deborah villalon monitored the crowd downtown. but we start with ktvu's eric rasmussen at the fruitvale bart station where the crowd heard from oscar grant's family. >> reporter: they did, ken. this is something of a symbolic sight after oscar grant was shot and killed up on that part of the platform there two and a half years ago. knowing that mehserle could now get out of jail in la in a matter of hours, people here were certainly angry but peaceful. >> protesting for who? >> oscar grant. >> protesting for who? >> oscar grant. >> reporter: 200 or 300 people took to the streets in oakland in the name of oscar grant once again. >> protest for peace. >> reporter: the i am meant release -- i am meant release of mehserle 11 months into a sentence for shooting oscar grant. >> justice has not been done. that has to stop. >> reporter: his nephew was killed on new year's day 2009. demonstrators held signs that said justice for all. >> what happened to oscar is gone and it is history. but this is not history. >> reporter: but violence did

deborah villalon is live on broadway where plywood went up today on some business windows. >> reporter: well, we are at the studio where you can see there are sympathies for oscar grant in plain view but plasters on plywood protecting the windows here. >> we also found the tmobile store on broadway boarded up. the manager says the building owner took the precaution this morning because of damage last year. outrage over mehserle's case erupted into rioting and looting, causing hundreds of thousands t.v. dollars of damage downtown. a footlocker shoe store and a family-owned beauty supply store were especially hard-hit. since then the beauty store has installed metal barriers to keep its merchandise safe. many people we talk to note the aggitate tore -- aggitate tores were from outside oakland. they hope the protest stays peaceful. >> time has not healed the windows but i think that some of that has dissipated. but there is still high anxiety especially among the merchants in this area because of the fact that whether or not they have a riot or not is always going to affect business. peop

ktvu's deborah villalon is at the fire station where both firefighters worked. deborah? >> reporter: they are memorial eyed here inside and out. you can see the black sash draped on the balcony and the flowers inside reflecting the sadness of this station and the city. the gear the two men used every day, their coats, their helmets are arranged on chairs in the lobby. they say everything. >> we are going to try to piece this whole thing together. >> reporter: at the fire scene this assistant chief told us the investigation in its third day will take as long as it needs to because of the deaths and the desire for answers. >> so far we looked at everything was done be textbook just like the book. it was going perfect. and then the thing blew. >> reporter: blew into a fireball. the men downed by a blast of super-heated temperatures. perhaps linked to the four storey lay-out creating a chimney effect. >> what is extremely difficult for us is this was a single family dwelling. it was not a high-rise and not something that one would typically expect to have two fatalities at.

live with deborah villalon. >> reporter: her on broadway, heather. on youth radio here oscar grant is remembered. but notice his image is plastered on plywood, put up for protection. when officer grant was shot and mehserle was charged protests erupted. >> what do we want? justice. when do we want it? >> now. are. >> reporter: later when mehserle got a ten month sentence protests again. >> we are not sure how this will play out. >> reporter: these merchants say they will be here whatever happens and that oscar grant's uncle said he will help watch their stores if needed. >> they never anticipated this and they never wanted this. we all want justice. but it is what it is. >> past protests have led to vandalism and burglary, cars set on fire and mounting damage. the city has sent out a notice warning the neighborhood. >> we will be okay. >> reporter: do you plan to do anything differently? no. >> reporter: but some businesses are boarding up. at this t mobile store it was a precaution by the owners. perhaps by posters advertising the march. >> i am ver

ktvu's deborah villalon is in san raphael tonight with a case that barely had time to cool. deborah? >> reporter: yes, these fires sent heavy smoke over central san raphael and the 101 freeway. take a look at news chopper two. this is san raphael hill which rises behind the historic selkirk mansion right next to downtown. it's public open space and known to attract homeless camps. and the alleged fire bug is one of those campers. >> it was the second fire that i heard the alarms. >> reporter: it was a two alarm fire. >> it was really close to our home. >> reporter: the first was set at this campsite. the second was higher up. and police had a good description of the woman running from the hill. so they were looking already. >> she showed up at the police department earlier and commit -- admitted to doing the arson. >> reporter: why? >> at this point we don't know. >> reporter: passed fires on this hill have been accidental usually from house fires. some who hike here understand though why the homeless come back. >> the only option left for those that are unfortunate enough to

ktvu's deborah villalon is in san raphael tonight with a case that barely had time to cool. deborah? >> reporter: yes, these fires sent heavy smoke over central san raphael and the 101 freeway. take a look at news chopper two. this is san raphael hill which rises behind the historic selkirk mansion right next to downtown. it's public open space and known to attract homeless camps. and the alleged fire bug is one of those campers. >> it was the second fire that i heard the alarms. >> reporter: it was a two alarm fire. >> it was really close to our home. >> reporter: the first was set at this campsite. the second was higher up. and police had a good description of the woman running from the hill. so they were looking already. >> she showed up at the police -- admitted to doing the arson. >> reporter: why? >> at this point we don't know. >> reporter: passed fires on this hill have been accidental usually from house fires. some who hike here understand though why the homeless come back. >> the only option left for those that are unfortunate enough to find themselves necessarily o

kutv's deborah villalon is live at the scene where deborah, that house was completely destroyed. we're on valley drive, where they are boarding the place up. this-bedroom house a total lois tonight. a call came in as a fire alarm, those are often false alarm, but crewses could see smoke from a mile way and called for backup. the family that lived her got out. they called 911 when the fire broke out. the house next door suffered some damage, broken windows, melted blinds, but firefighters kept the main fire from spreading, very tough with the winds that were whipping it along. at its peak contra costa fire with nine engines here. >> the fire was fully involved and winds blowing flames into the explosion and the home next door and not only did we have to worry about the home on fire, but vehicles, the home next door and also the home behind it. the home had a pool, which was a hazard to the firefighters. so there were a lot of challenges with the fire. >> reporter: the couple and their child, who are the residents here were taken to the hospital to be checked for smoke inhalation,