county near calistoga ... the >>> that breaking news up in lake county near calistoga, the valley fire explodes and burns 40,000 ache nurse a matter of hours. four firefighters hurt as hundreds of people are rushed out of their homes. good morning and thank you for joining us, i'm vicky nguyen. the fire tearing through lake county has grown at a rate fire officials are calling astounding. dozens of homes engulfed in flames whipped by the friends. this comes after the rocky and jerusalem fires. this map shows the evacuated communities, cobb, seigler canyon, lock moment, middletown and midden valley lakes. at this time thousands of people have been forced to evacuate. we begin with christie smith, she is live in middletown. have you seen any changes in the weather conditions that would help firefighters? >> reporter: well, we have seen just a little bit of rain sorks that is one thing that has changed, but, boy, i had a chance to speak with some veteran firefighters and they say they haven't seen anything like t

also the calistoga fairground right now. bob ryder is one of the evacuees shot the video on his hope after he got out. he told abc 7 news. he his wife, three young boys and dogs fled for their lives from their home in hidden lake valley. the sound of the fire was that of a jet plane in flight. you could see fire advancing. it was incredible. we were evacuating cautiously. we were fleeing. >> you can see the video. they really had time to grab a couple of important items before loading up and leaving. e believed his home and photography business have been destroyed tonight. they're staying with friend now in clear lake. >> four firefighters were injured. taken to the burn unit at uc davis medical center. abc 7 news reporter, there with the latest on the conditions tonight. sergio. we are told the firefighters were air lifted here with second degree burns. their identities not yet released. we do know they were part of an elite team of fire fighters that was, helicopter in to the initial attack of the valley fire. that they we

fire tearing through lake county near calistoga. burning more than 2,000 acres per hour. >> we've been watching this fire unfold minute by minute. take a look at this video posted to instagram showing a hillside athe blaze with flame. tough to see because lake county has been decimated by other major fires this summer. now another dangerous night ahead to get through for residents there. this map shows the evacuating counties. in total we are talking thousands of people who have been evacuated from their homes. nbc bay area's christie smith is at the twin pine casino and hotel in middletown. >> reporter: what started as a small fire quickly exploded. more than 25,000 acres 1 burned in a matter of hours forcing evacuations near highway 29 in lake county. >> as far as my place, i thought it was safe. but not. >> reporter: jim drake of middletown says his wife left to calistoga as a precaution to an evacuation center. >> i think it just -- too much fuel, i guess. all the winds. i don't know where they came from. all of a sudden they we

the evacuees in calistoga and the red cross. you can, it's fairly easy. go to our website, we created a link where you click on how to help if you want to send cash donations or tents or any other items for the evacuees. that's it for now. we'll see you later on in the newscast. we'll send it back to you. >> thank you very much. the journey for those people is just beginning. going to be a long road ahead. >> not just middletown. the valley fire has left several other communities ravaged. you can see how widespread the area is. but it's not just flames people are trying to dodge, either. take a look at one of our crews captured as they were driving around pope valley, downed power lines everywhere. a very dangerous situation. no doubt. flames are sparing no one. cars, trees, roads, everything in its path is turning into ashes. this is what cobb looks like tonight. looks like a war zone. >> governor brown made it clear that his priority right now is doing everything he can to help firefighters gain the upper hand on the wildfires. the governor also emphasi

the site in calistoga isn't a long-term solution. they are trying to find a better location. food and donation continue to stream in for the evacuees. truckloads of items such as flashlights, diapers, pet crates, are being delivered. as for the damage estimate, way too soon to tell. state farm says it's received at least 320 claims from "valley fire" victims so far. but many insurers are just starting to get people into the burn area to assess the devastation. >>> some homeowners chased out because of the "butte fire" are being allowed to return today. the mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted in amador county. that news comes now that the fire is 60% contained. two people died, 365 homes destroyed. investigators say the fire may have been caused by a pg&e power line that hit a tree. >>> the fire danger could kickback up again this weekend as the temperature rises. paul deanno joining us now from fremont with some details. paul. >> reporter: it is certainly going to rise. temperatures are going to hit 100 degrees by sunday afternoon and a few inland locations. and like

the calistoga evacuation center officially closed. that means hundreds of evacuees are on a move to a new shelter closer to home. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez is in middletown this evening. this isn't a one-month process here. it will take more than a wrayea for a lot of people to get back on their feet. what happens now? >> reporter: it's going to take a long time. evacuees are transitioning today moving on to a new phase in the recovery and rebuilding process. now, in one hour from now, a special meeting will take place here at middletown high school to help guide them through that process, but for many, today was all about transitioning from a makeshift community in calistoga back here to middletown. ♪ after nearly two weeks camped out at the fairgrounds in calistoga, fire evacuees had to pack up and head out today. >> they took us in. gave us tents. put the tents up for us. >> reporter: calistoga evacuation center officially closed this morning, but the friendships and bonds made there aren't going anywhere. the determination to

which is near calistoga.can tell you the game plan for firefighters going into monday and tuesday and talk. and 10,000 that breaking news in lake and napa counties. a massive wildfire takes at least one life. hundreds of homes are destroyed. and entire communities are level >>> breaking news, fires in napa and lake counties. entires community are levels. >> now raj joining us from lake county. we talk about how quickly people had to flee their homes and they lost everything. >> they sure have. we don't hear this often, fire within 24 hours causing so much damage. don't be confused, we are not at the middle of the foyer fight, we are at the beginning. zero percent contained. around all these bluffs there is about a thousand firefighters on the front lines york working overnight. let's be clear, not in an offensive strategy right now. playing defense so to speak trying to protect what they can. among the 10,000 or more evacuees, are down the hill, down in calistoga. we spent time with them earlier tonight. they

jodi hernandez has more from calistoga. >> the outpouring has been simply incredible. we're here at the evacuation center in calistoga where hundreds of people are gearing up to spend a fourth straight night. now, this is one of several evacuation centers where fire victims are finding a lot of comfort. >> lunchtime, everybody! >> it's all hands on deck at the r ranch. popular napa county vacation spot has turned into a makeshift evacuation center. they have opened their cabins, cupboa cupboards, and hearts to evacuees and their pets. of all persuasions. >> as soon as it happened, we needed to do what needed to be done for the community. >> sondra and her children escaped with just a few items of clothing. they still don't know if their middletown homemade it. >> we just bought a house, and now there's fire. so it's very difficult. trying hard to stay strong for my children so they know it's okay. >> the generosity of others means everything to the evacuees. ♪ happy birthday to you >> 10-year-old isabel's tenth birthday party was evacuated by the order to evacuate. tod

one is at the calistoga fairgrounds.ie utehs is there live. >> a lot of people of still screaming in. they spent the night onside roads trying to escape the fire. early estimates were about 500 people spent the night but at in point they are trying to use breakfast to get a more accurate head count as people come to enjoy a warm meal. i can show you the calistoga food and beverages cart here. people are volunteering and the red cross rock stars. they are serving hot meals to the people who had to evacuate last night and this morning. evacuating middle town last night, highway 29 south was backed up for miles so it does not surprise me that people are still trickling into the evacuation center. i've been talking to evacuees. one worked for the forest serve clearing forest service for years. his candid description of the fire is likely the most accurate. >> one of the worst things i've ever seen. if you want to visit heli, you were nearly in it. >> let me show you some overnight video. many houses were lost. some, we are h

claudia: unas 600 personas se encuentran en el campo de la feria de calistoga.odo por el momento. regreso contigo ramÓn. ramÓn: en breve le vamos a contar la historia de jÓvenes que estÁn tratando a contrarreloj para elaborar el altar donde el papa celebrarÁ la misa en nueva york. los detalles de esto en breve. ramÓn: tres adolescentes latinos y estudiantes que alguna vez tuvieron problemas con la justicia construyeron el altar y el atril para la misa que celebrarÁ el papa francisco en nueva york el prÓximo 25 de septiembre. tienen entre 15:17 aÑos de edad y estudian en el centro lincoln. se anuncia en inversiÓn para entrenar mejor a estudiantes universitarios en el mercado laboral. los estudiantes hispanos se verÁn beneficiados en especial porque el programa busca hacer de ir a la universidad una experiencia mÁs asequible. >> muchos de nosotros venimos a este paÍs para tener una mejor educaciÓn. darwin: estudiantes con la ca podrÍan beneficiarse con programas de la casa blanca. se apoyarÁ una iniciativa entre sector pÚblico y privado que busca entrenar estudian

we're going to update what's happening in calistoga.ese are live pictures where fire evacuees in this makeshift tent city are facing a few challenge, the rain right now spreading in sonoma, napa, and lake counties. stay with us. we following a major earthquake -- off the coast of >>> want to get you back to breaking news. wie told you earlier in the newscast, we're following the major earthquake off the coast of chile. the 8.3 quake hit around 90 minutes ago. there's already been a 6.3 aftershock reported. nowic take a look at this instagram video. you can see everything shaking here. the earthquake was centered about 150 miles northwest of chile's capital in santiago. no word yet on any damage, but 8.3, there is likely to be severe damage. this earthquake praz prompted a tsunami watch stateside in hawaii actually. this is a live picture from kauai. this is a popular resort in kauai. if the waves reach huh wiey, it should hit in the overnight hours. >> we want to bring you back to jessica live at calistoga at an evacuation center. it's

live in calistoga, anne makevoc, kpix 5. >> i can imagine. thank you. >>> three bodies have been pulled from the rubble inside that "valley fire" burn zone. officials say leonard neft a 69- year-old man. his car was found burned an abandoned. the family believes by the time he tried to evacuate it was too late. another victim bruce burns lived in a trailer at his family's scrap metal recycling yard. neighbors say he was probably sleeping and couldn't get out. the third victim 72 barbara mcwilliams was found dead saturday. she was a disabled woman with ms and was trapped inside her home. >>> the "butte fire" 150% contained. it's burned 75,000 acres. two people are confirmed dead and three 65 homes are destroyed. the "butte fire" is 50% contained. it may have been started by a power line hitting a tree. people lined the streets of angels camp that thank crews fighting the fire. firefighters posted this video saying they were humbled. >>> we had rain a day or two ago and the heat is on again. >> the heat is on again. now, we are looking at air q

live in calistoga. anne makovec, kpix 5. >> and thanks for that live report in calistoga. >>> in middletown, nearly half the homes in one neighborhood are gone. kpix 5 reporter, cate cauguiran found one home that escaped the flames unscathed. ironically, the owner was away helping others. >> reporter: it took minutes for the valley fire to wipe away a lifetime of memories for hundreds of families and here in middletown, nearly half the homes in the community are gone. some got lucky. >> i'm hearing over the raid you, headed -- over the radio, headed to middletown in the next hour. he was in cob where the flames broke out when he heard the flames were headed to his home. >> reporter: it would be two days before he got back home to see for himself. >> i drove down the street, and i was looking around and all my neighbors are gone, i'm just devastated. i thought my house is going to be gone. >> reporter: homes reduced to ash and rubble. his street looked like a bomb had exploded. >> as i came around the co

reporting live in calistoga, i'm jodi hernandez. nbc bay area news. >> it's a difficult story to hear. >> reporter: thank you, jodi. a lot of people have lost everything. we want to thank the firefighters for all their efforts. they've been working nonstop not only on this fire but this entire summer. it's been an explosive summer in terms much wildfires in northern california. now, jodi was at the evacuation center at the fairgrounds in calistoga. we stopped by there earlier today, my photographer and i. we saw donations pouring in, water, sleeping bags and the volunteers. people coming from everywhere just wanting to help. wanting to do something. they came in, signed up, put on a vest and got to work. trying to help these evacuees pass the time. some heard today they won't be allowed to go back for seven to ten days. that's longer than expected. really disappointing news. we spoke to one resident about that. >> really just waiting it out. hope for the best. >> must be anxious. >> definitely. >> frustrated? >> yes. >> reporter: ke

northbound highway 29 is closed right outside calistoga. it may reopen by noon.nter is in calistoga at the napa county fair grounds. people are still arriving. some admitted they stayed in their homes too long before decide to go pack up and leave. a bat c7 news reporter katie joins us live from the red cross shelter at the fairgrounds with the latest. katie, what a frightening ordeal. >> carolyn, i can tell you the condition here this morning are drastically different than those we encountered last night. it's cool and rained overnight. as we approached lake county last night on highway 29 we made it as far as the southern middletown to the twin pines casino and it was april credibly windy, it was warm, and a wall of fire appeared to be approaching highway 29. we turned around with many of the evacuees who are now staying, as you see behind me, at the napa county fair grounds. the are he had cross has set up a shelter. some 500 or so people here are in cotts, in their cars. we stayed in our live struck overnight. fire is so intense. seeing really is believing. l

all the way to the outskirts of calistoga in napa county. it's a 30-mile stretch, home to 8,000 people. it began before 1:30 yesterday afternoon and quickly exploded. >> we've mentioned there have been injuries but four firefighters among those injured, in stable condition this morning. they suffered severe burns in the valley fire. a captain and three firefighter had 4e79 helicoptered into the fire zone. they were equipped with hand tools and were frying to protect structures when something went wrong. >> it's something we don't want. we try to learn from these things to try to prevent them from happening in the future. and possibly killing other firefighters. >> the four firefighters were airlifted to the burn university at uc davis medical center in sacramento with second degree burns. they were in full protective gear when they were injured. now cal fire opened an investigation to find out exactly what happened. >> we'll keep an eye on progress and hope they recover quickly. of course it's the drought conditions that everyone is talking

go calistoga. come on valley. >> reporter: one thing you may not know is calistoga high school's athletic booster club they were here on the grounds serving the evacuees before the red cross got here cooking food for them. and so for the cooks from middletown, this is a great way for them to not only support the football team but also to say thank you to a community that's supported them. live in calistoga, emily turner, kpix 5. >>> things are getting back to normal in pope valley. the k through 8th grade school reopened today. school buses pulled up eager kids filed in. only about half the students showed up. but it's a welcome change from weeks of displacement and parents and students alike. >> it's nice to know what tomorrow is going to bring. >> the "valley fire" displaced thousands of people many who now live in this makeshift tenth city. on monday, all schools from the kelseyville district and another district will be back open. >>> firefighters are concerned hot temperatures this weekend wil

wet neither for vac evacuees at the napa fairgrounds at calistoga. a lot of people have been here since saturday or sunday. now they are being told it's going to be possibly until next sunday when they might be able to return home. >> we're hoping our house is still there. [ crying ] >> reporter: miss flynn signed up yesterday for a sheriff's office escort back home. she is hoping to get one today. >> we have to know if we can breathe easier or if we have to go and pick up the pieces all over again. >> reporter: at the evacuation center in calistoga evacuees are doing their best to waterproof their tents. while it made for a challenging night -- >> the rain has helped us i am americansly slowing the progress -- immensely, slowing the progression of the fire. >> reporter: overnight fire crews mopped up hot spots taking advantage of the cool wet weather. >> it's given the crews the ability to get out there and make some good headway. >> reporter: of course, the rain presents new challenges to firefighters, muddy dirt roads and slick hillsides. >> but t

about 800 people are still at the fairgrounds in calistoga.acuated from napa and lake counties. no word yet on when they may be able to go return home. some of the homes are still standing. but 585 homes have burned down in the "valley fire." for two days this week the sheriff's office had been escorting people back to their properties to see what, if anything, is left. those escorts ended abruptly wednesday night. no word on whether or not they will restart. the only timeline, fire to be controlled in a week. other questions at this point unanswered. >> these poor people that lost their homes, fema brought in to bring in trailers to put on their properties.

. >> bob redell in calistoga. many evacuees excited to find out when they can return home. >> many of them are asleep right now at the evacuation center here at the napa county fairgrounds and hoping to get news later this morning and not until later this afternoon about hidden valley because word that part of hidden valley, one of the communities inside the fire zone. that part could be reopen today. you might recall yesterday that authorities did lift the evacuation orders in napa county during a townhall meeting for evacuees here at the napa county fairgrounds. firefighters and local leaders promised residents, remember, these are people who have been displaced for five days now, promised to return to their homes within seven days. assuming that their home is still there. cal fire wants to be the first to make sure that services are restored in their respective communities and that the fire is contained enough to ensure safety. as you have been mentioning, the valley fire is only 35% contained. >> what they're

. >> evacuation centers are set up at the kelsyville presbyterian church and the calistoga fairground. the red cross set up shelters at the keelyville high school, napa county fairgrounds. there's a full list on our web site, go to abc7news.com. >> drivers will be facing delays and detours because of the fire. the highway patrol closed northbound 129 to 175 in kelseyville and through lower lake. runs of people have been streaming into evacuation centers, one at napa valley fairgrounds. so have the donations. alan wong joins us. >> this place is full of people with stories of how they escaped, barely, with their lives. take a look. this is the napa county fairground in cal stowing gasser people -- calistoga, people are sharing stories, wondering if their home is there. as fast as the fires struck, this turned into a refugee camp overnight. the red cross says between 5 communicate a thousand evacueeee ares camped out here. it's a collaboration between the understaffed red cross and community members bringing in supplies, fresh produce. their buying diapers at the store and shipping in p

so we ran. >> tent city in calistoga tonight has become one unto it z. estimated 1200 people. >> we tried to did a census start hearing by the time you got to the circle over there the number would change. >> 1200 with sets of necessity ranging from clothing to prescription drug to form will for the baby. to food. >> with all the donation here nobody is going hungry. not even close. >> we can't think. this community enough for everything they have done for us t.without it we would be sleeping in our car. >> instead the napa county fairgrounds in calistoga tonight. heart break. mostly inspirational. >> and they have tent because the rain is coming. kim more at the present time behind us. certainly seem to know what they are doing. you think it would be inconvenience and bit cold and certainly will be. but as one gentlemen told me today if that rain knocks out that fire it's worth every drop. in calistoga wayne abc 7 news. >> now let's turn to drew because the weather has been changing a bit on the fire line. what do you have in terms of what they deal wit

calistoga 67. rain moving in earlier for the north bay.ast bay and tri-valley get rain later on this afternoon into the evening. but not before hitting the 60s and 70s, having sunshine throughout the most of the morning and early afternoon. an idea how much to expect. that's coming up in less than ten minutes. >> it's kicking in for places like the san mateo bridge westbound. we've seen folks crawl across the flat section. you see the jam. reason folks are feeding across bay from the castro valley area, north through oakland, san mateo bridge, dumbarton bridge, south of the san mateo, another report 84. smooth drive into south bay northbound build for 101, 85. 87 holding steady, slowing past curtner. recovery from earlier crashes on the east shore freeway. three lanes blocked at loveerage go a possible attempted kidnapping in the east bay. and -- >> there goes the van! >> terrifying moments caught on camera. a wall of water rushing through a small utah town. weather event. so much rain - that fell so fast >>> a once in a lifetime weather d

there's an evacuation center in calistoga that's housing everything from cats and dogs to horses. people have been bringing in big bags of food and other necessities, but the red cross says right now it really needs cash donations. you can designate your gift to victims of the valley fire at redcross.org and donate at all lucky and savemart stores in northern calf. we will have more on the fire in -- california. we will have more on the fire in a few minutes. >>> something that could help the firefighters, a big change in the weather. a live look at downtown san francisco right now and, palm, we had some scattered showers around the bay area today? >> yes. much cooler, scattered showers throughout the bay area, some of you with a steady rainfall for a little bit in the rainfall. kpix5 hi-def doppler showing those showers pushing into the central valley tonight, but we aren't done with the rain yet. gilroy earlier today did see rain showers along highway 101 capturing some much needed rain in the south bay. mount tamme nearly .2-inch of rainfall today, scott valley in the cruz moun

at what is being called camp calistoga.aced set up a tent city there. hopefully they are getting answers to all the questions they have tonight. >>> there was sad news out of

"today in the bay" bob redell in calistoga, some of these people may be able to return home today. >> some were able to return home yesterday, scott and laura. and then a few more today. unfortunately, a majority of people who are sleeping in the tents here at the napa county fairgrounds one of the evacuation centers, the majority will have to wait a little bit longer before the evacuation orders are lifted for the respective community. now, it is possible that a portion of hidden valley, that's a small community within the fire zone, it's possible that a portion of that evac option order could be lifted there. yesterday authorities lifted the evacuation order for various states and napa county and during a town hall meeting here at the napa county fairgrounds firefighters and local leaders promise residents that they will be able to return to their homes within seven days, assuming that their home is still standing. cal fire wants to first make sure that the services are restored in the respective communities and if the fire is contained enough. the valley fire is only about 35% cont

if schools are democratted, -- damned the students could be sent to schools in calistoga.ple at the evacuation centers could get their mail delivered today. the post office has been closed since the fire protect out and people would could get around have to drive to clear lake to get their mail but starting today, postal workers bring mail to the evacuees if shell materials in clear lake and calistoga. >> the state insurance commissioner will visit the burn area to meet with evacuees and he and the tomb will brief the local officials on insurance policies impacting those who lost their homes and they are eligible for income tax break according to franchise tax board for those if lake and napa and calaveras. you can give where you live to help out people affected by the valley fire and other wildfires across california. there are several ways to contribute. go to abc7news.com. there you will find the specifics or text red cross to 90999 to instantly give $10. >> a judge is expected to decide if three san jose jailed guards accused beating an inmate to death shut be let out

it's been reining oaining out t calistoga. >> .45 in sebastopol.ccumulating in middletown, and right towards sonoma, .08 of an inch. we've already seen the heaviest of the rainfall. that we will get move on through. so i know you didn't get much down here in the south bay. little to nothing and not a whole lot expected as we continue through tonight. let's take you to the fire zone where we've seen jessica reporting through the night. and we still have those areas o showers continuing throughout middletown, calistoga, and once again we'll likely see spotty showers for the next two hours. and after that we'll be on the clearing side, so these firefighters have several hours of some wet weather. the east sbabay is a zone continuing to get some wet weather. from san ramon down to dublin, hayward and union city also getting spotty showers, that's pretty much it for tonight when it comes to accumulating rainfall. tomorrow will offer hotter temperatures. we'll see about a ten-degree increase, 7 the in t-- 79 in th north bay. the next biggest thing we ar

have had to drive to clear lake to get their mail but the mail will be brought to kelseyville and calistoga. >> wine country animal lovers is picking up a tab for the bill of some pets injured, for fire victims where pets can be seen by a veterinarian at labeling county or the calistoga pet clinics and is coordinating pet supplies to the center in california together. >> some camping out in calistoga are sleeping a little bit easier because of "7 on your side" and michael finney dealing with back pain sleeping on the hard cots. he found two air mattresses left at a local hardware store and delivers them rebuild their lives and, remember, can you give where you live to help out people affected by the valley fire and other wildfires across california. there are so many ways to contribute so go to abc7.com or text red cross to 9099 to instantly get $10. more evacuees from the butte fire are running to their homes and firefighters say the worse is over. the 70,000 acre fire is now 60 percent contained. pg&e is working to repair broken and burned poles and power lines. we had a heat break, rain,

still a rough haul for the evacuees camped out in calistoga. but despite the dire circumstances -- hundreds pulled together today, to make sure a 5-year-old boy still felt special on his birthday. kron four's philippe djegal joins us live tonight in calistoga. with this heartwarming story. philippe. >> phillipe :pam. what took place here just a few hours ago, certainly will warm your heart. and, might even make you shed a tear. >> : we lost our house yeah. >> phillipe :and, since saturday, jessica cline has done a lot of this. using a shoulder to cry on, but today, these are happy tears. >> :everybody is so wonderful, i thank you with all my heart -- i feel so blessed thank you. >> phillipe :how could someone be so grateful. especially after her home in middletown burned down. left homeless, and stuck in a tent, using portapotties, like the rest of her neighbors. >> : you're getting these horror stories of what happened, but in those horror stories, you're seeing these things of beauty, where, the community, man its just been incredible. >> phi

everyone is being forced south to head towards calistoga.>> i heard the roads were jammed up.omebody from calistoga told me that the station off 29 leaving over the hill to santa rosa with -- was jammed with people trying to get out. what can you tell us about road conditions?>> the biggest dynamic we have a working against us as we have basically one ln., road sitting out in each direction. -- roads leading out in each direction. there are people on vacation and motorhomes coupling trailers. all these things had to the problem. almost from

ktvu's brian florez is why that one of the evacuation centers in calistoga. let's first go to alex savidge. you're getting a look at all of the devastation left behind where you are. >> yes. good morning to you, dave and this is in middletown where we are this morning. the fire scene -- swept through this weekend and send all of the people who live in this town running for safety. they are there at that evacuation center, but there are some horses and a lot of animals that we are seeing all around town that were left behind. take a look at these sources. we just got some video a short time ago. they went through this fire and you can only imagine what they went through in this pen as the fire swept through this weekend. look what we saw a short time ago. we saw a couple of pg&e workers busy repairing power lines as you can well imagine, a lot of work to do, but they decided to stop because they had seen these horses. they figured out that they in all likelihood needed some food and water so they stopped and gave them some apples and gave them some water. just

. >> alan picks up our coverage live in calistoga tonight. alan? >> is there are now 1,000 people camped out here and almost everyone is in the same boat. they have been traumatized. they don't know if the homes are still standing and struggling to maintain morale. >> we are not really down. we are never out. we will come back i love you guys. thanks for whether you are and what you do. >>reporter: lake county supervisor jim come stock tried to keep morale from slipping as hundreds ofe evacuee gather for latest update. >> as many know already we have had 3 confirmed fatalities. sp hate to said but i expect to find more. >> there was also some good news. residents in middletown. parts of hid el valley and north side of can be can return home on saturday. if they still have a home. for others the waiting tips. >> has been like limbo whether do i do. where do i go. >> sitting around waiting for somebody to tell you it's okay to go back and you don't know when it will happen. >> safety the main reason behind the wait. pg&e still has more than 400 utili

about 800 people are still at the fairgrounds in calistoga. they are evacuated from napa and lake counties. no word yet on when they may be able to go return home. some of the homes are still standing. but 585 homes have burned down in the "valley fire." for two days this week the sheriff's office had been escorting people back to their properties to see what, if anything, is left. those escorts ended abruptly wednesday night. no word on whether or not they will restart. the only timeline, fire to be controlled in a week. other questions at this point unanswered. >> these poor people that lost their homes, fema brought in to bring in trailers to put on their properties. >> what's going to happen with the school? >> things are going to happen and we are going to get you in as soon as we possibly can. >> reporter: there are 800 people staying at camp 150 of them children. they are showers, porta-potties and serving three hot meals a day. people are tired of being here and not knowing where they are going to go in the near future. so some people

kpix 5's anne makovec joins us live from calistoga where evacuees are reaching exhaustion. anne. >> reporter: yeah. you know, for a while the sheriff's office was allowing people back into their homes if they had one or to check their homes with an escort. that had been going on for the past couple of days. the sheriff's office has stopped that program and they won't say why. it's leaving a lot of people here at the evacuation camp in calistoga wanting to take matters into their own hands. >> i have news for you. you can put it on the media. us middletown boys are going home whether the highway patrol is there or not. >> reporter: dave leery lives in middletown and while much of the community is destroyed -- >> we want to go home! our houses are all safe. we have our own water. part of us have electricity again. >> reporter: a sheriff's officer escorted him back home yesterday but only for 15 minutes. no one is allowed in on their own. >> what are they going to do, shoot us? >> reporter: he doesn't want to stay one more day in this evacuee camp that 800 people call home. it

now, ktvu fox 2's allie rasmus is at one of the centers in calistoga.f the evacuees will be escorted back to their homes but there's some limitations on them, right? >> reporter: yes. we'll tell you the details about that in a second. first, i want to point out we're at the napa fairgrounds in calistoga. this is where 1,000 people are who had to flee the valley fire. right now, volunteers with the red cross are hard at work making breakfast. they are cooking 500 meals here at this food station. there is another one on the other side of the campground where they are making breakfast for 500 additional folks. they've cooked 60 pounds of bacon so far. if we turn the camera here, the eggs. 10 gallons of eggs they will start to put on the griddle. there are restrictions on who will be able to go back to their homes today, briefly. some of the folks here staying here at the napa county fairgrounds will be escorted by the lake can county sheriff -- lake county sheriffs to their homes for 15-minute periods. that's all they get. really, the focus for people goin

will be warm in middletown and calistoga. winds are changing coming from the north and northeast. that is an offshore wind. it will only be 5 to 10 miles an hour with some locally higher gusts but dry and hot this weekend. temperatures climbing. san francisco will be 10 degrees above average tomorrow with a high of 80 and concord all the way up to 94. and it will get hotter. we will talk more about that in 15 minutes. >>> before the evacuation order can be lifted, there is still a lot of work to do in middletownment we saw crews going street by street cutting power lines and dead trees. the valley fire is now 45% contain. some students in pope valley were able to go back to school today. the valley fire has burned over 73,000 acres since it broke out saturday night. three people have been killed, 585 homes destroyed. tonight, we are learning about some dramatic rescues. fish and game wardens drove into these areas. hear how they rescued three people from the fire including a baby girl later in the show. >>> a group of 49er fa

. >>> evacuations are still in place for some evacuees but the evacuation center in calistoga is set to close this week. tom vacar now with what's next for the thousands of people who may no longer have a place to live. >> reporter: calistoga shutter camp officially closes thursday as lake county residents return to the near by lake county fire storm area. there's the appearance there's still quite a few people here at the fairgrounds, the fact is many of these tents have been abandoned in place because they were donated anyhow. >> working very closely with the other partners in running this area to make sure the folks have some where to go. >> reporter: those shelters may be open for a long long time because according to century 21 north bay alliance realtor jane mullin. >> i think it's going to be very difficult because we're limited on the rentals available and homes for sale. >> reporter: according to hud foreclosures.com, there are only 42 foreclosures in all of lake county and just a meager 13 in the fire area that includes middle town, hidden valley, lake and cobb. fortunately

volunteers of calistoga have spent countless hours sorting and stacking these items to go directly to the victims of the fire. >> reporter: for days calistoga volunteer groups have been busy sorting bags and bags and stacks and stacks of donated items. >> there were piles and piles of donations. >> it must have been 50 tons of stuff in here. it was 5 feet high to about 60, 70 feet back. >> reporter: city councilman james barnes has put in sweat hours sorting clothes and necessities. he says it's been an overwhelming task to say the least. >> do you have enough people to sort and distribute? >> i've probably had 200 different volunteers in here during the course of the last week. >> reporter: some concerned residents reached out on facebook saying bags and bags of donated items were untouched but calistoga residents have formed volunteer groups and say they're determined to get every item to a person in need. >> there has been concerns, everything in this warehouse will eventually end up with the victims. >> reporter: this woman's desire to donate is personal. her grandson, a lake coun

first let's go to calistoga. to check in with grant lodes. >> pam:grant this still >> grant: no word on when folks will be allowed into their homes predict that is the one question everyone wants to know. there was a briefing at 515 today. with calfa by your saying that they were making progress with the fighter but the judge did not known when people will be allowed to go home or see what is left of their homes. >> grant: so many kind people. with late saturday evening, they had to evacuate for battered this is not new to them. they can come here to an area that has fooled bathrooms and showers and wash machines. or you can do your clothes. >> grant: this is a family who is appreciative and certainly wants to go home. >> justin go home and make sure is that there. >> goodness we have this place to come to. ravenous sleeping in a car. we've been forced out before a permit this is not the first thing after or first hybrid --this is not the first time >> grant: has this been the worst? >>. i think so. >> grant: peo

. >> alan picks up our coverage live in calistoga tonight. alan? >> is there are now 1,000 people camped out here and almost everyone is in the same boat. they have been traumatized. they don't know if the homes are still standing and struggling to maintain morale. >> we are not really down. we are never out. we will come back i love you guys. thanks for whether you are and what you do. >>reporter: lake county supervisor jim come stock tried to keep morale from slipping as hundreds ofe evacuee gather for latest update. >> as many know already we have had 3 confirmed fatalities. sp hate to said but i expect to find more. >> there was also some good news. residents in middletown. parts of hid el valley and north side of can be can return home on saturday. if they still have a home. for others the waiting tips. >> has been like limbo whether do i do. where do i go. >> sitting around waiting for somebody to tell you it's okay to go back and you don't know when it will happen. >> safety the main reason behind the wait. pg&e still has more than 400 utili

the humans are looking for tlc, a former calistoga resident is here to lend his help. >> it is about people being stressed out and we can serve love and do something. >> people enjoyed a hearty breakfast with volunteers cooking and the red cross said they are waiting to see if more come deperson on the direction the fire and if more evacuations are ordered. another concern is the weather. if rain comes it helps with the firefight but causes problems for those canned out. goal is to get them inside the buildings at the fair group. insurance companies are set up here to help people who are affected by the fire, to file claims. >> evacuees cannot return until the electricity is back and right now pg&e is trying to work quickly to assess and repair massive damage to the infrastructure. our reporter, janet o is going to join us in a few minutes, but, first, to the firefighting efforts is the weather. >> it is change. it will play a crucial role the next few days. meteorologist mike nicco is outside right now with the latest on the changing conditions. >> the touch of fall has been a bless

people have been evacuated along a stretch from lower lake to calistoga. four firefighters have been hurt battling the blaze. the firefighters were taken to uc davis with second degree burns. all four are expected to recover. we are going to continue to cover this fire very closely tonight. stay with kpix5 and cbssf.com for the latest. >>> well, foggy weather likely played a role in a plane crash that killed two crew members working on a tom cruise movie. this is what is left of the twin engine plane. it went down yesterday afternoon in the columbian andes. one of the people killed was a hollywood stunt pilot. one person on the plane survived. they were working on cruise's fourth coming film. >>> well, a rude awakening for a southern california neighborhood this morning. the sun was just coming up when a google test project suddenly came down. >> reporter: it is a bird, it's a plane. it is a loon balloon? this quiet chino hills neighborhood got an early morning wakeup call with a big surprise saturday morning. >> my husband came in. i sent him out for the

take 2boxes paola reyes de telemundo 48 prima edin calistoga...aola, un nuevo comienzo para estas familias... paola live live bug cg: paola facebook que tal buenos dias calfire esta considerando el comportamiento potencial del incendio y el reestablecimient o de servicios basicos como luz y agua para determinar cuando pueden permitir el acceso a las comunidades evacuadas.. take vo hoy los residentes de una de las zonas de evaaciconoc estates amanecen de vuelta en sus hogares, despues de que los caminos de acceso fuesen reabiertos a las cuatro de la tarde de ayer..., entretanto, la ansiedad esta aumentando entre las cerca de quince mil personas que han tenido que evacuar la zona del incendio del valle en los condados de lake y napa.... han pasado los ultimos cinco dias con familiares o en tiendas de campaÑa en refugios como este en la feria de calistoga... ayer calfire les prometio que la espera sera de dias, no meses.... take sot justin mcgough/cal fire: i'm not talking weeks i'm not takina month, we can get you in there in seven days less than se

and carm -- ktvu's tom vacar joins us live from calistoga.. >> reporter: yes, we had confuse here. situation here is -- we had confusion here. situation here has been over cast. the people are waiting to know when they can go back. many know the fate of their houses but they want to know. every day for the last two days officials have been holding these press conferences that are more information meetings for the silt one of the -- citizens of the area that come come down from lake county to calistoga. we heard some of the remarks today and here is what happened a little while ago. >> it is still spreading in different directions. there is not just one area that is very active. we have multiple areas. the fire is picking up. it is nothing like it was before and we have a lot of resources in the area. and resources are continuing to come in hourly to help. >> i know everybody wants to know when do we get to go home. not an easy question. when it is safe. horrible inconvenience. it would be more inconvenient to put you back in and have to evacu

nbc bay area stephanie chuang live in calistoga. steph, as evacuation orders are being lifted many people finding out there's nothing to go home to. >> reporter: yeah, that's the sad part of this. we do know the good news at 5:00 tonight evacuation orders are set to be lifted, but here you can see atd the evacuation center in calistoga there are a lot fewer people here at the tent city. yesterday 300. many who are still here say they have lost everything and have nowhere else to go. the tears start to flow. not every day just between errands like walking her dog any time she pauses to think and feel reality hits all over again. she and her family lost everything in the valley fire. >> sometimes i think it's not true. but sometimes i realize we're going to have to start again. >> reporter: the calistoga evacuation center has been home ever since. today, a sort of somber day as the boosters club serves breakfast for the very last time. while many have been able to return home to places like middletown, gonzalez and others have nowhere

we are in calistoga with more. tiffany? >> we will start off with the good news, evacuation orders for parts of middletown, hidden valley and the north side of cobb are lifted so some of the forces who are camped out here will be able to return home if they have a home to return to. >> part of the growing frustration is the lack of information about what properties burned and which properties did not bun. there is a daily brief at 1:00 o'clock p.m. at the lake county emergency operations center which is miles from the napa county fair groups so it may not be feasible to attend. also, students at pope valley elementary can return to school with attendance voluntary meeting for parents at 3:30 and classrooms can open on monday. in an effort to help all of the families affected, california's insurance commissioner will visit the burn area and the cell seeville high school evacuation center. he is expected to benefit local officials on insurance issues that families will face as they try to return and rebuild. it has been a wee

necessity made it out and are camp now calistoga. >> 72-year-old barbara mcwilliams is identified as the fatality in the valley fire with m.s. but when the caretaker called the sheriff it was too late. >> i knew she would be stuck and i knew she would have in way of getting out. >> you told the sheriff that? >> i if. i was told bluntly that they were busy handling evacuees and they would get to her when they could. >> the sheriff said they responded in 17 minutes but it was too late. >> there is destruction at every turn in the fire zone. look at this video with the massive valley where it began, the only light is from hotspots and the only sounds are from trees crackling and smoldering fires with down power lines and shuttered businesses and this quiet mountain town has been turned into a ghost town where no power, cell self, no wi-fi, basically no communication. >> a way people are communicating is through social media. authorities are wanting evacuees not to post the address online because other people may see them and loot empty homes. >> do they not think wherever going through

calistoga, graton, healdsburg, more than a third and it's still raining. mill valley in napa .10" or more so specifically for the "valley fire," the rain will taper off this evening. it will get sunny tomorrow. it will be warmer tomorrow. but the winds thankfully won't be as strong only five to ten miles an hour so relief at least temporarily up towards lake county right now. we'll talk about the seven-day forecast coming up. >>> all that rain is coming down on evacuees living in tents. thousands will spend yet another night of the evacuation center at the napa county fairgrounds in calistoga. many got out fast and couldn't teague much with them. julie watts says we can all learn from the tragedy and julie, it's just so important to have an evacuation plan. >> reporter: you know, from oes to the mormon church there is no shortage of lists online telling what you you should have in your emergency go bag but fact is we don't have one most of us. on the way up we stopped off and knocked on the door of an unsuspecting homeowner to demonstrate just how difficul