last suds before the bar is converted into a-ut mixed use condo building. >> ever since i moved here, everyone was like it was better there. change is what happens. >> we provide an afternoon into san francisco that allows for adventurous music to meet fans. > reporter: michael started working at hemlock as the sound guy. now he's the manager till it closes october 6th. >> hopefully, some people will get the idea that this is a vacuum that needs filled and th

good evening, thanks for joinin >> i'm ama daetz. a crash left two classmates dead and others injured. >> one woman's candid words about her son. >> reporter: that's right. a bad decision basically by a group of teens. two died and three are seriously injured. i'm here along highway 24 walnut cehe sinkinghe wunder-age. >> he was my best friend. he loved basketball. he loved to eat. he loved god. >> reporter: the mother of oo college in aas pittsburgh this fall. she says he was not drinking but ventured into subdivision with four other friends, recent graduates of dear valley high school in antioch. >> it just so happens the one day he didn't ask -- him and john, they both didn't ask to go. they both received their wings on the other side. >> he was afraid to call us so he rode it out. >> reporter: that he was stuck at a party. >> yes. >> reporter: wanting to leave but he couldn't because he was in san francisco which is way too far. >> so when they were driving back, i don't know how, they flew over. >> reporter: 17-year-old d d d d

. >>> and i'm ama daetz. >> and with privacy experts are already concerned.porter: well, today bart already announced a safety and security action plan with $28 million price tag. on top of that, though, a bart director tells me he would like facial recognition technology throughout the system. 4,000 security cameras do the platforms of bart 48 stations and hundreds of trains as they travel throughout the bay area. >> we need to be using those cameras to the best of their ability. >> reporter: bart director nick josefowitz wants to explore whether they can do face recognition. he spoke to us via facetime. >> this isn't some big brother drag net approach. this is very targeted of folks who have warrant out for their arrest. >> reporter: despite the attacks including the murder of one person, facial recognition may be a step too far when it comes to new safety measures bart riders. >> they would have to make sure there were a lot of safeguards so their privacy isn't being jeopardized. >> because it's technology. there may be some errors. >> facial recognition i

. >> i'm ama daetz, for sandhya patel, michael finney, thanks for joining us.6:00. >>> tonight, several breaking headlines as we come on the air. president trump tonight doubling down and a threat to strip security clearance. our correspondent asking the president, are you trying to silence critics by taking away critics. what the president said and what just happened. what 60 former cia officers have now done. also breaking, the severe thunderstorm watch in parts of the northeast just as we come on the air tonight. damaging winds, lightning expected. the system flipping a plane leading to rescues. rob has the new track. new york city and boston watching closely. >> developing what the judge in the paul manafort trial revealed. th

. >> and i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz. and here is the latest on the shooting that left three people dead, including the gunman. tonight electronic arts canceled three more madden esports tournaments to review their safety protocols. >> investigators say gunman david katz clearly targeted the two gamers he killed, following them into a back room and opening fire. >> katz's parents said he had mental health issue, and according to divorce filings was on anti-psych cot ticks and anti-depression at a young age. >> kate larsen talked with mental health experts about the effects of gaming and she is here in the studio with the story. >> dan, kristen, police have not given a motive, so we don't know why david katz shot fellow gamers before killing himself. we do know that katz was hospitalized in psychiatric facilities twice as a teenager and was entrenched in the video game world. >> you're a little bit psychologically imbalanced and then you lose, i could see why it would push somebody over the edge. >> dr. david greenfield is

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley.or spencer christian, michael finney, all of us, we appreciate your time. see you in half an hour. >>> tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. the courtroom showdown in the trial of paul manafort. robert mueller's star witness, rick gates, on the stand again. already asked, did he commit crimes with paul manafort? his answer, yes. well, tonight, manafort's attorneys now taking aim at rick gates' secret life. >>> the massive disruption tonight involving flights on both coasts because of the dangerous heat and the smoke. and word from authorities today in california, the largest wildfire in state history now. >>> the police officer responding to calls for help near an amusement park in the northeast, but what happened after he got there? tonight, that officer now charged with manslaughter. >>> there is also word coming in tonight, an fbi agent has been shot. we have word on his condition. >>> a major test tonight for president trump.

. >>> i'm ama daetz, coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, the fires across california are leaving local fire stretched thin. tonight, local cities are kept safe with so many firefighters out of town. >>> also, why you better plan ahead if you're thinking about taking bart across the bay this weekend. we'll have all that plus much more coming up in a half hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. kristen, dan? >> thanks so much. >>> a special event today in the south bay to make children make sure they have everything they need when they head back to school. >> almost that time. abc 7 news at the sunnyvale community services today for the annual head to toe backpack distributions. >> kids stopped by the load up, backpacks are stuffed with supplies and each family got one bag of groceries and a gift card to buy shoes. >> they're putting everything they can into their housing costs. so food, backpacks, other necessities that the kids need and that the families need are out of their reach without some help from the community. >> about 1,800 children were expected to take part today. great effort. >> many such

. >> i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz.om the bay area are tedding to hawaii to prepare for hurricane lane. >> san diego's search and rescue team departed as well. the firefighters will help thousands of people prepare for hurricane lane. abc news reporter marci gonzalez with the latest on the storm and its potential impact. >> reporter: hurricane lane is now a dangerous category four storm. >> is forecast to bring it much closer to the island. >> reporter: residents and tourists bracing up for 20 foot waves and destructive winds. >> we're very scared. we're just going to make the most of it. >> reporter: the massive storm with sustained winds up to 155 miles an hour, seen from the international space station. >> we've got to take it very, very seriously. we're all working together at this point to make sure that we plan for the worst and hope for the best. >> reporter: kauai still recovering from april's record breaking rains that triggered devastating floods, now under a hurricane watch. >> the stores are being flooded wi

. >> and i'm ama daetz. dan is off tonight.t's top story, a complaint filed against bart on behalf of nia wilson's family. >> it's been nearly a month since the 18-year-old was killed in an unprovoked attack. it happened while she and her sisters were transferring trains at bart's mack car their station. >> a man with a knife fatally stabbed nia and wounded her sister lau sister latifah. melanie woodrow is live with today's newly released information. melanie? >> ama and eric, the attorneys for nia wilson's family say there are 22,000 fare evaders. they say john cowell was one of them, and had bart stopped him wilson would still be alive. the attorneys for nia wilson's family said bart failed to provide

i'm ama daetz. >> here's the latest.mendocino complex fires, new mandatory evacuation orders from the community of potter valley. the two fires have burned 153,000 acres, 30% contained. firefighters expect to have them fully contained in 12 days. that could be a long 12 days. >> firefighters are having a hard time accessing the fire from the ground. so air support is key. petaluma fire posted this video showing a 747 making an air drop to slow the fire's spread. 747s hold 18,000 gallons, drawing a line of retardant more than a mile long. >> hot, dry, windy conditions threaten to feed new fires. >> a red flag warning has been issued today through saturday for a huge part of northern california, mendocino, lake and sonoma and napa county. >> eric thomas is live for us in napa county right now. >> reporter: as you said the high fire danger due to the red flag warning, lower humidities, higher temperatures, the possibility of gusty winds. firefighters in napa say they are geared up and ready, but there are not as many of the

. >>> i'm ama daetz, coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, a vehicle malfunction sparked the devastating carrire. tonight, simple things you can do to make sure your car doesn't start a fire as well. also -- >> hey, baby girl. how are you? >> she's now safe and sound, much to the relief of her owner, thanks if part to this abc 7 news video that looked concerning at the time. and "7 on your side's" michael finney takes a look at toys designed to capture the imagination of kids during these dog days of summer. all coming up in a half hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. >>> surfers rejoice, california has designated a california surfing day. >> the bill introduced back in march officially became law this week. >> look at this ride. >> oh, don't you wish you were on that wave? >> i'd be face down, white water. >>> september 20th will be the day dedicated to all things surfing, including larry wiping out. >> yeah. we'll put that on a stamp. yeah. this comes as legislators debate making california or making surfing the state sport. surfing will be the state sport, it will be in the olympics, making its deb

. >> i'm dion lim in for ama daetz. it cost the transit agency millions of dollars. >> it's a lot.ter, lyanne melendez is outside the station with a possible solution in mind. >> reporter: welcome to commute hour. b.a.r.t. acknowledges that fair evasion is a major problem during this time and other times. b.a.r.t. saying it has to fix this problem soon. our cameras did nothing to deter fare evaders at the station. b.a.r.t. says this is costing them millions in lost revenue. >> $25 million at least. it's sending the wrong message to riders when one person hops over and the other one doesn't. we need to fast track the replacement of the gates even though they still work. >> during that interview, ten people passed through without paying. b.a.r.t. is not allowed to modify the existing orange fare gates because the contractor owns the software. the only solution would be to replace the entire system and that could cost between 150 and $200 million. b.a.r.t. will conduct a study to determine what it would take to replace these gates. >> what can they

. >> i'm kristen sze in more ama daetz. this is video of a soccer field just completely flooded.this city has seen more than 12 inches of rain in the past 24 hours. more now from abc news reporter marci gonzalez. >> reporter: rain now pounding parts of hawaii as hurricane lane closes in. already causing flash flooding and landslides on the big island. >> i would be very, very happy to be able to see, well, it was another near miss. likelyith the trajectory coming now. >> reporter: winds up to 130 miles an hour, expected to weaken as it barrels closer to the west. forecasters keeping a close eye on its track, saying it won't likely make landfall, but could bring storm surge, flooding and damaging winds to the state. >> there's a lot of uncertainty. what is for sure, though, is that hawaii is going to be impacted by hurricane lane. the question is, how bad? >> schools closed, emergency shelters now opening, residents facing long lines and empty shelves at super markets as they make last-second preparations for hurricane lane. >> scarred, concerned about the storm. >> reporter: with

. >> and i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz.ion of san jose's old city hall is in the crosshairs tonight pitting city leaders against advocates for homeless living. >> it's a prime location right next to the administration complex. the county wants to raze it for a parking lot. others say it would be ideal for temporary housing for up to 140 people. >> abc 7 news reporter david louie is live outside the abandoned san jose city hall annex where that battle is brewing. david? >> well, kristen and dan, solutions can be difficult to find when it comes to homelessness. santa clara county has approved ten new affordable or supportive housing projects using bond measure money that was a3r06ed by voters two years ago. however, housing advocates believe this abandoned building could be an ideal solution at relatively low cost to house the homeless on a temporary basis. the old san jose city hall annex is beyond saving. that's what county leaders say as they took reporters on a tour of the structure. the roof is in such bad shape, the sub

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. with an update now on developing news, the wildfire that has exploded in size, scorching its way into state history. >> the mendocino complex fire north of clearlake have scorched more than 454 miles since they started 11 days ago. cal fire says this fire incident is now the largest wildfire in state history. flames have destroyed 75 homes. fire crews say they're working to prevent the fires from advancing farther into residential areas. >> and we are certainly experiencing the effects of the wildfire. sky fire shows a hazy sky in orinda. a spare the air alert is in effect for tomorrow. the smoke from wildfires across the state is so prevalent, in fact, it's been detected in the midwest too. >> and here is a quick look at the overall wildfire situation currently in the state. according to cal fire, 19 wildfires are burning. at least nine people have died. seven of those victims were killed in the carr fire in shasta and trinity counties. the fires are threatening communities from nort

. >> and i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz.shocking details what they found inside the home of a missing man. his case is now considered a murder investigation. >> abc 7 news reporter vic lee is live at san francisco police headquarters with the story. vic? >> dan, 65-year-old brian egg has been missing for at least two months. his neighbors say he is a nice man who often took in transients he would meet, sometimes at st. anthony's church where he ate lunch regularly. >> he would water the plants here on the street, and he would clean up, which is very badly needed in this area. >> scott freeh has been friends with brian egg for almost three decades. in june he thought something was wrong. 65-year-old egg had disappeared. he feared the worst. >> unfortunately he had a few not so nice friends from the streets that would come in and i guess stay with him. >> in late july, early august, freeh called police for a welfare check at the home. and egg's sister filed a missing person's report. >> on both occasions, officers responded to

i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil.est on the mendocino complex fires burning in lake and mendocino counties. the ranch and river fires have burned nearly 91,000 acres, ten homes and one outbuilding destroyed by fire, 3 other structures damaged. 12,000 other structures remain threatened. some evacuations were lifted, but many do remain in place. lakeport, upper lake, blue lakes and scotts valley. >> this map gives you an idea of where the fire is burning and the acreages. the ranch fire is the larger of the two and is burning northeast of ukiah. the river fire is burning near the community of hopland. >> vic lee is live near a community meeting. >> reporter: well, larry, the community meeting obviously is to update residents of lake county on the progress firefighters are making. already today most of the residents of kelseyville where i am and the nearby town of hopland are being allowed back into their homes. there will be a measure of good news here tonight. the mendocino complex fires are still burning uncontrolled.

i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil in for dan ashley.il yesterday after a judge rejected his plea deal on friday. >> abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow is in the newsroom with today's update to the story. >> ama and larry, attorney mary alexander says the families were very pleased with the judge's decision regarding almena, she says he continues to speak about himself instead of expressing remorse. one day before alameda county judge james cramer rejected derick's plea deal, almena says the judge told him not to worry. don't fight back. don't deflect. just apologize. >> but almena says it was hard for him to do that. >> to truly be sorry and apologetic, i feel i also have to offer up a somewhat of an explanation. >> it' t

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley.turned home as more evacuation orders were lifted, but sadly, some people have no homes left to go back to. >> we are still far from an all clear for everyone. tonight our live reporters are at the biggest fire fights. and abc 7 news weather anchor spencer christian is tracking the main concern in the bay area, the air quality. >> now the closest wildfire to us is the mendocino complex fire, made up of two fires actually, and the ranch fire and the river fire. that's combined. they have burned nearly 75,000 acres and are less than 20% contained. >> more than 20 thousand buildings are at risk of burning down. seven homes are already gone. abc 7 news reporter vic lee begins our team coverage from lakeport. vic? >> well, ama, we're at a rest stop at the edge of lakeport. and behind me, you can see that massive, thick inversion layer. hiding behind that is the massive southern flank of the mendocino complex fire. >> sometimes it doesn't matter what type of resource you throw at it. sometim

good afternoon, thank you for joining us, i'm ama daetz. >> i'm larry beil.e are now breaking the million dollar median mark, talking about east palo alto, morgan hill, alameda, daly city, poised to reach seven figure values according to the real estate website zillow. >> this comes one day after we told you fewer therein one in five bay area residents can afford to buy into the local market. people have mixed reaction to the rising prices. vick? >> reporter: there may be mixed reaction nerally, but everyeaft >> you have million dollar homes here in east palo alto. >> reporter: reggie page was born and raised in east palo alto, epa has natives call it, once murder capital of the united states. >> a lot of bodies, a lot of body counts. >> reporter: tiny east palo alto, 2 1/2 square miles, back then, poverty and crime. 42 murders in 1992 alone, this in a town with only 25,000 people. > it was a warzone rorte itfmis facebook. amazon opened a branch here, ikea andeer big retailers set up shop. mark s smtation in

i'm ama daetz. >> abc 7 news anchor eric thomas and spencer christian looking at the bad air.start with wayne friedman live in ukiah near the mendocino complex fires. >> reporter: if you deal with a fire like this, going on for two weeks, there is a lot to deal with. there is worry, smoke. there were people that moved back to their homes today, but they had to breathe as wel >> reporter: lake county making progress, in upper lake, one resident took note of the files he took with him and brought back home. >> it was a little frightening. >> being back does not always mean getting back. exhibit a, when you beat your mailman to the post office. >> well, it's in the box but we can't get to it. >> reporter: exhibit b when all you know and see remains obscured by smoke so thick, you might need a compass to find your bear rings. >> i live up in a mountain. i can usually see all the mountains around me. they're not visible at all right now. >> reporter: is that disorienting? >> yeah, it is. it's a strange feeling, definitely. >> reporter: this is what happens when the fires burn and s

. >> i'm ama daetz. a new round of mand tear evacuations has been issued.estern lake county were urged to leave this morning. combined, the ranch and river fires have burned more than 110,000 acres. the causes of these fires still unknown. >> we'll show you where each fire is burning, with the ranch fire being the larger of the two. team coverage, spencer christian will have the weather conditions that the firefighters are facing, but we'll start with abc 7 news reporter cornell barnard live in lake county. cornell? >> reporter: hey there, guys, we want to tell you about an evacuation order that's been lifted momenting as, the southeast lakeport area, north of highway 29 at highlands springs road. people living there may now return home. the evacuation order very much in effect off highway 20. the national guard is enforcing this evacuation zone. the fire fight in the northwest side of clear lake is far from over today. big flames marched across a ridge igniting dry brush instantly. the relentless ranch fire moving ever closer. >> the kids have left. >> rep

. >> i'm ama daetz. we have coverage. david louie is looking at what makes these fires so big.n with wayne freedman in hopland. >>> if we cou >>>. >> reporter: if we could elevate this camera, you would see row after row of these fire trucks. these are the people taking a break. some people went home today, but not everybody. this is lake county, the burned land of smoke and money, spent fighting what's become the largest single fire incident in california history. at least according to some. >> technically there are two separate fires, so as to whether it's the single largest fire in california history is up for debate. >> reporter: but the impact, clear and still present, 300,000 acres burned, 100 structures destroyed, 4,000 firefighters strained to the max. and a region transformed almost beyond recognition. >> this is -- >> reporter: the mendocino complex fire has created three kinds of people, who he has who've lost their homes, others exiled by mandatory evacuations. >> where have you been? >> everywhere, waiting for lake county to open. >>> and those who have received th

. >> i'm ama daetz. the memorial service was for kirk griess, he was killed a week ago.of family and officers escorted the hearse. carlos saucedo takes us inside today's heartfelt service. >> reporter: there were salutes, tears and a few laughs as colleagues shared fond memories of fallen chp officer kirk griess, known to many as hollywood. >> when he took off his helmet, you couldn't tell, his hair was still perfect. >> you have that light in the office, you have that officer that's so positive, always had something to bring you up and cheer you up. that's why -- that's him. >> reporter: the former u.s. marine turned chp officer reflected his commitment to serve. one of his daughters following in his footsteps, about to finish the police academy. >> now i have 25 days before i graduate, if he were here, he'd hold my face and tell me to finish. >> reporter: he was conducting a traffic stop a week ago, a civilian was also killed in the crash. the suspect was driving reckless and was distracted by his phone. a tragic loss the family hopes turns to a teachable moment. >> to

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. let's go to live to cornell bernard on the scene. cornell?rks very serious situation unfolding here in paradise valley in the city of fairfield where a wildland fire is definitely threatening homes at this hour. mandatory evacuations under way here on couples circle. fairfield and vacaville police just moments ago going door to door, telling people to get out, don't waste any time, get out of your house now. flames just getting too close. we've got some aerials of that fire. it's burning on a

. >> and i'm ama daetz.are burning closest to the bay area and make up the mendocino complex are sending smoke into places where we can see it and smell it. >> well, our air quality is likely to get worse this weekend too. and we have a greater chance of seeing new fires start because of a red flag warning that's already in effect. >> we have team coverage on the firefights tonight with a focus on the impact we're either about to see or are already seeing here in the bay area. >> let's begin with abc 7 news reporter leslie brinkley, checking on our air quality tonight. leslie? >> well, dan, a little glimmer of good news here from along the front lines of the smoke this afternoon. right now we have a little bit of blue sky and the air is clearing. it's a lot better than it was a little while ago. behind me, mt. diablo literally two hours ago you could not see mt. diablo if you were driving on highway 24. to the right you see some of the smoky haze in the distance. it's all matter of the shifting winds. the be

. >> i'm ama daetz. joining us on set to dig deeper into the story. what have you found?ed this letter from a whistle-blower and one of several employees with the california state lottery who say they've had enough of inappropriate behavior by some upper level managers. the three page letter and accompanies photos are addressed to governor brown, lieutenant-governor newsome and various members of government alleging misconduct, lewd behavior and inappropriate conduct by members of the state lottery travel management team while traveling on the state's dime. the photos show different managers on a 2016 work trip at a southern california bar. one, giving someone the middle finger, another with his head up the front of a woman's shirt. according to the letter it is a gross violation of the california code of conduct. >> i'm not surprised. >> reporter: donna sullivan worked for the lottery over 35 years and just recently retired she says because of behavior like this. the climate got very very bad. it's where you really didn't want to go to work or have to meet. it would be b

i'm kristen sze in for ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. fire reports the number of wildfires is about 9% higher than average. that's not a big difference, but those fires have burned more than five times the average acreage. >> now this map shows you where wildfires are burning right now, including the largest fire ever in california, the mendocino complex. it's almost fully contained. 93% at current check. now we're not even a year past the north bay wildfires which rank among the most destructive and deadliest in state history. >> and of course wildfires can have a lasting impact, enduring for decades after those fires are extinguished. we have team coverage tonight with two examples. >> abc 7 news report laura anthony will join us from the oakland hills. let's begin with wayne freedman in the wine country in healdsburg. wayne? >> good evening, kristen. this is an economics story. the numbers aren't in yet, but the talk on the street is. we're seeing a drop in tourism in north bay, in healdsburg, especially to the wildfires. you can blam

. >> and i'm ama daetz.afety and security plan doesn't add more police officers to the system. however, it requires all the existing officers to work longer days and to give up part of their weekends. >> abc 7 news reporter carolyn tyler is in the newsroom with the details on this emergency plan that really puts all hands on deck, carolyn. >> that's right. and there are a number of safety proposals, and some will be presented to the bart board this thursday for approval. but commuters may notice that big change, more police on the ride home tonight. and for the next three or up until now, there has been one bart police officer for every two or three stations, covering the entire system. as of today, you can add in another 20 or so because emergency staffing is under way. officers will now work six days, 12 hours a day on their normal day of

i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley.s weekend is the official opening of san francisco salesforce transit center. that's a $2 billion project that's been under construction for almost a decade. >> it will be the hub for bus service, serving five different agency, ac transit, amtrak, greyhound, muni. caltrain may eventually add service as well. >> but the new center offers up old questions. will it offer commuters a safe space? melanie woodrow is live with a look at this question. melanie? >> reporter: dan and ama, that is a question that we asked several times throughout today's tour, and one that the construction manager and architects gave a lot of thought to during the building process. what began with an international competition 11 years ago is now the salesforce transit center. >> miracle, is that the appropriate word? >> a big board for advertisements and bus times. it also pays tribute to local artists. >> below us, as we're all standing on is a terrazzo floor by local artist julie chang. above us there will be a

. >> and i'm ama daetz.criminal charges for the 2016 fire that claimed 36 lives in a story you will see only on abc 7 news tonight. derek almena speaks out about a decision to throw out their plea deal. derick almena spoke video hookup from santa rita jail. he told abc 7 news he was stunned when the judge dismissed a deal that would have resulted in a nine-year sentence for him. last friday judge james kraemer ordered them to stand trial saying almena didn't show remorse. almena says he has always been remorseful for the fire that took the lives 36 people, and says judge cramer took quotes from his written statement out of context. >> you know, if you take anything out of context, you can twist it around and make it about me. this statement was about everything.

. >> and i'm ama daetz. brown said we are in charted territory, facing multiple wildfires that don't wait for the typical fall season to spark. >> more than a dozen wildfires burning currently. we're focused on a few that are the biggest, the most destructive and the most disruptive. the ferguson fire near owes night, the carr fire near redding and the mendocino complex which is made up of two fire, let's take a look at where the river and ranch fires have burned more than 90,000 acres combined. ten homes have been destroyed and 12,000 buildings are still at risk. evacuation orders are still in effect, including in the city of lakeport. right now there is a community meeting in kelseyville to address concerns about these fires. >> right now let's go live to abc 7 news reporter vic lee with a look at what life is like for the evacuees and the firefighters, vic, who have to be just exhausted. >> they are indeed, larry. first of all, another wildfire flared up last night north of us in mendocino county. but it

. >> and i'm ama daetz. dan is off tonight. now to tonight's top story, a complaint filed against bart on behalf of nia wilson's family. >> it's been nearly a month since the 18-year-old was killed in an unprovoked attack. it happened while she and her sisters were transferring trains at bart's mack car their station. >> a man with a knife fatally stabbed nia and wounded her sister lau sister latifah. melanie woodrow is live with today's newly released information. melanie? >> ama and eric, the attorneys for nia wilson's family say there are 22,000 fare evaders. they say john cowell was one of them, and had bart stopped him wilson would still be alive. the attorneys for nia wilson's family said bart failed to provide the highest standard of care. they filed a complaint against bart. >> nia's death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds that nobody could do anything about. >> on sunday, july 22nd, john cowell is accused of stabbing nia wilson and her sister latifah in the neck at the macarthur bart station. th