live in palmdale abc 7 news, back to you in the studio. sorry, folks i'm choked up. >> i understand. thank you. >> and thank you for information there. >> bp began scaling back clean up in the gulf today. the company laid off some 16,000 workers and that is about a third of the peak work force. officials say they're just isn't enough oil to clean up anymore. some of those workers did return to fishing jobs today. and the government reopened a large area east of mississippi declaring seafood there save to eat. there is a delay in the up yorts to permanently cap the ruptured well. crews found sediment forcing them to postpone sunday's static kill operations until tuesday. >> and tomorrow works -- -marks a one-year anniversary since three uc berkeley graduates were detained. this morning their mothers were join bid 60 protesters in new york. and the three were arrested while hiking along the iraq-iran border they have been accused of spy bug never have been charged nchl may, their mothers were allowed to travel to iran to visit them but they

live images from palmdale which is in northern l.a.e out yesterday afternoon grow over 97 square miles big enough it forced evacuations of 2000 homes in and around the of leona valley area. three buildings destroyed now the sun is coming up you can get a better idea are rugged the train is out there. and how difficult it is for firefighters to try and get any sort of advance on the flames appeared rainout containment has been placed at their present never good news. this thing grows at last check there was no defined direction it was burning in is eating away at depression all directions so we have the deputies that are combing the area scattering in all directions trying to get word of that they might want to start packing their belongings up and making for safer ground. watching that. water dripped paint helicopters still up in about this morning. everything is moving to try and get a control as quickly as possible. we'll continue with the latest on this as we get it. new for you this morning demolition expected to get underway on te

story at 4:00 in southern california firefighters of launched a massive air attack of wild fire near palmdale as it heads towards homes. this is a live picture this is the scene and look how the smoke is filling the air. the fire broke out yesterday afternoon it's only 5 percent contained at this hour. it's burning dangerously close to power loads which supply led to city to southern california. flames are looking at the towers of these lines go down southern california could face a major black out. delete a part of water power ask residents to reduce their energy usage where possible. the county fire department is called the country's big air tanker. this modified dc-10 can carry as much as 12,000 gal. of fire retardant. the huge flames of the drybrush are creating their own winds carried while aircraft attacked the fire from above about 750 firefighters are trying to protect homes on the ground. this afternoon the fire jumped over the california aqueduct you can see how close the fire is to these homes. where firefighters called the urban interface where wild land fires can infrastructures.

the one that is burning near palmdale is in the middle of this group. there to an l.a.ty, to encourage county the one we appear in the northeastern course store part of the state. >> this fire is burning northeast of sanford and go this one is writing a few structures. it's pretty much of the hills but you can see the homes that are here. this is a small fire only 561 a. but of course there are the homes there building and paying attention. this is the one we're talking about near palmdale it's a much larger fire to 5,000 a.. being close to home this is what we're talking about there's the aqueduct fire over help here in the hills homes on the other side of the aqueduct. firefighters are concerned once the target passed the wall is very short distances from the fire to all of those hundreds of homes. as we go further north were going to get to current county were there to the fires. the small what is the more dangerous one. if the fire starts going to the north here which is where a lot of the homes and buildings are proportionally the fire has been spreading in this di

the crown fire out near palmdale. that's their story, we've been so cool fire hasn't really been an issue this year. if you've been out and around for a number of time, you know how important this fire can be for the prevention of preventing fires. and we've got a lot of it. out in the avenues we have fog shooting up into market street. heading out toward the ballpark. we have some giants games going on tonight. take a jacket if you're heading on out there. temperatures will be in the 60s. a.m. fog tomorrow, that's saturday morning. weekend is here. a warming trend kind of hangs on with us, but it is not hard to get warmer than it's been. even though it was warm today in the inland valleys it's still below average in most places. the fog forecast tomorrow morning, then that looks just like, the fog forecast for this morning. that's about where the fog was. so tomorrow morning, if you are expecting, if you had it this morning, you'll have it tomorrow morning. temperatures tomorrow, a little warmer than today. you'll fi

so 20 percent containment is that 20 percent on the side close to those homes in palmdale? >> and cordially that is the active part of the fire they moved closer and closer to those homes appeared our letters continue to lead a good progress today oscar this morning going by percent contained and how where 20 percent. were battling some very difficult conditions where strong winds and dry conditions. >> this is an area that hasn't seen a burning quite a while so there's lot of you there? >> throughout the not respect their the station firebird last year but this is an area that did not burn so there's a lot of you will it's very thick overgrown ball home and has been to the last three years but three it this year we've had a lot of dry conditions and very flammable. >> he said this fire is your number one priority right now as far as the fires burning across the state? >> with the amount homes run by the pirates absolutely this is number one priority. we've blow everything we've had from cal fire is that a fire engine and aircraft in the air. >> tell us about the seventh 47

this one next to palmdale is the one we're talking about. it is the most dangerous because it is so close to homes and power lines. you can see there's another fire that's a little bit so that that fire is being eclipsed by this one because there's so much potential for a very major destruction. look at the fire you see the yellow linarias those of the areas that have been evacuated those of people's homes. the fire is coming right next to those homes. this is the aqueduct you seen in some next to those homes. this is the aqueduct you seen in some pictures we have reportsxñno ca important thing in you hear this always the first 24 hours are the most important times as to contain the fire. >> as it were to keep more home to growing up in flames like this one there also trying to protect these power lines if they're destroyed the impact would reach far beyond the city of palmdale. >> that's one of our primary priorities today because these line support to power through southern california. so were going to have crew this and very extensive ai

let's move a little further down near palmdale. you can see these yellow areas these are our homes and buildings have been evacuated. this is key to the fires burning close to what they called the wild life urban interface. this is where the would life meets with neighbors and homes. this is a concrete at aqueduct we receive confirm reports that amber's have jumped across a at aqueduct and caught fire to people's backyard fences. one of the reasons this neighborhood is evacuated. california's pulling out all the stops and bringing it all resources in this afternoon governor supports bigger spoke to reporters. >> we want everything the most important thing he will hear this always from the fire officials that the first 24 hours are the most important time to contain a fire. >> governors for snigger spoke to as the work to keep more homers from going up in flames are also trying to protect these power lines. they're destroyed the impact would reach far beyond the city palmdale. >> that's one of our pot primary priorities today becaus

they could use it in southern california, this is raging outside of palmdale.hat area going up in flames once again. right now, 2,000 homes in the leona valley in parts of palmdale under mandatory evacuation orders that last evening and it's going to be hot once again, around 100 degrees. winds will be around 20-25 miles per hour. back here at home, let's take a look at mist and drizzle as the clouds have lowered on the bay bridge, barely seeing any of the span there. that will make it interesting for your morning commute. some of the streets may get a little slick this morning. here is a look at temperatures, mainly in the 50s this morning. if you step outside in los gatos 51. monterey bay, 54 or 55 degrees. highlights, it will be sunny around the bay but the bulk of the warmth will stay in the east bay valleys again. clouds and drizzle is possible again tonight along with cool conditions. minimal warming this weekend. the reason why, we keep getting this sea breeze under cutting this warm dome in the atmosphere. more of it's back to the coast and hanging arou

this is near palmdale. firefighters have been waiting for first light so you can see the sun is coming up. that is important because this is when the air attack on those flames are going to get underway. this fire has forced the evacuation of about 2000 homes near this area. at last word it was zero percent cointaned, officials say homes have been lost and flames are burning near a transmitter tower and that is certainly causing a lot of concern. this all started yesterday afternoon around 2:30 and it has charred about 4500 acres. you can see the burn area on your screen now. this is not the only fire that the firefighters are fighting, so certainly resources are being stretched. in nearby concern county firefighters are still there working to surround two wildfires that have already destroyed about 30 homes. >> your time 6:13. we are also following international breaking news this morning. the u.s. embassy in paris says two of its employees are having medical tests now after they handled a suspicious lette

there are mandatory evacuations for about 2,000 homes in palmdale and leona valley. another fire near the town of tehachapi in kern county that burned 30 homes is nearly contained thanks to the help of favorable weather. >>> three more americans have been killed on duty in afghanistan, the three dying in two separate explosions yesterday in southern afghanistan. 63 americans have been killed in afghanistan this month. that is the most in any one month in nearly 9 years of the war in afghanistan. >>> the east bay search for a small town crook. very small. coming up next, the latest tip on the boy burglar and his adult sidekick. >>> and a massive marijuana raid in the foothills. who was running the pot farm and how much those drugs are worth. advantage topical s... >>> 5:06. the flea specialist for gentle, but effective, flea control. [ male announcer ] and this is our cheese. kraft singles. american cheese. only one nation could create it. and that nation is...america. a nation of dreamers, try-harders, doers. try doing this with roquefort. it's made with milk, never

near the city of palmdale. a growing wild fire. forced mandatory evacuations. 2,000 acres burned. 2200 residents told to leave. hundreds of firefighters are battling the flames. 14 closed in the area as the flames continue to spread. >>> they thought they were getting a great deal on an apartment but police say they were all victims. how investigators say a craigslist add turned into thousands of dollars lost next ahead. those people are happy 'cause they're gonna have a good time, and they've got extra money in their pocket. those are happy passengers. how much does it cost for those snacks again? nothing. at southwest airlines, when we have a sale, it's a sale. [ male announcer ] southwest airlines has flights starting at $49 one-way. book now only at southwest.com. [ rand ] how can you not want to get on the plane? come on and get on the plane. we're saving you money. now that's a plane full of happy. [ employees ] grab your bag. it's on. [ ding ] . >>> a san francisco wombb charged with grand theft and obtaining money under fal

katie. >> couric: ben tracy in palmdale, california. thank you. firefighters were also out in force at the site of a deadly explosion in los angeles. the blast leveled an industrial building that contained a welding company. one man was killed, another is in grave condition with burns. fire officials say a gas line that had been tampered with may have caused the explosion. in houston tonight, michael anthony green is getting his first taste of freedom in 27 years. green, now 45, walked out of prison today after spending more than half his life behind bars for a rape he didn't commit. all his appeals over the years had failed. that's until prosecutors tested the victim's genes for dna and identified the real suspect. now, green's long nightmare is over. >> how did you live day by day? >> that's how i lived, day by day, trying not to think about my situation, really trying not to think about it, doing what i did-- get up and try to find me a way out. >> couric: in a separate case, another houston man, alan wayne porter, was released last week after

the fire broke out yesterday near palmdale. it jumped the california aqueduct this afternoon and is threatening some major electrical transmission lines. stay with us. in about 10 minutes, we'll have a live update from the fire command post >>> san francisco firefighters had their hand full for a time this evening. a two-alarm fire damage two buildings in the city's pacific heights neighborhood. the buildings are on california street near steiner. ktvu's amber lee is live at the scene with the report. amber? >> reporter: frank, tonight, firefighters tell us that the turn of the century building behind me is uninhabitable after a fire severely damaged the unit on the second and third floors. it displaced seven tenants. a fire broke out here. witnesses say they could smell the fire and saw plenty of smoke. >> scary. really scary. i thought people were in there. >> reporter: people were inside. firefighters say that they evacuated people inside. supervisor candidate dennis trialy thought it was construction workers. >> at first, i

there are mandatory evacuations for about 2,000 homes in palmdale and leona valley. another fire near the town of tehachapi in kern county that burned 30 homes is nearly contained thanks to the help of favorable weather. >>> three more americans have been killed on duty in afghanistan, the three dying in two separate explosions yesterday in southern afghanistan. 63 americans have been killed in afghanistan this month. that is the most in any one month in nearly 9 years of the war in afghanistan. >>> 5:06. so friday morning commute, and a weekend forecast. we have been waiting. hi, elizabeth. >> hey, good morning, guys. let's go out to the nimitz freeway in hayward. everything is moving along just fine this morning. a stretch of northbound 880 was closed in hayward. that should have been picked up by 5:00 so we are good to go. we are seeing a lot of fog this morning so watch out for that. we hope chopper 5 can fly this morning later on for a hi-5 segment but looking iffy right now. at the bay bridge toll plaza, very light traffic. friday light as we like to call it al

>> we have a fire around palmdale. this was a little farther to the north and east than the one that was last year, but they are in the angeles national forest. this one happens on the eastern slope near palmdale it's out of control and they have the evacuation in effect. we'll keep an eye on that for you. and look at that. soupy mess this morning as we look from vollmer peak back to diablo. more moisture and more moist and drizzle than we dealt with yesterday. more widespread, too. here is a look at the temperatures everybody in the 50s this morning. we have either 54 or 55 degrees around monterey and also inland toward salinas and gilroy. sunny but the warmth will stay in the east bay valleys. look for clouds and drizzle and cool conditions again tonight and warming trend as we head through the weekend. clouds everywhere 5:00 this morning even to about 8:00 where we'll start to dry. by noon we'll see sunshine in most areas except for san francisco and along the coast. it will be 1:00 we'll start to see some of the su

the blaze is centered in the hills around palmdale, about 35 miles north of downtown los angeles. the fire has scorched more than seven square miles, fed by heavy brush and dry grass. about 1200 homes in leona valley and part of palmdale are under mandatory evacuation orders. >> we just packed up our valuables and we have our grandchildren with us and we're on our way to a friend's house. >> i have to get gas before it burns all up. and i'm on empty. didn't plan for evacuation today. >> the fast-moving blaze has destroyed at least two buildings but crews haven't been able to tell if there's homes or buildings on many of the ranches in the area. at least 500 firefighters are battling the blaze. so far there have been no reports of injuries. >>> now to the firestorm of controversy over arizona's new immigration law. the state is asking an appeals court to lift a judge's order blocking the most controversial provision. that judge is reportedly getting death threats. the outrage continues on both sides of the debate. sandra hughes reports. >> reporter: police made multiple arrests in

karen brown is in palmdale, where flames are threatening homes.ren. >> reporter: yeah, elizabeth. today is really all about the air assault. in fact, they have brought in a massive dc-10 to drop fire retardant. the next hour is critical as the firefighters try to get the upper hand before the return of the high winds. >> flames swirled out of control through the dry hills of los angeles. fire jumped the concrete and ignited a transmission station and raced through seven miles of brush. authorities describe it as 5% contained, meaning firefighters have made just minimal headway so far in controlling the outbreak. >> we're experiencing cooler temperatures than normal for this time of year. we are going to try to use that to our advantage and do as much as we can today. >> reporter: in nearby communities, residents saw the danger from the windows. >> the sky had changed color and, you know, the wait it glows into the house was different so we knew there was a fire. >> reporter: with the flames burning out of control, fire crews evacuated about 2,000

now it's been heading toward a subdivision on the edge of palmdale. several buildings have burned already down there. but it's not really clear yet just how many of those were homes like this one. >> it was like looking at a big giant orange fireball. you couldn't tell what was what, there was so much smoke and fire. >> many of the families that had to be evacuated earlier, well, they have been allowed to return to their homes as this fire makes progress on another front. so far, it has burned more than 12 square miles again near palmdale it's only about 5% contained at this hour. >>> one way to save crucial services such as firefighters always draws a lot of heat. that is paying higher taxes. but businesses in one area business district in the bay area have been paying more in taxes for years. and they actually have been asking for that. joe vazquez is going to show us why. joe. >> reporter: allen, let me show you something very unusual. a blank wall devoid of graffiti. i know most people in the bay area would expect that, but here on mission street

it is near hot, near 100 in palmdale.here after fog and drizzle will give way to sunshine inland, mid-80s towner 80s, and the coast and bay 60s and 70s. >> here is a quick look at some of the other top stories we are following for you right now at 5:43. >>> police are saying a fun man stormed into the emergency room at oakland's children's hospital early this morning just a couple of hours ago. he briefly grabbed a hospital worker before being captured by the police. you can see the suspect there strapped on to a gurney and taken away by ambulance. luckily no one was hurt. >>> a 17-year-old fremont girl and a 21-year-old oakland man both are now facing charges of a double shooting in hayward. police say the victims were shot execution style on west park street during a robbery that happened back in may. >>> the taliban is threatening to track down afghans listed in that wicki leaks document as informants for the nato led coalition forces. the fbi is now working with the u.s. government to find the source of those leaks wh

burnt more than seven square night town of palmdale. now, northern california fire crews headed to that area to help fight the heavy dry brush and dry brown grass that are really driving the flames this morning. >> i don't want to put rob on the hot spot here but i just thought i'd ask you, you know, we have been talking about cool, relatively calm in terms of winds here, humidity pretty good that helps what about down there do you have any idea what they face? >> unfortunately, the valleys north of los angeles seeing temperatures in the 90s, they have had very gusty winds moving down toward the ocean. you see the winds out of the north it dries out the air and heat it is up around the hilltops, overnight, see temperatures pretty warm and dry. really, the exact opposite what we are in the aw bay area. our air is off the ocean, staying warm, moist and cool into the afternoon. you see the golden gate or maybe half of it this morning, 55 degrees, west wind at 7. no offshore winds for us no low humidity levels, good news for our own fire da

helicopters are in effect and the winds are gusting, they're blowing a fire in the direction of palmdalet is why firefighters are working furiously. >> it is 7:32 a.m. and another developing story. dozens of san jose firefighters are being told to turn in their uniforms and badges. they worked their last chef, they're being laid off because of budget cuts. this after the firefighters union failed to come to an agreement with a contract to the city. joining us to talk about the situation is brandied bikini. and i sang in a great randy? >> action is to connie. thank you randy. how many firefighters are we talking about that are for sure to be laid off and there is no way of saving jobs. >> looking at 51 to 53 firefighters between now and monday morning, but they will be released and we to believe that there is a way to save the jobs that will accept the contract proposal because we do not have enough money to pay them off. >> to you are willing to make recessions because every city is asking if public workers deal to make concessions to help balance the budget. were you willing to work wit

there is winds pushing the fire from the southern edge of the mountain in palmdale. >> this big concern is that main lines control much of the pouer going into southern california has been a big concern z also the conditions was very hot today. and that is helping the fire spread. this is about 20% contained and tough with windy conditions throughout the day. >> a hot day and rugged conditions. firefighters say they've had trouble containing this fire. >> today this is difficult to limit growth. mother nature is not cooperating with winds today. >> firefighters are conducting an assault on the flames and fighting this fire with a number of air tankers including the massive dc 10 that can drop 2000 gallons in a single pass. >> the most important thing is that, you'll hear this always from the fire officials that there is 24 hours are the important time. >> firefighters are concentrating on communications powers on top of a mountain and on power lines providing electricity for edison customers throughout the area. these are 500 transmission lines. saying it's reducing power that passes th

palmdale residents scrambled. fire officials issued evacuation orders. >> packed up our valuables. >> reporter: several electric transmission towers, like this one, were caught in the fire. but so far that hasn't caused any power outages. 500 firefighters are on the scene. no reports of injuries or deaths, officials say that there has been no containment. this fire is burning just west of where last year's station fire burned. that was the largest fire in los angeles county history. they don't want to see that again. this morning, they are planning an aggressive assault from the air. hattie kauffman. >>> ethics charges against charlie rangel. he says he gained nothing but now that the details are out, rangel is not the only democrat with something to lose. cbs news correspondent sheryl attkisson is in washington and has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, harry. rangel's trial is expected to start in september. a spectacle a lot of rangel's colleagues were hoping to avoid. once among the most powe

talk about a forecast, zoom down and take a look at palmdale and tehachapi fire. bottom o them are going to be dealing with winds, southwest winds 25-35 miles an hour. temperatur in the mid 90s. it's easier around tehachapi, a wind of 10-20 miles an hour and temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s so it' not going to get any easier for the firefighters over the weekend. >>> tomorrow marks the one-year anniversy since three u.c. berkeley graduates were detained in iran. mothers were joined by protestors in new york. the three were arrested while hiking along the iraq border. they have been accused of spying. in mayhe mothers were allowed to travel and visit their children but haven't hear from them sce. momsay they have put their lives on hold trying to free that their k and put pressure on the iranian government. >> it's way past time. it's way over due. theris no reason to hold them anymore. we're calling on the government to let them go immediately. >> rallies are being held in several cities including san francisco. >> defendi the auto industry bailout. pr

that is safe but seven square miles near the town of palmdale have burned. at least two buildings have been destroyed. thick, dry brown grass and brush fueling the flames north of state route 14. as they zoom out here, you can see where the fire line is and comes up to homes and where firefighters made their stand. now, another part of that fire is along the same road. it was contained at 350 acre but again, dealing with some out-of-control wildfires this morning in southern california. >>> 5:50 right now. today marks a 102 since the deepwater horizon rig exploded in the gulf of mexico this is a live look at the crippled well. bp says crews on track to finish the so-called static kill operation by next week. but the next few days are crucial to the relief effort. crews had start pumping heavy mud into the well from the top and later from the bottom. the process could actually take days or even weeks. now, once the rig is fix iffed, the mission will shift to long-term recovery and cleanup. >>> it is friday that mean it is time for everybody's favorite nbc bay

the crown fire is near the center of palmdale. right now it is just 75% contained. fire fighters are putting their efforts to power lines. the fire has consumed about 8,000 acres and it's already destroyed four homes. the flames broke out yesterday and propertied the evacuation of about 2,000 homes, most residents have since though been allowed to return home. >>> a los angeles fire official now says a second man has died from a natural gas explosion that splintered and industrial building. it happened around 6:00 this morning at a welding business that now looks like a pile of match sticks. the second fatality occurred when a man tried to move his truck away from the wreckage and was electrocuted by a downed power line. so far the search for another employee inside the building has produced nothing. officials believe the explosion was triggered by a gas leak. >>> officials at children's hospital oakland are reviewing security procedures after a frightening hostage operation there this morning. it involved an armed man and an employees. kraig debro has more about th

the evacuations in place in palmdale and the real concern is a the power lines. we have major transmission lines that run through the area and provide. to southern california here's another live look from the carrier that's governor schwarzenegger on the right-hand side she is there at the command center for this fire going over plants which cal fire. will continue to follow the latest spyri in the meantime back in the bay area watching the weather let's get an update from jacqueline. >> looking live outside its san francisco we see a mix of the sun and clouds out there this afternoon. the fog sticking on the coast. will see very similar conditions over the next several days. a look at our current much cooler closer the coastline because the fog lingering into the afternoon. result in the north bay are pretty wild 78 in santa rosa, 75 and now but. our inland spots on the warm side 89 in antioch, 85 in concord and fairfield '60s around the bay shore and los '70s down to the south bay. i look at what we can expect tonight into tomorrow the fog is clinging to the co

the fire has burned more than 13,000 acres near the city of palmdale. whether co-operated this evening and at least for now the flames have died down to almost nothing. >> even though we have a budget crunch and we have a $20 billion budget deficit, everyone should be assured that we have the money always available for fighting the fires or for any disaster that may happen here in california. >> several hundred homes remain under evacuation orders tonight. back here in the bay area about a dozen san jose firefighters are turning in their badges and gear tonight. a total of 51 firefighters will be out of a job by the end of the weekend. the layoffs began today. the firefighters' union is stuck in a contract dispute with the city. many of the first to be fired were the last to be hired. >> what comes to mind is devestation. i never thought this would happen. came here with the intention of serving 30 years for a career an continue to serve the citizens of san jose and to be honest i'm just completely dump founded right now. just absolutely cannot believe

an example of that this session is there is a bill pending from assemblyman night from palmdale that basically what say that anybody who has ever had a drug conviction cannot volunteer in their child's school. there already are laws on the books that allows school districts to criminal background checks, but this would add this permanent exclusion for any -- and i'm not talking only net labs. i'm talking any possession. that is an example of the ever- expanding range of laws that limit people with criminal records. that is ab 2034. >>? there anyone here who can inject a little hope -- is there anyone here who can inject a little hope? we know that there are barriers. we know the laws are overreaching. we have employers that ignore the laws. so what is the solution, dr. richard s. -- dr. richards? how are we going to turn this around for california and the nation? >> i am actually giving this paper in two weeks in finland at a conference, but just some of our ideas that come out of the convict criminology group. the first is and the war on drugs. just and it. -- just end it. it starte

talk about a forecast zoom down and take a look at palmdale and tehachapi fire. bottom of them are going to be dealing with winds southwest winds 25-35 miles an hour. temperatures in the mid 90s. it's easier around tehachapi a wind of 10-20 miles an hour and temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s so it's not going to get any easier for the firefighters over the weekend. >>> tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary since three u.c. berkeley graduates were detained in iran. mothers were joined by protestors in new york. the three were arrested while hiking along the iraq border. they have been accused of spying. in may the mothers were allowed to travel and visit their children but haven't heard from them since. moms say they have put their lives on hold trying to free that their kid and put pressure on the iranian government. >> it's way past time. it's way over due. there is no reason to hold them anymore. we're calling on the government to let them go immediately. >> rallies are being held in several cities including san francisco. >> defending the auto ind

an example of that this session is there is a bill pending from assemblyman night from palmdale that basically what say that anybody who has ever had a drug conviction canno

reporting live from palmdale abc7 news. >> robert, thanks. >>> the labor dispute between ac transit and bus drivers will continue over the weekend. the driver's union asked the judge to block the labor contract that ac transit imposed two weeks ago. but the judge will not make a decision until monday at the earliest. drivers say they will continue to work. ac transit accuses them of an organized sickout causing service disruption. >>> well, it has been one year since the three grads were captured in iran. up next the need to help them. also ahead -- >> it is a shame -- it is a shame. >> what made this congressman lose i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

the 2000 homes that are in jeopardy right now and parts of palmdale are going to be evacuated.ing their best to save the houses and keeping the flames racing towards the community. it is 658 we're taking a live look at the cap hanging over san francisco, at the top of the building you cannot even see it. we have a lot of fog this morning. we're looking a little bit of a warm-up. a group that. wc÷88

pine ridge indian reservation in south dakota where unemployment is at about eighty percent or is palmdale california a once thriving suburb now filled with scenes like this homes once occupied now empty once cared for lawns overgrown and those who remained have strong opinions about lawmakers in washington i think they're very out of touch talk about spreading the word. if i'd like to see them spread their well first they have a job they don't care they're taking care of themselves i doubt they really are in touch with the streets or. between the politics in the middle east and. everything else. you know save some money here let's see them get rid of their fancy cars and their drivers it is no wonder then that a recent gallup poll about president obama's job approval rating found the highest numbers eighty five percent in washington d.c. followed by delaware and maryland among the lowest approval ratings wyoming west virginia and alaska where a well known alaskan often talks about the difference between d.c. and quote real america you don't need to consider is leading an issue to the stat

crown fire is tljt homes west of palmdale.his fire started yesterday afternoon and quickly spread to more than seven square miles. at least three structures have been destroyed. 600 firefighters are on the scene. >> farther north in kern county, good weather helped firefighters build containment lines that started earlier this week. about 150 residents still remain evacuated and a fire in the sequoia national forest is 20% contained after burning 25 square miles and eight homes there. >> weather hasn't been helping out very much. it's 6:36, what is the situation firefighters facing today. >> it's going to face hotter temperatures than yesterday. as they reach hundred decrease there in the southern parts of the central valley and into the angeles national forest. winds are going to pick up about 20-25 miles an hour. back here at home, notice how damp it is, cloud cover and a lot more mist to be found this morning. then it will dry and still left with cloudy conditions and temperatures in the 50s. by noon, clouds are pulling to

homes has just jumped the californi aqueduct heading to a subdivision on the edge of the city of palmdale. you can see live pictures there from the helicopter. several buildings have burned already. not clear how many of those were homes. >> it's like looking at a big giant orange fireball. i mean, there's no -- you couldn't tell what was what, there was so much smoke and fire. >> last night, most of it out in that area but many of the evacuated families have been able to return to their homes. so far that fire has burned more than 12 square miles. and it's only about 5% contained. >>> it's very windy there and hot. let's check with roberta and our weather here. >> temperatures today around the bay area, well, we were considerably cooler along the coast and socked in. a majority portion of the day. then inland, we seem to warm up a couple of degrees in comparison to yesterday. this is the scene towards the mount vaca cam. looked like the high temperature there today topped off at a very comfortable 86 degrees. meanwhile, let's go ahead and transition to the coast where we are socked in. o

nbc's jinah kim is in palmdale, california, where officials have ordered mass evacuations. good morning, jinah. >> reporter: good morning, amy. the crown fire has burned more than 5,000 acres so far and despite the cooler temperatures overnight has been pushing ever closer to some 2,000 homes in its path. >> how does it look down below? can you set up that ridge line? >> negative. >> reporter: overnight firefighters battled the raging wildfire near palmdale, 50 miles north of los angeles. the blaze, which broke out thursday afternoon in this mountainous area, fueled by high winds and heavy dry brush quickly spread to nearby communities, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 homes. >> i got as much as i could off the ranch and i think everybody is going to start leaving here. >> reporter: 500 firefighters battled the flames as the fire moved toward homes, catching many residents off guard. >> we were looking at it. it looked pretty far away. all of a sudden it was just right on us. >> reporter: 25-mile-an-hour winds swept embers through canyons and rough terrain causing spot fires

southern california an aggressive air attack is set to begin against a fast-moving wildfire near palmdale. we just learned 2,000 homes remain evacuated in the area called anna verdi. you are looking a at the fire that continues to burn in that area. there's 7,000-acres that have already burned since the fire exploded yesterday afternoon. power distribution lines, two oubuildings and a hay storage building have been already lost. what you are looking at is what remains of the area the fire went through. the fire is 0% contained. wins are gusting up to 20 miles an hour and are expected to kick up this afternoon. >>> bay area firefighters say the morning layoffs will increase the fire danger many their city. they are expected to be official lip out of a job in an hour. paul chambers is live from san jose with details on this story. good morning, paul. >> reporter: good morning. in the city is facing a $118 million short fall and the mayor was asking for firefighters to take a 1 a% pay decrease. that didn't happen. so dozenses of firefighters will show up and will be let go since that didn't

so far, it's burned through seven-square miles near palmdale, california.000 homes have been evacuated. >>> a grim milestone for american forces in afghanistan. overnight, we learned 3 more u.s. service members have been killed, bringing july's death toll to 63. this month is now officially the deadliest for the u.s. military since the war began there in 2001. >>> an unnerving incident this morning at the u.s. embassy in paris. two embassy mail room workers are undergoing medical tests after handling a suspicious letter. preliminary results indicate the envelope was not harmful. the embassy says there's no indication that anyone is in danger. back in 2001, the paris embassy was the target of an alleged al qaeda plot. >>> wall street is reacting to more discouraging news about the economy this morning. a government report is expected to confirm that economic growth slowed between april and june. nearly all sectors of the economy have weakened as unemployment remains high. >>> some extreme weather overseas this morning. dramatic images from pakistan, where mo

hundreds of families were forced from their homes near palmdale, california. raging grass and brush fire. it's burned several square miles. >>> all eyes on wall street later this morning after disappointing economic reports but encouraging news for real estate after mortgage rates dropped again. >>> wedding planners are busy at an update new york estate getting ready for chelsea clinton's big day. she's marrying marc mezvinsky tomorrow. >>> finally this half hour, cats living in a lap of luxury. a museum in russia is known for two things. art and cats. >> that's right. cats. 60 felines there and a staff that takes care of them. you could say it's the purr-fect life. i didn't write that. alex marquardt reports from st. petersburg. >> thanks, willis. >> reporter: the museum sits on the banks of st. petersburg's neva river. its walls filled with priceless masterpieces. so much art you could roam the halls for days and still not see it all. but out of sight to the millions of tourists who come here are the residents who have called this place home for more than 20

after the war he returned to california and palmdale where he became the first man to break the sound barrier on october 14, 1947. today the rolling desert winds that he sored over inspires the -- soared over inspires the is next pilots. the home of california is home to an incredibly diverse deployment -- environment. it was the open desert that in 1942 became the home of marine corps logistics base. vitally -- vital equipment and vehicles for the marine corps island hopping campaign was shipped to there and preparation of deployment to the pacific theater. it later became the home to many of these veterans who made their homes and developed the economy of san bernardino county. central california's also home to one of the more difficult passages of the second world war, the internment camp, where japanese americans were relocated and held captive. many of these young americans jumped at the chance to prove their devotion to america and enlisted, deployed to the european theater and distinguished themselves in combat service to their true native country, the united states of america.