melanie woodrow, "abc7 news." melanie, thank you very much. >>> the main priority is t make sure the tubs fire doesn't cross highwa 29. this man walked hisorse up to the freeway to evacuate, as flames burned close by. the firefighters have gned a small measure of containment. the entire town mains under a mandatory evacuaon order. >> i love this city. i'm transplant. i'll take ownership. but i've been he 2 1/2 years, and i'll b damned if i'm not gog to save any one ofhose homes. >> the mayor says aone who hasn't left is a distraction to first responders and will be on their own. >>> an injured firefighter had to be lifted out of the atlas fire zone today. the chp shared this video of eir helicopter that took off to rescue the firefighter. suffered a moderateead injury and had to be rushed to the hospital but is expected to make a full revery. >>> while hundreds of firefighrs remain on the lines of the atlas fire in napa and sonoma county, tonight, som are 24 hours straight on the front r lines. eric thomas is live

live at sfo, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> hope she's located and reunited with husband. >>> oakland raiders are donating to the victims fund. gofundme set up by steve sisolak, $1.9 million have been raised. raiders are eventually moving to las vegas, issued a statement, heart of the raider nation goes out to las vegas. >> vegas is popular vacation spot for people in the bay area. some airlines, hotels and motels may waive fees for travelers worried about a trip there. michael finney with details. >> singer at time of the shooting played at shoreline the night before. country music fans here can't believe what happened. >>> bright and breezy start ♪ ♪ it feels good to be back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> flags are flying at half staff all around the bay area in honor of the las vegas shooting victims. this is live video, hayward city hall, police and fire departments, alameda county building and castro valley public library and high school. country music stars are known for booking extensive concert tours to play for their loyal fans but will fear of future violence put the loyalty to the test? davi

in santa rosa, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >>> it's 4:39 now. napa county officials are set to give a fire briefing at 9:00. the sonoma county sheriff is set to give an update as well. we're wait to go confirm what time that will be and will send out a push alert on the app when that starts. you can find extensive resources like the maps that show you where the fires are burning and up-to-the-minute evacuation information. the app is free to download on your apple or android devices. >>> in accuweather we're tracking poor air quality once again but thankfully the winds will remain rather calm for the firefighting efforts in the north bay. right now temperatures in the 40s and 50s but you do see a pair of 30s on the board. as we head to mendocino county we have freeze warnings as temperatures go into the upper 20s to mid 30s in the next couple of hours so chilly just to our north. surface winds, it's calm to less surface winds, it's calm to less than 6 miles per hour. you can see the gusts will radically increase as we head to midnight and into e

melanie woodrow is live with troubling allegations tonight. melanie? >> reporter: dan, a spokesperson for the facility says that all 400 residents are safe. they're accounted for. but the grandchildren of one of those residents, who helped rescue 70 of them, is concerned that others may still be looking for their loved ones. that brother and sister we spoke with helped load those 70 elderly residents onto two of the buses you see behind me. these are pictures of flames devouring the oak mont senior living community on fountain grove parkway in santa rosa. 3:30 morning, audrey went to check on his grandfather. >> when i walked in and saw those people, i -- and the looks on their faces, i knew that i needed to be the answer. >> reporter: he says there were two women in the lobby who he assumed were employees. he discovered his grand father wasn't in his room, but dozens of residents were in their rooms, many of them behind locked doors. back in the lobby, he says the two women he thinks were employees were now gone. he called his wife, who called 911. wh

. >> abc7 news reporter melanie woodrow is in another neighborhood decimated by the flames. >> reporter: here on crystal drive in santo ra so, it's hard to make out where one room ends and another begins. here's signs of what was probably someone's bedroom. the big concern today are the shifting winds. a wind advisory is issued with gusts of 50 miles per hour expected later today. the big issue that those winds could then pick up embers and take them to areas that have so been spared by the fire. 3,500 homes and structures destroyed. the physical devastation eclipsed only by the loss of life. 21 deaths. 380 people missing. along with fear and grief comes extreme uncertainty. a lot of the people we have been speaking with, mandatory evacuation zones, say they have no idea if their house is still standing. in santa rosa, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> really is just hard to take in the scope of this disaster and continuing to expand. question is, of course, the key factor is the weather and the wind. >> doesn't look like it's going to the right direction for us, spencer. >> we continue to

abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow has the story from santa rosa. >> reporter: before fire destroyedd his dad would drink milkshakes. >> remember when i hit the ball over the apple tree? >> it breaks my heart that he is not going to be back here screaming and yelling home runs that he hit over the fence with his neighbors. >> the a's are my favorite team. >> reporter: the fire destroyed his a's memorabilia. >> i want to be an a's player. >> reporter: so he wrote a letter to the team. >> my saddest things were my baseball collection, cards, my 17 jerseys, and my 10 hats. >> reporter: quickly catching our attention online, abc 7 news alerted the team's president who vowed to help. a meeting has been set up for later this week that we're told should include a few surprises. >> how does that make you feel? >> happy. >> reporter: happy for the fan who knows his favorite player's stance. >> takes the bat and he hits it super far. >> reporter: and every announcer's call. >> high and deep, and that baby is gone! >> reporter: no doubt -- >> back to work. >> reporter: he and his dad have plent

. >> melanie woodrow broke this story on thursday.looked at those people, visions of the titanic going down and people saying good-bye for the last time got in my head. >> reporter: his wife kathy, stayed behind to rescue people. >> these people can't just walk out and leave. they need help. >> reporter: people in wheelchairs, some with dementia. >> we asked them specifically, do you have an evacuation plan? we wanted to help out, and they said, no. >> reporter: he and a few other employees were busy rescuing people from the main building, the largest on the property. >> we did a wonderful job because you have to realize all the residents, there was just four of us. >> reporter: andre and kathy say there were no backup generators running, meaning they had to push or carry residents down the steps in the dark. a statement says, quote, all of our communities have evacuation plans. we have three backup generators on site. kathy says either the employees couldn't find keys or didn't have the combination to access the lock box that held th

reporter melanie woodrow. >> reporter: these are pictures of flames devouring the oakmont senior living community on fountain grove parkway in santa rosa. around 3:30 monday morning, rj went to check on his grandfather, a resident in the main building. >> when i walked in and saw the people, i -- and the looks on their faces, i knew i needed to be the answer. >> he says there were two women in the lobby who he assumed were employees. >> they said are you the fire department? >> he quickly discovered his grandfather wasn't in his room, but dozens of elderly residents were in their rooms, many behind locked doors. back in the lobby, he said the two women he thinks were employees were now gone. he called his wife who called 911. when the fire department arrived, cislg insisting the firefighters broke down doors where they found more residents sleeping. >> the repeated question is how come nobody came and got us, how come nobody told us we wir evacuating and from the fire department, where's the staff, where's the master key. >> in an e-mail, they say, quote, while we were in the process of

live in salono county, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> thank you. >>> well, fires keep burning alongoth sides of u.s. 101 in santa rosa. >> earlier today the flames forced the evacuation of two hospitals. businesses are also destroyed. >> abc news reporter in santa rosa now. >> reporter: the fire that forced the evacuation of kaiser permanente hospital still burns tonight, hours later you can se. i can tell you the smoke is going vertically, meaning there's not much of a breeze here tonight. the flames have died down a bit in the several hours we've been here. that is above fountain grove parkway to give you perspective. and if thomas moves to his right, you can see a blue light in the distance. that is kaiser hospital. i want to show you video taken earlier today of those dramatic evacuations from this morning and the patients there being taken out of the hospital by the staff members, those brave doctors and nurses and some of those patients were evacuated to santa rosa memorial hospital where staff has worked tirelessly despite some of them possibly losing their own homes. we spok

. >> melanie woodrow broke the story last week. >> live in the newsroom with the story only on 7. >> this lawsuit claims that oakmont senior living was understaffed. one of the plaintiffs was a resident at villa capry. oakmont has not responded to our request but one of the owners is talking about evacuation in e-mail sent to residents' families. santa rosa firefighter shared this new video with abc7 news taken around 4:30 a.m. last monday. as he and other firefighters drove to oakmont senior living. kathy allen, mother-in-law is a resident, still rescuing people. >> didn't know how to get everybody out of there. >> later burned to the ground. attorney filed proposed class action lawsuit against them. alleged oakmont duped residents and family members, assessing caregiver needs and charging accordingly but not adjusting staff levels to meet the needs. former oakmont employees and current and former residents confirm there is seld seldom enough staff to meet the needs. >> i saw your report and i was wasn't super surprised. >> we're paying good money. real good money. >> estimates more

. >> melanie woodrow with more on this story. >> the family got in touch with me friday night to say it looks like beth but doe may not make it. the family says she is not settling into any living arrangements as oak monday has set up all its 430 residence. >> that's all we have is each other. >> 92-year-old beth is in a hospital following the evacuation from villa capris two weeks ago before the facility burned down. >> i did not in my wildest dreams foresee she'd be put through this kind of trauma this stage of her life. >> sherry says her mom has open wounds on her body, a broken tooth and hip which doctors replaced this past friday. she said because he mom is byline, have difficulty hearing and has dplen sha she han been able to tell them how she got hurt neither did anyone from the staff. she estimated oakmont charged her 10 to $11,000 a month for her mother's care. >> my understanding we were paying for her to have everything she needed to be done. >> she said she hired a private care giver to be present 24 hours a day to be present for an additional $10,000 a month. she hired

. >> melanie woodrow broke the story last week. >> live in the newsroom with the story only on 7. >>ms that oakmont senior living was understaffed. one of the plaintiffs was a resident at villa capry. oakmont has not responded to our request but one of the owners is talking about evacuation in e-mail sent to residents' families. santa rosa firefighter shared this new video with abc7 news taken around 4:30 a.m. last monday. as he and other firefighters drove to oakmont senior living. kathy allen, mother-in-law is a resident, still rescuing people. >> didn't know how to get everybody out of there. >> later burned to the ground. attorney filed proposed class action lawsuit against them. alleged oakmont duped residents and family members, assessing caregiver needs and charging accordingly but not adjusting staff levels to meet the needs. former oakmont employees and current and former residents confirm there is seld seldom enough staff to meet the needs. >> i saw your report and i was wasn't super surprised. >> we're paying good money. real good money. >> estimates more than $9,000 a mon

law enforcement around the fire zones transitioning to new normal, melanie woodrow from transition centern santa rosa. >> reporter: we heard that phrase a few times ago, new normal. this assistance center is one-stop shop for anyone impacted by the fires. people from federal, state and local government to help. with most road blocks lifted and mandatory evacuation zones cleared, sonoma county's sheriff says deputies transitioned to new normal. >> sent agencies that were sent to help us home and back to normal staffing. >> reporter: agencies now will be able to apply for reimbursements through state and federal funding. in the county anyone whose home burned down able to get back to lot and sift through the debris for anything that survived. anybody impacted can find services on mendocino avenue. >> all the things normally drive all over town for they can do right here. >> reporter: came for loan to rebuild apartments for tenants. >> one in 25 years, other six, like family. >> reporter: county is down to no missing people. spokesperson with santa rosa police department says officers still

melanie woodrow with the coverage. >> reporter: a respirator madrigal dangles from a burned down home in santa rosa. sonoma county they are evers says three weeks since the fire his deputies has transitioned to the new normal. >> we've sent all the agencies home and gone back to normal staffing. >> reporter: the agencies will now be able to apply for reimbursement through state and federal funding. in the county, any one's home that's burned down are able to get back to your lot and sift through any debris. we spotted one employer driving around taking notes on any street lights damagedtal have to be replaced. anyone impacted by the fire can find information at local services in mendocino avenue. richard sharp came here for a loan so he can rebuild apartments for his tenants. >> one of us been in there 25 years and the other's been in there 6 years, so they're like family. >> reporter: the county is down to no missing people. officers still looking for 14 unaccounted people reported missing after the fires in the city's jurisdiction who were identified as having being homeless prior t

. >> abc 7 news repter melanie woodrow with the story. >> reporter: these are pictures oakmont sistenior living community. at 3:30 that morning martin went to check in on his grandfather. >> when i walked in and saw the people, the look on their faces i knew i needed to be the aner. they said are you theire department. >> reporter: he quickly discovered his grandfather wasn't in his room, but dozs of elderly residence were in their rooms. many behind locked doors. back in the lobby, he says the two women he thinks were employees were now gone. he called hi wife who call 911. when the fire department the firefighters break dn doors where they found me residence sleeping. >> the repeated question was how come nobody cam and god us and told us we were evacuating. from the fire depament it's where's the staff where's the master key. >>eporter: a management group says quote, while we were in the progress of shuttling residence to a designating location authorities refused to let staff reenter the area because of danger and said they'd take -- >> we had not stoed anybody from taking out reside

abc 7 reporter melanie woodrow broke the story. she joins us live with needs new details. >> oakmont senior living is made up of four facilities. investigations on three of those four. new -- that's in addition to very rayna at -- kill la capris -- villa capris is the building that burned down. oakmont had filed a response to the lawsuit we told you about last week. the lawsuit was filed by attorney katherine last month prior to follow. it alleges oakmont dupes residence and family members by accessing care givers need and charging families accordingly but not adjusting to staff levels to meet those needs. the claim is a proposed class action lawsuit. the attorney who filed the claim says that residence who evacuate the building storing the recent fires are possible members of the class. in its response attorneys for oakmont senior living argued complaint can not stand against a class action because each plaintiff has a different experience. oakmont senior live's attorney also maid a motion to dismiss claiming the statement fail to

abc 7 reporter melanie woodrow broke the story. joins us live with needs new details. >> oakmont senior living is made up of four facilities. investigations on three of those four. new -- that's in addition to very rayna at -- kill la capris -- villa capris is the building that burned down. oakmont had filed a response to the lawsuit we told you about last week. the lawsuit was filed by attorney katherine last month prior to follow. it alleges oakmont dupes residence and family members by accessing care givers need and charging families accordingly but not adjusting to staff levels to meet those needs. the claim is a proposed class action lawsuit. the attorney who filed the claim says that residence who evacuate the building storing the recent fires are possible members of the class. in its response attorneys for oakmont senior living argued complaint can not stand against a class action because each plaintiff has a different experience. oakmont senior live's attorney also maid a motion to dismiss claiming the statement fail to pre

melanie woodrow has the story. >> mendoza say no financial reward can give them back what they've lost. >> i miss my home. that was my home. >> a jury awarded the couple $3.5 million plus attorney's fees. >> i would probably rather have my life back than any award. >> for 2.5 years. the landlords harassed them and their then 6-year-old daughter when they lived in the apartment in the mission. >> i can't go back in time. and recover all the pain that we suffered there. >> the couple's attorney steve mcdonald says the landlords purchased approximately ten buildings around 2013. but more than 50 rent controlled units with long-term tenants. >> they had a business plan with business packages of intimidation. harassment and towards the rent controlled tenants. >> the city brought a case against the defendants as well. >> they were a warted $2.7 million in government penalties. >> a jury found the landlords practiced bogus evictions to increase rents that included the owner saying a family member was going to move in. >> the jury determined she never moved in and never intended to move in. >

in the newsroom, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >>> up next, an update ♪ so we created the only bed thatdjusts on both sides to 9 out of 10 couples prefer a different mattress firmness, your ideal comfort, your sleep number setting. you can even see how well you're sleeping and make adjustments. does your bed do that? the most amazing part is they start at $699. that's $200 off our queen c2 mattress during the final days of our fall sale. ends sunday. visit sleepnumber.com for a store near you. by living off the grid. completely. or... set the washing machine to cold. do your thing. energy upgrade california. >>> as if fires were not enough, a 4.0 earthquake hit mendocino county around 4:00 p.m. this afternoon. it happened north a ukiah, no no deaths of injuries. evacuation orders for the redwood valley community have been lifted but the area remains under an vac ways warning. unstable trees have been decision tracted by crews to prevent any flair ups. the told of deaths in mendocino county to 9 people. 8,000 people dislocated from there. one of the few -- it's burning off highway 20 and

in santa rows, a, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> well, the impact of the wildfires is not limited to it the immediate area. it's an issue for people who don't even live here. here's a live look at sfo where hundreds of airline passengers felt the fire impacts. we'll have that story and coming up take a tour of one of t (vo) with thousands of quality pre-owned vehicles... and exceptional customer service, head to your neighborhood enterprise car sales and let the people who buy more vehicles than anyone... flip your thinking about buying your next one. copdso to breathe better,athe. i go with anoro. ♪go your own way copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way" with anoro. ♪go your own way once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. anoro is not for asthma. it contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. the risk is unknown in copd. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. tel

melanie woodrow broke it on thursday, and she's live with story only on abc7. >> another resident's family told us they did what they had to do to get everyone out. sentiment echoed by one employee who also says he believes they're lucky it worked out. describes wheeling 89-year-old mother from villa capris. >> when i looked at those people, visions of the titanic going down and people saying goodbye for the last time got in my head. >> why he stayed behind to rescue people. >> can't walk out on the get in car and leave. >> people in wheelchairs, some with dementia. 3 caregivers when they arrived at 2:00 a.m. >> asked if they had evacuation plan because we wanted to help out. they said no, waiting for director. >> i wasn't taught it if they do. >> says he and other employees busy rescuing people from main building. >> we did wonderful job, all those residents, just foufr us. >> no backup generators running, had to push or carry residents down stairs in the dark. statement from oakmont says all our communities are evacuation plans. we have three backup generators on site. andre and kathy sa

melanie woodrow caught up with leonard george, also staying. >> reporter: why not leaving? >> house is $700,000, i'm not leaving. >> reporter: isn't life more worth it. >> i had this house built, okay? >> leonard said the santa rosa police came by, took his picture, said good luck. >> 19 people have died. 11 in sonoma county alone. new figure from the sheriff's office tonight. over 65,000 acres have burned in six major fires, including tubbs in napa. and over 2,000 structures destroyed, homes and businesses and several wineries. fire danger continues tomorrow. meteorologist sandhya patel to find out why. >> fire danger will be elevated into tomorrow. live doppler 7, show you what's been happening. radar is picking up intensity of the smoke from the wildfires burning in the north basement you can see it on the radar. this was earlier this evening. continue to 3 radar imagery like that, relative humidity up considerably and wind dialled down. calm in santa rosa but wind is going to switch direction and increase, tonight into tomorrow morning, gusting to about 29 in santa rosa

abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow has the details. >> reporter: catherine mann says she looked a long time to find a place as nice as varena. she describes a pristine property with activities and gourmet meals. after what happened monday morning, she says she's not sure she wants to go back. this new video shows oakmont villa capri, a community in oakmont senior living, engulfed in flames. for nearly four years, catherine mann has been a resident in oakmont's main building which survived the fire on fountaingrove parkway. in a new statement oakmont management group says, quote, staff members went door to door alerting residents to gather in the lobby. but catherine says she went into the hallway around her own around 12:30 a.m. when she heard a senior staff member's voice. >> what's going on, are we evacuating? he said, just wait in your room, which i did. >> reporter: by the middle of the night, catherine's granddaughter tanya sent her ex boyfriend, a santa rosa police officer, with his partner to find her grandmother. >> he found her outside of her third story apartment, crying and

abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow has the story from santa rosa. >> there was my room. >> reporter:fire destroyed their home, he and his dad would drink milkshakes and play catch. >> remember when i hitted ball over the apple tree? >> it breaks my heart that he is not going to be back here screaming and yelling, the home runs that he hit over the fence with the whiffle ball. >> reporter: he built quite the collection of a's memorabilia but the fire destroyed it all. >> i love watching a's games. i want to be an a's player. >> reporter: he wrote a letter to the team. >> my saddest things were my baseball collection. -- cards, my 17 jerseys and my 10 hats. >> reporter: quickly catching our attention online abc 7 news alerted the team's president who vowed to help. a meeting has been set up for late they are week that we're told should include a few surprises. how does that make you feel? >> happy. >> reporter: happy for the fan who knows his favorite player's stance. >> takes the bat and then he hits it super far. >> reporter: and every announcer's call. >> high and deep, and that bab

on rolling oak, melanie woodrow found one family who says they feel a mix of guilt and gratitude. >>mailboxes in santa rosa still standing. each of the homes they go to demolished. nothing seems real yet. >> now i'm going to start crying if i talk about. >> here rooms blend together. the remnants of a bed suggesting this one was someone's bedroom. >> looking at our neighbor's homes on either side of russ gone. there is nothing. >> miraculously, brianne and brad pruitt's house is unscathed. 17 years of memories untouched. >> we feel so grateful, yet feel a little guilty that people that we care about lost everything. my mom included. >> abandoned vehicles in the middle of the roadway could be signs of desperate attempts to escape. >> that was not there when i drove out. and that fire was on the property already. >> returning here made them wonder, what if it had been them. would they rebuild? >> initially i would say we were done. because it's -- you have all your love and 17 years of money into the piggy bank. and it's horrible. horrible. >> as their neighbors work through that same

right now, melanie woodrow is live saying police are going door to door telling people to leave and someing. >> part of the green valley area has been evacuated because of the atlas fire. another photo of the same tweet of smoke. they

. >> melanie woodrow with more on this story. >> the family got in touch with me friday night to say it looks like beth but doe may not make it. the family says she is not settling into any living arrangements as oak monday has set up all its 430 >> that's all we have is each other. >> 92-year-old beth is in a hospital following the evacuation from villa capris two weeks ago before the facility burned down. >> i did not in my wildest dreams foresee she'd be put through this kind of trauma this stage of her life. >> sherry says her mom has open wounds on her body, a broken tooth and hip which doctors replaced this past friday. she said because he mom is byline, have difficulty hearing and has dplen sha she han been able to tell them how she got hurt neither did anyone from

. >> reporter: in novato, melanie woodrow. >>> uc berkeley hosting a candlelight vigil to stand in solidaryl those affected by the shooting. and 2020 tlt will be doing a special edition here on abc7 followed by abc7 news at 11:00. >>> now at 6:00, district attorney cleared police officers of wrongdoing in three cases where they shot at suspects, two of whom died. one high profile shooting of police officer. shot kevin downs, recovering after nearly being killed. >> watch out, watch out! >> this is body camera video from the second case. robbery suspect firing at officers in may. one shot back and missed behind a house. final case involved deadly shooting of suspected carjacker in the financial district in 2014. district attorneys says officers were justified in all three shootings. >>> david lopez is back in jail after being accidentally released last week. santa ro santa clara deputies realized he had been released by mistake. still has eight years to serve for robbery conviction. >>> award winning film producer harvey weinstein is taking leave ab sense after expose revealing sexual -- rep

. >> abc reporter melanie woodrow with the story. >> a thorough investigation is underway to determine where the debris from villa capris was taken and if it was taken. a fighter told us he had not told us he has not seen this by any other commercial owner or residential since the fires. yellow construction equipment and debris cleared. this is what was seen at the senior living after a lieutenant called him to the site. >> i was surprised because there were no set criteria or approvals for any property to move forward at that point. villa capris burned down in the santa rosa fires two weeks ago. moon says the area is a restricting zone. >> we issued a decease and assist to stop work. >> here's what it looked like after the fires. >> i would estimate 75%. we're taking hazard materials from one location where we can control it in that environment. now we transported it to a new location that can be potentially contaminated with that material. >> reporter: so this is a bad thing? >> it could be yes. >> reporter: moon said oakmont sister living took the debris to a place in the crow. the

it in newsroom, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >>> abc 7 news was in calistoga where a cal fire crew returned to the tubbs area where a fire may have restarted. investigators treating it as a crime scene. calistoga has two dozen investigators looking into all the north bay fires. >>> abc was in downtown santa rosa when speakers were speaking to remove debris. >> think of all the things in the building, materials in your house and the pipes and wiring. this causes some concern. >> first and foremost we are not going to charge you for this clean-up. if you have insurance that has a clause for debris we'll be looking to collect. >> the army corp engineers will lead the second phase. it'll remove and continue removing ash and continuing debris. it is believed some people might be able to begin rebuilding by next spring. >> if you want to donate clothes or your time, go to our abc at abc7news.com. >>> today the bay area heated up bringing more fire danger. there is something going temporary fighters, the win. let's get a check with spencer. >> it's going to be hotter tomorrow and quite dry. here's

melanie woodrow broke this story last thursday and he's here with the story only on 7. >> an employee we spoke with described chaos, attempting to evacuate hundreds of residence from this facility. this is a video to show you of villa capris burning to the ground thursday night. a couple arrived at 2:00 a.m. to check on his mother. they say it was dark and no back up generator running. they say they asked three care givers who they met on site if there was an evacuation plan and they say they were told, no. a maintenance worker who was over in the main building tell abc 7 news, employees on duty did not have the combination to a lock box to access keys to buses and vehicles that could have been used to evacuate residence. he also said a senior employee told him to turn off the initial smoke alarm that sounded at about 12:30 a.m. abc 7 news asked that worker if there was an evacuation plan. >> i wasn't taught it if they do. in fact, i brought it up that night when one gentleman came in, he showed the fire we got back in the building, i brought up twice and i said what's your evacuation

melanie woodrow with the story. >> reporter: this couple says no financial award can give them back what they lost. >> i miss my home, that was my home. >> reporter: a injury awarded a between $23.5 million -- $3.5 million plus attorney fees. >> reporter: for years they say their landlord harassed them and their then 6 years old daughter. >> i can't go back and time and record all pain we suffered there. >> reporter: the landlords purchased approximately 10 buildings around 2013, more than 50 read control units with long-term tenants. >> they had a business plan with retaliation against tenants. they were awarded $2.7 million in government penalty. >> reporter: a injujury found t landlord's practice bogus. >> the jury determined she never moved in or intended to move in. >> reporter: the couple hope their long journey will inspire others. >>> new at 6:00, good news about the san francisco police officer critically injured in a hit-and-run crash. sources tell abc 7 news hi condition is improving. this officer recently opened his eyes and appears to be responding to his wife's voice. sourc

melanie woodrow with the coverage. >> reporter: a respirator madrigal dangles from a burned down homehey are evers says three weeks since the fire his deputies has transitioned to the new normal. >> we've sent all the agencies home and gone back to normal staffing. >> reporter: the agencies will now be able to apply for reimbursement through state and federal funding. in the county, any one's home that's burned down are able to get back to your lot and sift through any debris. we spotted one employer driving around taking notes on any street lights damagedtal have to be replaced. anyone impacted by the fire can find information at local services in mendocino avenue. richard sharp came here for a loan so he can rebuild apartments for his tenants. >> one of us

in santa rosa, melanie woodrow. >>> the death toll rose from -- after reporting of a teenager died from the fire. she died from a sacramento hospital. she was brain dead. she suffered severe burns while trying to escape the fire. her brother was also died in the fire. her parents were badly burned and they're hospitalized. >> the atlas fire is fully contained vel. in napa and sonoma county the upstate from the fire shows full containment is expected tomorrow. on the nones, tubbs and puckett fire. >>> set to introduce a bill when legislative reconvenes on january 3rd. it will prevent utilities to from being passed on to people not covered by insurance. >>> the ongenerosity is in full decision play of the fire. wayne procefrooed monohas the s. >> it makes you feel so good that you live in a community that cares that much. >> reporter: all that after another hectic day in city that's boutique filled with women skouerring the racks for beautiful clothes. every item in here is donated and free for fire victims. >> hundreds of items. >> gina and her friend began this project as what they call

melanie woodrow with the story. >> reporter: this couple says no financial award can give them back whaty lost. >> i miss my home, that was my home. >> reporter: a injury awarded a between $23.5 million -- $3.5 million plus attorney fees. >> reporter: for years they say their landlord harassed them and their then 6 years old daughter. >> i can't go back and time and record all the pain we suffered there. >> reporter: the landlords purchased approximately 10 buildings around 2013, more than 50 read control units with long-term tenants. >> they had a business plan with retaliation against tenants. they were awarded $2.7 million in government penalty. >> reporter: a injujury found t landlord's practice bogus. >> the jury determined she never moved in or intended to move in. >> reporter: the couple hope their long journey will inspire others. >>> new at 6:00, good news about the san francisco police officer critically injured in a hit-and-run crash. sources tell abc 7 news hi condition is improving. this officer recently opened his eyes and appears to be responding to his wife's voice. sourc

in santa rosa, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> he's on the way to rebuilding.eached out to fans on twitter, if you would like to donate memorabilia to our pal loren, we'll get it to him. >>> abc7 news at 5:00 starts right now. >>> we'll be ready when they need us. >> army of firefighters starts to gain upper hand in north bay but not before death toll rises yet again. this one hits fire crews hard. >>> significant evacuation orders are lifting but residents finding they have nothing to return to. >> we lost everything, no sense of focusing on grieving when so much to be done to move forward. many. >>> we're happy to be here to provide that service and comfort. >> first few hours had five doctors come in that weren't scheduled. knew when this happened they should be in the emergency department. >> health care professionals talking about caring for a tidal wave of patients in the first hours after the fires broke out. >>> and new video of the mad rush to evacuate hospital in santa rosa one week ago. firefighters get handle on the flames and many residents allowed

in santa rosa melanie woodrow abc 7 news. >> people who have lost everything are beginning the long andess of recovery. they're pouring into a local assistance center in santa rosa. >> two more centers open tomorrow and tuesday in napa. we're shown some signs of home. >> reporter: this endless sign is full of anxiety and uncertainty and so too are the stories told by victims and evacuees. >> we lost our home and everything in it. >> reporter: these folks stood in line for two hours to get help from local state and federal agencies but there's no limit on how long it will take to rebuild. >> everyone's situations is different so everyone's timetable is going to be different. >> reporter: some are leaning on their families for a place to stay while others take shelters at centers. joen has been evacuated for six days. meanwhile among the firefighters she's putting her comfort dogs to use. >> it's doing what it's supposed to do. >> reporter: another glimmer of hope in the most unexpected places. on thursday when the merced city fire department found this american flag. >> knocked over layi

melanie woodrow broke this story last thursday and he's here with the story only on 7. >> an employeee with described chaos, attempting to evacuate hundreds of residence from this facility. this is a video to show you of villa capris burning to the ground thursday night. a couple arrived at 2:00 a.m. to check on his mother. they say it was dark and no back up generator running. they say they asked three care givers who they met on site if there was an evacuation plan and they say they were told, no. a maintenance worker who was over in the main building tell abc 7 news, employees on duty did not have the combination to a lock box to access keys to buses and vehicles that could have been used to evacuate residence. he also said a senior employee told him to turn off the initial smoke alarm that sounded at about 12:30 a.m. abc 7 news asked that worker if there was an evacuation plan. >> i wasn't taught it if they do. in fact, i brought it up that night when one gentleman came in, he showed the fire we got back in the building, i brought up twice and i said what's your evacuation plan. i

. >> abc reporter melanie woodrow with the story. >> a thorough investigation is underway to determine where the debris from villa capris was taken and if it was taken. a fighter told us he had not told us he has not seen this by any other commercial owner or residential since the fires. yellow construction equipment and debris cleared. this is what was seen at the senior living after a lieutenant called him to the site. >> i was surprised because there were no set criteria or approvals for any property to move forward at that point. villa capris burned down in the santa rosa fires two weeks ago. moon says the area is a restricting zone. >> we issued a decease decease c assist to stop work. >> here's what it looked like after the fires. >> i would estimate 75%. we're taking hazard materials from one location where we can control it in that environment. now we transported it to a new location that can be potentially contaminated with that material. >> reporter: so this is a bad thing? >> it could be yes. >> reporter: moon said oakmont sister living took the debris to a place in the crow

abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow first broke the story on thursday and reported on friday. the department of social services opened investigations into the facility. only on 7 tonight, she spoke with one family member who helped rescue six families from the retirement home. >> reporter: mark described wheeling his mother health lone from the retirement home. >> when i looked at those people, visions of the titanic going down. >> these aren't people who can walk out on their own and get in a car and leave, they need help. >> reporter: people in wheelchairs, some with zplen sha. cathy says there were three people there at the facility when they arrived around 2:00 a.m. >> we asked them if they had a evacuation plan because we wanted to help out. they said no. >> i wasn't taught it if they do. >> thankfully we did a wonderful job because you got to realize for all the residence there were just four of us. >> reporter: andrey and cathy says there was no back up generator running. they had to rescue people in the dark. >> a statement delivered from abc 7 news says quote, with yo

on rolling oak, melanie woodrow found one family who says they feel a mix of guilt and gratitude. >> a row of mailboxes in santa rosa still standing. each of the homes they go to demolished. nothing seems real yet. >> now i'm going to start crying if i talk about. >> here rooms blend together. the remnants of a bed suggesting this one was someone's bedroom. >> looking at our neighbor's homes on either side of russ gone. there is nothing. >> miraculously, brianne and brad pruitt's house is unscathed. 17 years of memories untouched. >> we feel so grateful, yet feel a little guilty that people that we care about lost everything. my mom included. >> abandoned vehicles in the middle of the roadway could be signs of desperate attempts to escape. >> that was not there when i drove out. and that fire was on the property already. >> returning here made them wonder, what if it had been them. would they rebuild? >> initially i would say we were done. because it's -- you have all your love and 17 years of money into the piggy bank. and it's horrible. horrible. >> as their neighbors work through

right now, melanie woodrow is live saying police are going door to door telling people to leave and some residents are refusing. >> part of the green valley area has been evacuated because of the atlas fire. another photo of the same tweet of smoke. they issued a hard closure. no residents are being allowed in. >> you can see the devastation from the fires. leslie brinkley is in napa with a look at the devastation. >> i've been wearing my mask and my glasses all day. it is still very smoky. i'm standing in front of a home where a 99-year-old and 100-year-old couple lived. they perished in the fire. the husband died in the living room, the wife in a bedroom here. there's still china scattered throughout. the kitchen sink, a microwave, remnants of a life that's gone now. i can tell you, we've driven today, all up and down the hill here. we've seen good news and stories of survival. >> you can see the big old flames. 15, 20 feet. i told my family, pack up whatever is important and leave. i'm done. i'm going to die. >> he and his wife and her parents and son tried to escape but access was bl

melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> a lot of people are going to know someone's who's affected by this fire. and you just found out. >> earlier in the morning i found out a friend of mine marked safe, facebook has that feature. but now i'm learning my friend at lived in santa rosa for a long time, they lost their home. they got out safely, that's the good news. their girls are fine, pets are fine, but they lost everything. >> i see. >> thousands of stories. >> and there's going to be lots of these stories. thanks for sharing that. that's very difficult. >>> there's heightened security tonight at the scene of the tubbs fire in santa rosa. >> 6:45 at night imposed curfews where they have been mandatory vacations until sunrise tomorrow morning. that of course for the safety of the people in the area and allow first responders to get through and get the situation under control as soon as possible. >> anybody who is out in those hours, in the mandatory vacation zones will be subject to stop and potentially arrest if they refuse to either go back inside or leave the areas. in this case, they woul

in the newsroom, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> well, tonight the -- the bay area stepped up this weekend for help to puerto rico after hurricane maria. abc7 news was in oakland as donations came pouring in to the eatery's third anniversary and the owners used the celebration to ask for donations of basic items including diapers, baby food, batteries and hygiene supplies. a warehouse of items will be shipped out on tuesday. >> not going to stop. this is not from this day to the next. this is an an ongoing process an we're gone to keep going until puerto rico is okay again. >> one little girl named sophia donated bracelets so children in puerto rico will not be scared in the dark in the power outages there. >>> oracle open world kicked off in san francisco this evening. 80,000 people -- 60,000 people from all over the world to attend the event. abc7 news reporter lillian kim is live with the story. lillian? >> reporter: eric, howard street between 3rd and 4th is donated to open world opening this world with larry ellison as the keynote. >> hi, everybody. >> reporter: larry