the west fire near the town of tehachapi has burned more than 30 homes.ictim tells the tehachapi news the fire was started yesterday afternoon by menussing a grinder to cut scrap metal. he says he lost everything including animals. >> house, barn, cars, trucks, everything i own. >> another 150 homes are threatened. fire crews have been working all night to protect those homes. >>> there is another fire in northern kern county that destroyed six homes. evacuations have been ordered in the old west ranch area. that's near tehachapi. >>> san francisco supervisors have approved a project to transform hunters point naval shipyard into a new waterfront community. the project will take up 702 acres on the abandoned base t calls for more than 10,000 residential units and 300 acres of open space station. there are also plans for retail and entertainment facilities. last night's 10-1 vote was a victory for supervisor sophie maxwell and mayor gavin newsom. both have pushed the project for years. >>> antioch voters will decide whether to raise the city's sales tax by

the fire near the town of tehachapi started yesterday afternoon. are some evacuation orders this morning and crews are working to protect dozens of other homes that are threatened. >>> and voters in antioch and concord will decide in november whether to temporarily raise sales taxes in their cities. each increase would be a half cent. the one on antioch would last 8 years and concord would last five. both cities say they need to generate revenue to avoid more service cuts and layoffs. >>> well, we had some problems out in antioch for the highway 4 commute earlier. but right now, there is no big accident across the bay area. actually traffic is flowing fine through marin county. this is in san rafael, southbound 101 and northbound 101 both looking good near the 580 interchange and quiet through corte madera down towards the waldo grade and nice trip across the span of the golden gate heading into san francisco. bay bridge metering lights remain on but really no big need for them as you can see. there is really no wait approaching the pay gates. this

hattie kaufmann is in tehachapi with more. patty, good morning. >> reporter: this fire moved so quickly one evacuee had to drive through flames just to get away. right now you see just the billow of smoke. it doesn't look too dangerous. wait until this afternoon when the winds pick up. then look out. this fast-moving fire fueled by rapidly changing winds has already destroyed more than 30 homes. and threatening another 150 structures near the small town of tehachapi. george has lived here for 25 years. >> lost everything. including animals. watched my barn burn to ground. may boat. cars, trucks. everything i own. >> reporter: 200 firefighters are battling the blaze along with four aerial tankers. 60 miles due north, 700 firefighters are trying to contain a second fire near the town of kernville. >> grab the dogs and go down the street. i thought i was going to lose my house. >> evacuate! i'm going -- i ain't going nowhere. >> reporter: governor schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for kernville. this fire is 0% contain

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

two miles southeast of tehachapi. they are calling this the west fire because it started in the community of old west ranch. some 1200 acres have burned. what's burning here are vast tracks of ranch land. a lot of chaparral. a lot of old mine, tall pine and thick brush. as you said, the winds, a huge factor today. behind me you can probably see some of the wind mills here. this is a huge wind farm. there are probably some 5,000 wind turbines in this area. one of the largest in the world in terms of wind farms. so wind is something that they certainly deal with on a daily basis and not good news for firefighters. but again, zero% contained at this hour. we did see some aircraft in the air. and governor schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for the area of kern county so they can bring a lot of assets to bear to fight this fire. >> bob, you mentioned the winds are strong and i notice you are wearing a jacket so i assume it's not really hot down there. and i'm wondering about the cause of the near. >> reporter

the other is in the tehachapi mountains, where 25 buildings most of them homes have been destroyed. 1,000 more are being threatened. santa dra hughes joins us live. sandra, at noon you said a lot of home owners said they didn't get any warning. >> reporter: that's true. a lot of them said they didn't get their 911 calls until after it was too late for them to actually evacuate but what i want to show you right now is just over my shoulder you can see that the fire has just crested this ridge. what you're looking at now is a lot of smoke because firefighters are hitting this hard and fast from the air. they don't want this to move very quickly. they have been battling this blaze all day long to make sure no other houses burn like this one. >> reporter: donna moran is still fighting hot spots around her home near tehachapi, california. >> we can't leave. we can't leave or we wouldn't have a house. >> reporter: when flames from the fast-moving blaze got close to her home, she had five minutes to make a choice. she said she got no evacuation order ahead of the fire. did you think at some poin

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

the 500-acre fire is near the mojave desert town of tehachapi. it has already destroyed 40 homes and threatens another 150 structures. the wind-driven fire caught local residents by surprise. >> i was standing outside, visiting with a friend and saw black smoke. and then went in the house and came back out and it was huge, smoke coming from the mountain. >> a small community known as old west ranch has been evacuated. about 200 firefighters are battling the blaze, but officials say winds driving the flames keep changing direction. >>> this is day 100 of the gulf oil spill disaster. bp's shattered well remains capped and oil is no longer gushing from the sea floor but experts fear more environmental damage may be coming caused by vast amounts of oil lurking deep in the water. let's get the latest now from tara mergener in washington. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. on the surface the oil seems to be vanishing pretty fast. it's what we can't see that's causing the concern. nearly two weeks after bp capped the gushing well, the

hundreds of people near tehachapi are still forced from their homes. right now the wildfire is about 25% contained but it has burned about 1400 acres, nearly 2.2 square miles, and between 25 and 40 buildings have been destroyed. it's kind of a big range of buildings there because they're, a, still adding it it up and b trying to determine which are homes and which are just a shed that kind of thing. >> is it pretty warm through there? >> 90-degree temperatures there, too windy to get the helicopters and aircraft in there to work on the fires. >> they fan the flames, too. >> absolutely. the winds backed off yesterday. you saw in the video they got water drops on the fires to the south. what sparked many of the fighters around the state was lightning. you can see up to the evaluate of lake tahoe this morning, we have thundershowers. good news statewide, looks like most of the moisture today will be on the nevada side of the california/nevada border for this afternoon. back to the bay area, clouds this morning, which will start the change over the next co

most destructive blaze is burning near tehachapi.undreds of people are evacuated. >> final check on weather and traffic. >> all is quiet on live doppler hd. marine layer is lot less thick and not nearly as prevalent. flight arrival delay of 46 minutes. most temperatures in the 50s. 6. cool 53 degrees in oakley. this afternoon, look out for the warmest weather, livermore in the low 80s. mid 80s into the south bay and north bay valleys. warmer weather tomorrow everywhere and three the weekend except the coast. >> bay bridge it will plaza no delays. westbound 4 is hot spot this morning in antioch. slow from lone tree out towards summersville where there is a motorcycle crash. map of san jose where northbound traffic is sluggish near the capital expressway. and then heavy around highway 87. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us for the abc7 morning news. >> david gill man who watches us from san jose, they are moving.

interest there is a 15,000 acre fire near kernville and a smaller fire south of tehachapi threatening dozens of homes. and that is where we have abc 7 leo stall worth joining us live. leo? >> there is more and more resources pouring into the area here. and this fire fight continues here. the west fire has burned about 1400 acres burning three dozen structures. with at least 15 structures threatened, federal, state and local firefighters are battling the blaze which is about 25% contained the governor visited this afternoon, and the governor was given an update on the fire declaring a state of emergency in the area. >> we're fortunate up until now with our wildfires and he different fires around the state. there is less so far than last year. but... this season is here. as you can see. and this is why we've he declared this state of emergency yesterday to get state money as quickly as possible. and this is resources here as quickly as possible. >> we spoke to residents who lost in the fire. his home was compared. his garage was converted into a museum. >> i've lost my retirement, my sa

dozens of buildings were burned by the worst of the two wildfires near tehachapi. in the sequoia national forest. the governor declared a state of emergency in kern county. >>> an air force cargo plane has crashed near downtown anchorage, alaska. the c-17 went down at elmendorf air force base last evening. four crew members were on board. witnesses say they saw a fireball shoot hundreds of feet into the air. the air force says the giant plane was a local training mission. no word yet on whether anyone survived. >>> it is a day of mourning in pakistan as investigators look into the cause of that nation's worst air disaster. 152 passengers, including two americans, died as their plane tried to land in bad weather. nick schifrin reports from islamabad. >> reporter: in the hills above islamabad, an airbus plane is in thousands of pieces. some still smoking. locals and rescue workers form an assembly line to sift through the massive wreck. they find some bodies still intact but most were burned beyond recognition. and helicopters fly body parts down the mountain. more t

that west fire near the town of tehachapi is now 25% contained. temperatures are down, winds are calmer so if the weather holds they expect to have it fully contained by tomorrow. still, the fire is threatening about 150 structures. 25 buildings have burned, many of them homes. they have almost 800 firefighters on the lines. >>> it is 5:07. coming up next how driving habits appear to be changing, that since the toll has gone up on the bay area state-owned bridges. >> and more headaches for riders on a.c. transit. some bus routes are being cancelled. night... several bus ,,,, [ female announcer ] hurry in to the jcpenney appreciation sale for extra savings, now through saturday! save an extra 15% on all regular, sale, and clearance items -- no exclusions! save an extra 15% on all brands for her, an extra 15% on all brands for him. save an extra 15% on kids' clothes and footwear for everyone. save an extra 15% on everything for home, too. get extra savings storewide. so get in extra early at 8am saturday! go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. who

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 oil like some other slices. it is the culmination of the american dream. all wrapped up in individual s

it's burning in tehachapi just outside of bakersfield. 30 homes are lost, more are threatened. sandra hughes is on the firelines. sandra, what are you hearing from home owners this morning? >> reporter: well, allen, as you can imagine, they are just devastated. this is what many of them are coming home to, completely destroyed homes. you can see a truck that looks lick they were trying to escape, couldn't even breakthrough their own fence. that's what i'm hearing from people is that they didn't get the call to evacuate on time, many didn't get the reverse 911 calls until it was too late to get out. one woman i spoke to said she had five minutes to get ahead of the flames so she just gave up, stayed home, tried to fight the fire, protect her land, herself. actually, watched those flames come right up to her front door. the firefighters were able to save her home. but all of her neighbors' homes were destroyed. 30 to 40 structures have burned to the ground. 150 homes are still being threatened in this 1200-acre blaze. what made it move so quickly yesterday was very high winds. to

. >> with 1400 acres burned in tehachapi, about 50 miles north, burning around 15,600 acres burning a dozen homes and out building firefighting resources are stretched to the limit. the governor schwartzeneggar pro claimed a state of emergency. the governor visiting the firefighting command post, given a briefing on both fires. the governor spoke to us following the briefing. >> we're fortunate until now with wildfires and different fires all over the state but the season is heerk as you can see. this is why we declared a state of emergency. and this is getting resources here as quickly as possible. >> the fires forced 2000 residents to he vac wait their homes, kim shyer's home was spared but his garage converted into a museum for motorcycles and prized possessions were torched. >> i've lost my retirement and my savings. it's gone. i didn't save money, i saved artifacts. >> the west fire ism5Ñ contained since starting around 2:30. the fire started the day before is about 15% contained. firefighters say making progress, they're putting down blazes is far from over. homes and structures

the blaze near tehachapi is 44 contained and the fire in the forest is 20% contained after burning about 25 square miles and eight homes there. >>> detonator to 5:00 on this friday and embarcadero on the bay bridge. how is it. >> thicker fog was around caldecott tunnel but there is fog out there? >> you drive up into it in the higher elevations, it's thicker and more moisture laden this morning. looks like it's going to be a moist start to our morning and that again, just like yesterday is going to slow the warming trend for parts of the bay area mainly around the peninsula and also the coast. right now temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s in most of the neighborhoods. we have exceptions, los gatos at 61 and san rafael at 52. degrees. clouds are very thick in most areas, a little drizzle, still hanging around the coast but most is starting to dry. noontime stretch upper 50s along the coast. low to mid 50s around the bay and mostly sunny skies. sunshine everywhere except the coast. even some 80s showing up a around antioch and fairfield. seven-day forecast, warmest weather will be inl

most destructive the fires is burning ten miles southeast of tehachapi. destroyed at least 30 homes and another 150 structures were threatened. fire started yesterday afternoon and the flames have now spread to more than 1200 acres. >> let's see how the commute is doing. >> the slow spot in the bay area antioch, westbound 4, lone tree out to summersville because of an earlier accident. also, some of the slow spots, westbound 580 through altamont pass. as we take a look outside, you'll find a very minor wait at the toll plaza. >> when we come back, mike will have a [ crowd cheering ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] 2-scoop sundae, water and a free mlb® mini helmet compliments of aquafina. baskin-robbins. more flavors. more fun. our new neighbors are coming over for dinner. i vacuumed my carpet, but it's still so dingy. she needs resolve deep clean powder. look what vacuuming alone leaves behind. resolve gets your carpet truly clean,,, ...the moist powder penetrates deep... ...to release trapped in dirt. (lab girl) leaving your carpet looking like new. it looks grea

they say the 1400 acre fire near the town of tehachapi is 25% contained and hope to have it fully contained by friday. the blaze has burned up to 40 homes and forced 2,300 residents to evacuate. >>> in the gulf of mexico today, workers are preparing for what's hoped will be the last chapter in the oil spill disaster. permanently plugging the bp well. engineers say the temporary cap placed on the well a mile beneath the surface is holding and there is far less oil visible on the water or on gulf coast beaches. the next big step toward permanently sealing the well could come early next week. >>> hundreds of clean-up workers are at the scene of another big oil spill. this one threatening water supplies and wildlife in central michigan. the epa estimates that up to 1 million gallons of oil gushed from a pipeline. it broke monday near battle creek, which is 110 miles west of detroit. michigan governor jennifer granholm says the pipe's owner response to this has been wholly inadequate and she fears a major disaster. >> the last thing any of us want to see is a smaller version of what has happened

it's burning near tehachapi. right now 1400 acres have burned. it's about 25% contained. but it is still a threat to about 150 homes. if this weather holds, they do expect to have the fire fully contained tomorrow. 25 buildings have burned already. most of those are homes. now, a second fire burning nearby in the sequoia national forest has grown to 16,000 acres. it's 1% contained. that fire has destroyed 8 homes but apparently no other houses are being threatened right now. >>> tomorrow will likely be the last day on the job for 50 firefighters in san jose. kiet do says the department is grappling with that familiar combination: budget cuts and a union contract stalemate. >>> reporter: here at fire station 30 in downtown san jose, the emotional goodbyes from neighbors have already begun. >> we wish you all the the very, very best and hopefully we'll see you back again here before too long. >> reporter: rich andrew a rookie is savoring his last few days. he got a pink slip and on friday, he along with 50 other firefighters will be laid off. a total of four engines around

. >> reporter: plesco's home was one of about 25 structures destroyed in old west ranch near tehachapi. the fire moved so quickly there was little warning for homeowners to get out. 150 homes are under threat and hundreds of families have been evacuated. jessica garcia had only moments to escape with her dog sweetheart. >> our dog was frightened and scared. i was scared. >> reporter: 800 fire personnel are battling the blaze on the ground and in the air with planes dropping fire retardant. the biggest challenge is very dry brush and erratic winds. a second blaze is burning fiercely to the north in tsequoa national forest, also destroying several homes. the dual fires leaving governor schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency. firefighters have a long way to go to contain the blazes. as for george plesco, there was a bright spot amidst the rubble of his house. >> here, kitty, kitty. >> reporter: he found one of his beloved cats alive. one of the few things he can hold onto right now. >> come here! >> reporter: now together the fires scorched more than 15,000 acres. no injuries have

nbc's kristen welker is in tehachapi with the latest. kristen, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. governor arnold schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency here in kern county where we are watching two fast-moving fires. so far dozens of homes have been destroyed. people have been evacuated and a number of structures are currently threatened. if we could take a look at some of the video that we shot of this fire here in tehachapi. the first fire is called the west fire. it's destroyed more than 30 homes and is threatening about 150 structures. it's burning near tehachapi, which is 70 miles north of los angeles. it started yesterday afternoon and has already scorched more than 1200 acres. as many as 200 firefighters are battling this blaze and it's about 25% contained. now, we're also watching a second fire, the bull fire. that's in the sequoia national forest in the northern part of kern county. this blaze has destroyed six homes and forced the evacuation of a camp for juvenile offenders. so far 700 firefighters

authorities say about 25 structures have been destroyed in the tehachapi canyon.marieses were luckier -- some residents were luckier than others. >> i feel sorry for our neighbors that have lost their homes we're gonna try to reach out to them to see if we can help them. >> 1400 acres have been scorched. 40 miles north in the sequoia national forest, the fire has consumed -- has put 1200 homes in danger. the fire is 15% contained. at this point, officials are working to see what caused boat of these destructive fires to start. the governor's declared a r ker battle those concerns. >>> coming up next at 6:00, the bay area city that's currently installing cameras that will be able to video every car coming in and out of the area. >>> also at 6:00 what we're learning tonight about what the candidates of oakland would do to try to keep the as from moving out of town. >>> and a signature piece of the bay bridge arrives. >>> $10 million one step closer to heading to the south bay to preserve hangar one at moffett field. the houseappropriations subcommittee approved the

a fire south of tehachapi is 25% contained. it's burned 1400 acres since it broke out on tuesday. fire officials say they hope to have it fully contained by tomorrow. the fire has destroyed up to 40 structures, most of them homes and continues to threaten another 150 homes. >> about 40 miles to the north, a fire that begin monday in sequoia national forest has grown to 16,000 acres or 24 square miles. it's 12% contained after burning eight homes and six out buildings in the area of kerp >> we'll see if the weather will be help to firefighters. >> not as much as yesterday. today the temperatures are going to jump about 6-8 degrees so it's going to be hot once again. fire will create its own wind system. inside that fire is going to be breezy. we're feeling part of that heat wave. i promised a warming trend and it's going to hit mainly inland areas, today san francisco and oakland, pretty close to yesterday's temperatures, san jose, one degrees warmer, two degrees warmer in concord but four and five in fremont. temperatures in the low to mid-50s and even mist around the higher eleva

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 all across the upper deck. a little bit of roadwork, one way traffic controls still in effect for at leas

two and a half square mile blaze near tehachapi is 44% contained after burning about 30 homes. about 150 residents still remain evacuated and the fire in sequoia national forest is 20% contained. >>> firefighters like to say they sit down overnight but the palmdale fire looked pretty active still. >>> a lot of it had to do the with the terrain it's climbing up the hill and the hot air rises and drys the vegetation ahead of the fire and therefore it climbs up the hill even at night when the winds are fairly calm. they'll have hot temperatures again near 100 and breezes will be around 20-25 miles an hour so it's going to get worse. back here at home it's moist. a lot of mist in the air once again. temperatures hanging in the 50s. we'll start to see the mist dry but still cloudy and temperatures still stuck in the 50s. by noon how quickly we get sunshine and especially inland and still cloudy along the coast. mid to upper 50s around the bay. by handgun sunny just about everywhere except for the coast. low to mid-50s around san francisco and oakland. low 70s for the rest of the bay

fire crews are making progress against a 1400-acre fire burning about 10 miles south of tehachapi. it is now 25% contained. kern county has revised the number of buildings destroyed down to 25. they don't know the cause of the fire yet. >>> frustrated a.c. transit passengers are dealing with more service disruptions while the agency and the drivers clash over a contract. don ford reports it is slow going tonight for some people who are just trying to get home. >> reporter: here in oakland, it's day 10 of the a.c. transit labor dispute and like yesterday, today's commute will be affected. these a.c. transit transbay lines will be running slower than normal, not cancelled but the number of buses servicing these lines will be reduced due to drivers not coming to work according to the transit agency. bus today all over the system have been slow and the schedules have been chaotic, leaving many riders upset. >> very frustrated and i'm a senior and handicapped, and it is taking away my people there. >> we have waited 20 minutes, 45 going to an hour, hour and 15 minutes. it is really chao

nbc's kristen welker is in tehachapi, california, where the worst of the fires is burning. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. firefighters are feeling somewhat optimistic this morning, because as you mentioned, those winds died down overnight, which allowed them to make some real progress in battling two wildfires here. but both of those wildfires are still only partially contained. so they are gearing up for another very busy day. overnight, firefighters continued to battle the fast-moving blaze in tehachapi, 70 miles north of los angeles. the fire started tuesday and moved so quickly, some residents like george barely made it out alive. >> i watched two of my neighbor's houses burn before i got back to my place. and my place was fully engulfed so i just left. it's all i could do. >> reporter: he came back to total devastation. his house burned down, a lifetime lost. hundreds of firefighters are working around the clock to try to prevent more pain. they attacked the blaze by air, and from the ground. but they were met with tough conditions. firef