in napa county wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >>> thank you. the fire is causing evacuations of a different kind. livestock fleeing in mass. you can see horses and cattle scurrying across the hill side last night. there is a large animal evacuation center on county road 31. >>> this video from an abc 7 news viewer shows the fire moments after it broke out yesterday. cody trenton was running on a trail near lake berryessa. trenton said he was scared and surprised by how quickly the flames spread and ended up sprinting to get away. >> your pictures of the wragg fire gave us a great perspective, so many views. this is a panoramic view from jenna taken. you can see how thick and wide the smoke is there. melissa hannah posted this video on her facebook page and jeremy efferson took this picture of the smoke. thank you to everybody who sent in the pictures. if you happen to have video or photos of the fire from where you live you can send them using #abc7now. >>> a fire started around 2:00 this afternoon. >> highway 50 is closed in both directions to

wayne freedman showed us how they plan to put that money to good use. >> welcome to arts and crafts in the 21st century. >> when you are done making a stress ball. >> yes, stress balls where regina jackson felt a lot less stress today because her organization just received a $1 million donation to expand this building and mission. >> that's the fruit of all label. if we can have people make better decisions we'll resolve a lot of problems in the world. >> that would be one happy story in oakland filled with happy stories today. 17 organizations received $34 million from one anonymous donor who gave the money to the san francisco foundation to invest in oakland. >> they wanted to go to oakland and be transformative. >> $34 million is going to make a difference, particularly in the right hands. >> $3 million would help renovate a clinic servicing patients who don't speak english. along international boulevard, hack the hood will turn at-risk kids to tech producers. it's already influenced ashton's life. >> i use twitter and facebook. and it just opened my eyes to get behind the scenes of

wayne freedman says you will see the park like never before. wayne will have more coming up at 5:00. >>> the family of a woman who was hit and killed in vallejo is talking about that tragic accident. the family is blaming nissan for potential problems with new cars. >> reporter: here is the wrongful death lawsuit. three adults and two children were hit in that terrible accident. a mother was killed. the children suffered only minor injuries. the family is not blaming the driver, only the car maker. >> the only possible explanation was negligence on nissan's part. >> reporter: the fatal accident has devastated him and his large extended family. his mother was killed. his aunt is still hospitalized with a fractured spine. >> she is going to need a lot of recuperation. we believe that she may be crippled for the rest of her life. >> reporter: a close family friend was severely injured all hit by a car june 19 as they crossed the street with two young children. the driver of the car is emotionally traumatized. police have no charges pending. all tes

in san francisco, wayne freedman for abc7 news. >> we have received more than 23,000 views on facebook since we posted the droneview7. check it out on abc7 facebook page. >> people thing it is very cool. as do we. >> it is an honor to be the first station to do that in the country. >> exactly. hopefully you will see more of that. what kind of view would we get on the bay area? >> a lot of cloud cover. no tornadoes to fly into unfortunately. candlestick has clouds. and moisture. we can see that in live doppler hd from bay point to west leland avenue and pittsburg and hillcrest avenue and lone tree way to discovery bay and brentwood and 160 and wet from the sunol grade to mission boulevard and back to the parkway in fremont, a little wet right now. here is the storm i am tracking across the north bay hugging the coast to bow bay bridge to dillon beach. it will slide the coast to marin county coast as we head through the morning. we have flood drizzle, flood showers, flood, drizzle. you are high and dry again. 101, 880, clouds and not much otherwise. sutro tower shows the marine layer is

wayne freedman is there live with the story. >> reporter: what a chain of events. first a pot bust and then a chase and then we have kids in harm's way and then an evacuation. all of those adding up to what we saw today. this is what santa clara sheriff's deputies came for a big haul, 7500 illegal marijuana plants growing in the county hills with a street value of $16 million. there was a surprise when deputies arrived. >> when they entered into the grow there was three suspects. all three ran. we were able to catch one suspect immediately and we began to pursue the other two. >> reporter: the other two suspects escaped in the direction of alum rock park. it was not crowded but it does host a science summer camp for 33 kids and three supervisors. san jose police ordered a bus to take them away quickly. >> they were concerned about having children in harm's way of a police operation. >> the bus took the kids to the park where parents would pick them up later. they know little of what happened. for the sheriff's department frustration in not getting all suspects but

wayne freedman is live with a look at that. >> reporter: that would be just one of many attractions. they come here for food and wine and the river and to dip their feet in the river or more. just like us. >> back off. >> super important. >> reporter: no question about that because larry is about to send yet another flotilla of tourists down the river via inflatable canoes. >> it is wilderness. no roads no houses, no buildings. >> reporter: and water contrary to what you may have imagined even in a dry july will remember for brown laws and rationing. this river here is an example of rationing. >> have you seen this river lower? >> reporter: after a rainy winter you might see more water flowing here. the good news here is the sonoma county water agency is committed to keep water flowing into fall. >> my biggest concern is that we preserve enough water for the fish coming back in the fall. and if there is some -- doesn't rain again this winter we need water to carry into next year. >> is there enough? at this point we think there is. >> for the district this represents a balancing act

wayne freedman spent time with three of the men who made it happen. >> reporter: at the national cemetery changes to the landscape happen slowly and usually are permanent which explains three staring at a sign next to a vacant lot. >> unone reason we like the spot is heavy traffic. >> reporter: lots of cars and pedestrians. >> this is called the forgotten war because i don't think history gives it the kind of attention it should. >> reporter: the korean war which killed more than 33,000 americans. fortunately for retired commander john stevens and retired judge they survived. but raising the money and finding property to establish a memorial here would take more than half a century. >> we stopped communism and we saved democracy and religion. >> reporter: for those who fought in and supported the korean conflict this memorial is long overdue. 2,273 of the graves belong to korean war veterans. >> it takes a lot to put a project like this together. >> reporter: here is a rendition of the memorial with ground breaking scheduled for later in july. they raised almost all of the $3.5 million ne

wayne freedman is live with an update on the project. hi, wayne. >> this is a top the tunnel, the southern tunnel on doyle drive. this now takes two tunnels and let traffic go one way through each of them. >> the cause began on doyle drive last night. the 79 hour construction diversion that will continue monday morning. >> there is a lot of work to be done. >> if it calls in the commute, that is the affect part. >> how long was the wait? >> five days >> five days? >> yes. >> maybe he means it felt like five days. this is project manager. >> it's not easy. no. this takes a lot of planning. we can have been planning this for months. this is just tons you cannot build. >> so enter plan b, c, d, and e for commuting. this morning along the ferry carried a thousand more passengers than usual. to keep up with demand at midnight, all weekend. >> what have you heard about doyle drive? >> disaster. >> traffic remained light, they tell us. that said don't get too comfortable. >> we're experiencing heavier delays now and expect major delays. >> but t

wayne freedman is live from inspiration point. wayne? >> that is above the presidio. it's an interesting place. you have city life and urban life. crossing over. and when it comes to mountain lions, it may have been going on quite a while. this is video never seen in public. they're two mountain lions just four months ago, near crystal springs. >> how do you get a video like this? patience. >> this archiver is probably the last person to be surprised by this home surveillance stream of a mountain lion last week. the fifth such sighting recently. an educated opinion because frankly, they didn't need reassurance. >> i go crazy living next door to my friends. >> they're excellent at hiding. if you're to see one, it's reaction might surprise you. >> probably yawn and walk the other way. >> these mountain lions are appearing because cities are expanding into the broad range land. this cat, or cats nearly looking for real estate on which to stake a claim. it's not the first nor the last. wayne freedman abc7 news. >> morgan hill police say they received a spike in rourts of

wayne freedman is live from inspiration point. wayne? >> that is above the presidio.an interesting place. you have city life and urban life. crossing over. and when it comes to mountain lions, it may have been going on quite a while. this is video never seen in public. they're two mountain lions just four months ago, near crystal springs. >> how do you get a video like this? patience. >> this archiver is probably the last person to be surprised by this home surveillance stream of a mountain lion last week. the fifth such sighting recently. an educated opinion because frankly, they didn't need reassurance. >> i go crazy living next door to my friends. >> they're excellent at hiding. if you're to see one, it's reaction might surprise you. >> probably yawn and walk the other way. >> these mountain lions are appearing because cities are expanding into the broad range land. this cat, or cats nearly looking for real estate on which to stake a claim. it's not the first nor the last. wayne freedman abc7 news. >> morgan hill police say they received a spike in rourts of sighti

wab wayne freedman is in the newsroom with the story. wayne?e vatican this morning and chimit change. maybe the most-pressing problem. >> we have fierce opposition and blind dissertion. >> that is jerry brown, one of many leaders who held the pope's ear for ten minutes today. ed lee used the platform to announce an end to heavy duty trucks and buses. >> this will reduce green house gas emissions by over 60%. and costs will be reduced. >> this day had a more lofty ambition. >> humanitarian. >> brother charles told us about the pope's goals for ending climate change. >> climate change affects the poor most and firstly and drives them to desperate means. >> that is wayne freedman reporting. thousands of bay area residents had an earl hi wake up call after a 4.0 earthquake hit the quake's epicenter was two miles northeast of fremont. a dozen after shocks followed. here is what it's like on the abc7 seismograph. it's a good reminder to prepare for a major earthquake on this fault line. >> there is a 31% chance of having a 6.7. so that is really kind

. >> that is where abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman joins us live tonight. >> reporter: drones have been flying over the bay area for years, pilots have been doing it. the faa got involved and came up with very strict guidelines that now allows television news stations to use drones in news coverage. so not only do we have a helicopter now we can get extra close special views, tighter views with a drone. let's give you a view from drone view 7 right now. this flight is being controlled by a company certified by the faa faa. >> glad to be here and nice to see rain and moisture out here. >> reporter: tell me about these rules. they were very strict, weren't they? >> faa is safety first when they were going to integrate and fly them safely they wanted to work with companies that were going to do it safely and 600 pages and four months later they gave us approval to fly. >> reporter: give me an example of one of the measures they made you follow. >> make sure we have the right pilots. that is probably most porpt thing is to have a pilot who is mario wilson a former air force pilot. he k

wayne freedman abc 7 news. >>> the national air and space museum is asking the public for half a million dollars to preserve the space suit neil armstrong wore on the moon. it's deteriorating and the money will reboot the suit to be displayed for the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing on july 20th of 2019. the campaign has raised more than $125,000 so far. if you'd like to donate, we have a link on our website abc7news.com. >>> attendance was up at the rodeo that wrapped up sunday. not everyone is celebrating this event. an animal rights groups are accusing operators of hiding abuse to animals. the group showing animals respect and kindness. it shows calves and horses suffering leg and tendon injuries. they say the roping events can even break a calf's neck. >> in the chutes, running full speed, they go chasing after them. and rope the calves. and then jerk them back. obviously that's a recipe for disaster for the calves. >> they said they have a veterinarian on site to look over the animals' well fairs. contestants who violate rules can be disqualified. >>> you may want to wait a whi

wayne freedman is above the new connector to the bridge. hi, wayne. >> reporter: good afternoon. how often do we get to stand here and tell you about something that has gone pretty much as predicted that has gone right. the only wrinkle here look over my shoulder. take a look down to that highway. you see that little jog in the traffic there? you'll have to deal with that in both directions for a few weeks while they make room for equipment. otherwise afterwards they'll straighten it out and it will be a straight shot. let's take a look at where we stand right now. in another day or two maybe this won't seem so novel. for now, though, it's a new experience on an old route. a $1.1 billion presidio parkway shown here the day after carmeggedan weekend never came to pass. >> we did have one incident of an individual who was reported to us as an intoxicated driver who decided they wanted to drive through the closure to get away from us. they did not get far, though. >> reporter: caltrans crammed 10,000 manhours of labor into 71 actual hours of work between 10:00 p.m. thursday night an

wayne freedman is live with an update on the project. hi, wayne. >> this is a top the tunnel, the southern tunnel on doyle drive. this now takes two tunnels and let traffic go one way through each of them. >> the cause began on doyle drive last night. the 79 hour construction diversion that will continue monday morning. >> there is a lot of work to be done. >> if it calls in the commute, that is the affect part. >> how long was the wait? >> five days >> five days? >> yes. >> maybe he means it felt like five days. this is project manager. >> it's not easy. no. this takes a lot of planning. we can have been planning this for months. this is just tons you cannot build. >> so enter plan b, c, d, and e for commuting. this morning along the ferry carried a thousand more passengers than usual. to keep up with demand at midnight, all weekend. >> what have you heard about doyle drive? >> disaster. >> traffic remained light, they tell us. that said don't get too comfortable. >> we're experiencing heavier delays now and expect major delays. >> but t

wab wayne freedman is in the newsroom with the story. wayne? >> the vatican this morning and chimit change. maybe the most-pressing problem. >> we have fierce opposition and blind dissertion. >> that is jerry brown, one of many leaders who held the pope's ear for ten minutes today. ed lee used the platform to announce an end to heavy duty trucks and buses. >> this will reduce green house gas emissions by over 60%. and costs will be reduced. >> this day had a more lofty ambition. >> humanitarian. >> brother charles told us about the pope's goals for ending climate change. >> climate change affects the poor most and firstly and drives them to desperate means. >> that is wayne freedman reporting. thousands of bay area residents had an earl hi wake up call after a 4.0 earthquake hit the quake's epicenter was two miles northeast of fremont. a dozen after shocks followed. here is what it's like on the abc7 seismograph. it's a good reminder to prepare for a major earthquake on this fault line. >> there is a 31% chance of having a 6.7. so that is reall

live near lake berryessa, wayne freedman abc7 news. >>> officials are almost ready to open highway 50 near the el dorado fire which has been closed since noon. this is a video of cal trans crews removing cones. drivers can travel through the fire zone one direction at a time. the fire has been burning near kyburz. we have carl standing by with an update. carl? >> reporter: the fire has shut down highway 50, now just about a half hour ago, they reopened one lane, that traffic is being escorted. highway 50 heads up to lake tahoe. there are 400 firefighters here, fighting this blaze, they're coming from all over northern california and they are making progress out here. the air attack continue forward a second day as fire crews worked for a second day to secure the heat in the kyburz fire. >> we need to make sure any signs that can fall have been removed or secured. >> reporter: much of the day was spent putting out hot spots the conditions make for unpredictable situations. you can see this is now ash, roadway signs are toppled over. if we walk this way you can see highway 50 now closed

. >>> right now wayne freedman joins us with more on the fireworks. with the heat and fireworks that is a dangerous combination. >> reporter: well they can be. not necessarily are, but they can be. a lot of these raise a lot of money through nonprofits for thousands of different causes. but as much good as they do yes, there can be harm if the fireworks wind up in the wrong hands or are ignited in a place where they are banned. >> reporter: for many of us this is a rite of passage with fireworks. >> fireworks without a stand would be like -- >> a corn dog. >> they could cause trouble in a dry drought year like this. ask the fire marshal paul lowenthal how safe they are. >> they conbust. they go into the grass and you face the potential of a devastating fire. >> reporter: he remembers all too well in 2003 kids playing with the supposed safe fireworks. it burned 42 acres and within a year, santa rosa residents banned the sale of fireworks. but they cannot control the outside world despite the ample postings and maps there is no limit on what they can bu

live near lake berryessa, wayne freedman abc7 news. >>> officials are almost ready to open highway 50 near the el dorado fire which has been closed since noon. this is a video of cal trans crews removing cones. drivers can travel through the fire zone one direction at a time. the fire has been burning near kyburz. we have carl standing by with an update. carl? >> reporter: the fire has shut down highway 50, now just about a half hour ago, they reopened one lane, that traffic is being escorted. highway 50 heads up to lake tahoe. there are 400 firefighters here, fighting this blaze, they're coming from all over northern california and they are making progress out here. the air attack continue forward a second day as fire crews worked for a second day to secure the heat in the kyburz fire. >> we need to make sure any signs that can fall have been removed or secured. >> reporter: much of the day was spent putting out hot spots the conditions make for unpredictable situations. you can see this is now ash, roadway signs are toppled over. if we walk this way you can see highway 50 now closed

. >>> right now wayne freedman joins us with more on the fireworks. with the heat and fireworks that is a dangerous combination. >> reporter: well they can be. not necessarily are, but they can be. a lot of these raise a lot of money through nonprofits for thousands of different causes. but as much good as they do yes, there can be harm if the fireworks wind up in the wrong hands or are ignited in a place where they are banned. >> reporter: for many of us this is a rite of passage with fireworks. >> fireworks without a stand would be like -- >> a corn dog. >> they could cause trouble in a dry drought year like this. ask the fire marshal paul lowenthal how safe they are. >> they conbust. they go into the grass and you face the potential of a devastating fire. >> reporter: he remembers all too well in 2003 kids playing with the supposed safe fireworks. it burned 42 acres and within a year, santa rosa residents banned the sale of fireworks. but they cannot control the outside world despite the ample postings and maps there is no limit on what they can bu

. >> wayne freedman is live in san jose with the latest. >> reporter: the parents of 33 children did not expect to be picking them up this afternoon all because of that pot bust that should have been a science camp. even by santa clara county standards it was a big pot bust. deputies raided an illegal grow on county land and made off with 7,500 plants with a street value of $16 million. there was a surprise when they arrived arrived. >> when they entered into the grow there were three suspects. all three ran. we were able to catch one suspect immediately. >> reporter: the suspects appear to have been armed headed in the direction of alum rock park where the city operates a summer camp for 33 kids. >> they were concerned about having children in harm's way of a police operation. >> reporter: the evacuation where the kids waited for parents to pick them up. for the sheriff's department frustration in not getting all suspects but a victory in finding the grow. >> the marijuana growers do carry fire arms. the dangers of being close to a park is possible civilians walking and coming acros

wayne freedman joins us live. >> it gets complicated. the company is called thumb tack former governor bush asked to visit and hold a town hall meeting because he likes their model for business in the 21st century. he upset local businesses beginning with the way he arrived. if republican presidential hopeful jeb bush had not arrived in an uber car today maybe the controversial issue would not have diverted his message or perhaps that was the point. the company faces $7 million in fines and a suspension from the california public utilities commission. >> along the way exploiting workers in some fashion there is ways to address it. the fact is that this is disrupting the order. >> reporter: the former governor's wish to visit thumb tack in san francisco connecting consumers who need jobs done with contractors who want to do them. >> we are using technology to help customers more quickly and more easily find and hire professionals. >> reporter: all part of a new sharing economy reflecting the 21st century. when former governor bush spoke a

abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman picks up the coverage live. >> what you are looking at is a view from the southbound tunnel. we are on top of the southbound tunnel. people have been traveling through for more than a year looking down at the work going on now. if you could paraphrase cal trans they say this is a built bit of pain for a lot of long term gain. they are saying work is progressing on schedule. let's begin with spokes woman molly. >> this morning the traffic was light. we don't want people to think that is going to be the norm. we are experiencing heavier delays and over the weekend we expect major delays. >> delays just more than an hour ago with doyle drive closed you are looking at one lane approaches to the golden gate bridge from east and west. this not even a worst case scenario. many commuters stayed home this morning and others took alternate forms of transportation. the district reports 1,000 more people than usual took the ferries which means as many will try to make their way home tonight all from the final phase of a $1.1 billion project to rebuild a crucial art

wayne freedman joins us with a look at the bright side. >> reporter: that would be tourists coming in here for the fine wine and fine food and some of them are here to dip toes in the russian river. but number one safety rule keep shoes on. if he had a dollar for every time he made this speech he would be doing well. he gets more than that from parade of tourists. they have one goal -- on rafts traveling as far as eight miles in six hours. and the good news is they are doing it even in a drought year against many odds. have you ever seen this river low? >> never. >> reporter: you are looking at a flow of roughly 15 cubic feet per second. water released from the lake that serves drinking needs agriculture, recreation and fish returning to spawn. here is the woman who controls the faucet who runs operations for sonoma county water agency. >> my biggest concern is that we preserve enough water for the fish coming back in the fall and, of course, if there is some -- doesn't rain again this winter we need water to carry over to next year. >> is there enough? >> at this point we think there

oh, yeah and the ordeal never completely over until everyone comes home safe and sound. >> wayne freedman abc7 news. >>> highway 50 is back open this morning at crews again to gain ground on a fire in eldorado county. take a look at this video. they reare removing the cones. highway 50 is one of the main routes to lake tahoe. drivers are being escorted through the fire zone one direction at a time. the fire is 30% contained with about 200 acres burned. the cause is under investigation. >>> 5:09 the time. one of the most vital tools in fighting a wildfire is the attack from the air. it takes a special sort of pilot to fly in those difficult conditions. and as abc7 news reporter jonathan bloom found out later there's something making their job even tougher. >> cal fire's air tanker 86 didn't always firefighters, it was an old sub chaser during the war and it used to carry torpedo es. >> it's not a science it's an art. >> in some ways fires are easier to fight than enemy submarines. >> well they don't shoot back that's one thing. >> but it comes with challenge. >> turbulence that approaches

i'm ama daetz. >> wayne freedman is there live for us tonight. what is the latest?od afternoon, dan. the latest from the fire line is it is getting better, but slowly. only one structure, an out structure, has burned. and nothing about this fire that has been easy. not the terrain, not the weather, not the wait for evacuees. some of them went home today. they cued up like hungry customers at a drive through, except they weren't hungry as much as anxious. >> i've been waiting probably 36 hours to get back in. >> hence the relief tempered with anxiety when route 128 west of winters finally reopened allowing people who ran hurriedly from these flames on wednesday to get to their homes and look around. >> it was like right in my face right there, standing on the roof watching it come down the hill. >> reporter: when the wragg fire broke out it looked luke a bad one. flames consumed 500 acres in the first hour on their way to roughly 7,000 acres now. even today firefighters face a prolonged fight across tough turf. >> it is real slow going with the terrain we're dealing

abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman live in richmond.atch here cht. >> reporter: good afternoon, larry. this is an investment on the water that frankly was under water after the crash of 2008. it forced the developer to turn condos into rental and then back into condos and now we do have a bit of a buying frenzy. >> you can actually get a king sized bed in here. >> reporter: it is relative, real estate that is. a 500 square foot condo turned apartment remodelled again selling for a quarter of a million dollars that a few miles across the bay might go for a million. >> in contract. >> reporter: what does that remind you of? >> it reminds me of the pre-recession days. >> reporter: at this complex the headline would be access to water views and trails. the subplot that the developer thought these properties could sell before the 2008 market crash and is seeing them return to former higher values. >> reaction was to immediately stop sales and lease them up and move on. >> reporter: what were they selling for? >> an average of $400,000 a unit

abc7 news reporter wayne freedman has more. evacuated residence are trying to return home. >> here is what it looks like, >> here is what it looks like, burstwith an occasional burse of flame with the line of cars waiting for the highway to reopen after almost 48 hours. >> i've been sleeping at my ex-'s house in davis. >> how has that gone for you? >> not too bad. i think i've worn out my welcome though. >> it looked like a bad one when it broke out as 500 acres burned in the first hour on the way to nearly 7,000 acres now. people left homes and vacationers, their campground, in a hasty exodus. >> kind of scary. it happened so fast. >> this woman's family has been here since 1850. her first concern is a missing bull. >> he might be a wandering in the fire. >> what's his name? >> fred. >> over and over the past few days we've heard about not property, but appear malls. the lucky one, like this cat named gray, still look a little frightened. someone left food for her. >> cat is okay, you are okay? >> yeah. oh, yeah, and the ordea

abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is there with a look. >> reporter: not too shabby. happy monday dan. it is a happy monday if you're a commuter using doyle drive. we're right where we were last friday on top of the south tunnel and there is traffic moving smoothly. much lighter it would appear than ever before because we now have two tunnels. carmeggedan never happened, drivers are happy and everyone expected this to be much worse. take a look at your brave new presidio parkway. the cars seem to be moving faster than our past weekend did. >> what surprised you most? >> the lack of delay. >> reporter: or maybe the lack of overwhelming delay, as caltrans crammed 10,000 manhours of labor into 71 actual hours between thursday night at 10:00 p.m. and sunday night at 9:00 p.m. when the roadway reopened eight hours early or actually on time, we now learn. >> we have eight hours of contingency going into this closure. >> why didn't you tell us that? >> because if i would have told you that then everybody would have said, oh they're going to open at 9:00 on sunday night and t

in the presidio wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> all right. entering the second week of july we've got drizzle. it's so weird. it's great. we need it. >> meteorologist sandhya patel is here with what is happening outside. >> yeah, even some showers around sfo and a report in san mateo. right now we do have quite a bit of cloud cover. i do want to show you live doppler 7 hd and we'll talk about what's ahead. we're going to stay cooler than average. today's highs were in the low 60s to upper 70s well below normal for this time of year. as you look at doppler 7 hd you'll notice the cloud cover is still heavy, can't rule out the possibility of a few more sprinkles or drizzle tonight. sfo reporting arriving delays. still this has been going on all evening of 83 minutes due to the low ceilings. and here's a live picture from sfo. and you can see the overcast conditions right now. 61 in san francisco. it is 63 in oakland. san jose currently 59 in half moon bay. the view from our kgo roof camera, you can definitely see the clouds stacked up there alon

this is a photo of the smoke from wayne freedman and amy hollyfield. have more on the fire at the top of the hour. >> water drops were hampered by drones at the camp park army reserve area. the firefighters battled the flames. the fire burned 250 acres before it was knocked down. two drones interfered with water drops. officials say drones are a risk to pilots and a collision could result in major damage. >> happening today the public is being invited to a viewing for fallen police sergeant scott lunger shot and killed last week during a traffic stop. the gun plan got away but he was arrested a short time later. sergeant scott lunger was a 15-year veteran of the department. the viewing is from 4:00 to 9:00 putt. salaryent scott lunger will be laid to rest with full honors tomorrow with the casket escorted from hayward to the memorial. >> authorities are unking people trying to beat the heat to be careful in the russian river. the warping is after the third drowning this area. crews recovered the body of a man who drown off sunset bench after disappeari

in the trans bay tube, wayne freedman. >> you can download waves and join the abc 7 group. >>> it's one of the most popular climbing groups at yosemite. now the rock face may have just changed forever. that's next. >>> plus a new academic road map. how the uc system is making it easier for community college stoonts students to transfer over. >>> plus people are offerver here. >> plus, selling oak town. how to give the city a boost. >>> and what they'r >>> covering cupertino, concord wine country and all the bay area this is abc 7 news. >> firefighters in contra costa county quickly put out a fire burning along highway 4. air tankers and helicopters dropped a steady stream of water. neighbors living nearby also jumped into action pulling out home garden hoses to try to put the flames out. it burned close to some houses but a number of fire breaks kept the flames at bay. >>> the grass fire burned about two acres behind sycamore valley school. it was contained within a few hours. >>> golden gate bridge drivers may have noticed people dangling off the span. rope teams began routine inspecti

here is a picture from wayne treed man -- wayne freedman. abc7 news reporter alan wang is live in solano county. alan? >> cal fire had an 80% containment on an almost defeated wildfire until the winds whipped it back up this afternoon. >> the winds have shifted to a northerly direction and that tends to be hot and dry wind. >> after nearly a week of battling, cal fire air tankers and helicopters were at it again. >> about a half hour ago we can see flames all over the whole ridge. >> evacuations on pleasant valley road and mixed canyon are mandatory but many residents refuse to leave. >> since they saved all of the houses last time that were in the middle of the fire these people are not that worried about it. >> some team say the last evacuation was too much of a hassle, so they are waiting it out. >> i have seven horses back there. we have four kids here and four dogs. it is easier for now. >> for those who made another hasty retreat animal control workers were busy rescuing their pets. >> they had a call at the top to help a citizen out w

abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is live on the scene of the fatal collapse that prompted this action. >> reporter: good afternoon. berkeley describes this as a forward thinking ordinance. the balcony on that building behind me collapsed the city believes it highlighted a major problem they don't want to see happen again. it may be the most relevant and formally obscure question how many balconies in the city? >> i have no idea. >> a lot. >> reporter: all suspicious following last month's fatal collapse and all due for inspection within six months after last night's unanimous vote by the berkeley city council. how many balconies are there in berkeley? >> who knows? i don't know. nobody knoes. >> reporter: how can you pass a bill when you don't have an answer. >> they all need to be safe. you are trying to say since we don't know the number we shouldn't do them? come on. let's get real. >> reporter: the ordinance requires steel reinforcements, ventilation and access to inspection on all new decks certifying the existing ones could cost thousands of dollars each according to private bui

in the presidio, wayne freedman abc7 news. >> stunning video. >>> that fabulous light show that brightened up the bay bridge for two years took a step back. nbc was in oakland today as the bay area agreed to pay phillips electric 2$2 million over 10 years to inspect and maintain the lights when they're rein reinstalled on the bridge. >>> these bay lights are very low maintenance, in the second part of the 10 years, there may be some replacement bulbs or repairs based on weather conditions and so forth. >> a private group raised 4 million dollars to replace the 25 thows,000 left light display and will be switched back on just before the 2016 super bowl. >>> a reminder of a closure at the north and south ends of the bridge that will be closed. abc got an up close tour of this twin tunnels high and low viaducts and lanes for the golden gate bridge database-or to the golden gate bridge for navigateing closure and you can nav gate on your smartphone and join apple's app store or google play, it works extremely well. >>> one man caused california taxpayers millions of dollars. the mastermind beh

wayne freedman is live with an update on the project. hi, wayne. >> this is a top the tunnel, the southern tunnel on doyle drive. this now takes two tunnels and let traffic go one way through each of them. >> the cause began on doyle drive last night. the 79 hour construction diversion that will continue monday morning. >> there is a lot of work to be done. >> if it calls in the commute, that is the affect part. >> how long was the wait? >> five days >>

wayne freedman joins us live with more on what has been an ongoing search. wayne?e bay area has long been ground 0 in the search for intelligence. these are funds for efforts underway for decades. it's the deep question, one we don't have time to ponder. are we alone? if not, what do you want to know? >> oh man. where they originated from. >> as for those who work the question, there is a possess conference today announcing a commitment from russian billionaire so significant, dr. steven hawking appeared there and commented. >> whatever you might imagine, it won't be like hollywood. >> takes computing power. >> dr. eric corpal buys more access to radio telescopes, more coordination for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, who donate resources from their personal computers to aid in the search. and ten more years. they're looking for something clear standing out against the chaos. >>over a million stars. we've never done that before. and that is important because you can cross those off the list now. >> astronomers say there are more planets than grains

wayne freedman joins us live with more on what has been an ongoing search. wayne?area has long been ground 0 in the search for intelligence. these are funds for efforts underway for decades. it's the deep question, one we don't have time to ponder. are we alone? if not, what do you want to know? >> oh man. where they originated from. >> as for those who work the question, there is a possess conference today announcing a commitment from russian billionaire so significant, dr. steven hawking appeared there and commented. >> whatever you might imagine, it won't be like hollywood. >> takes computing power. >> dr. eric corpal buys more access to radio telescopes, more coordination for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, who donate resources from their personal computers to aid in the search. and ten more years. they're looking for something clear standing out against the chaos. >> you can cover a million stars. we've never done that before. and that is important because you can cross those off the list now. >> astronomers say there are more planets than gr

here is a picture from wayne treed man -- wayne freedman. abc7 news reporter alan wang is live in solano county. alan? >> cal fire had an 80% containment on an almost defeated wildfire until the winds whipped it back up this afternoon. >> the winds have shifted to a northerly direction and that tends to be hot and dry wind. >> after nearly a week of battling, cal fire air tankers and helicopters were at it again. >> about a half hour ago we can see flames all over the whole ridge. >> evacuations on pleasant valley road and mixed canyon are mandatory but many residents refuse to leave. >> since they saved all of the houses last time that were in the middle of the fire these people are not that worried about it. >> some team say the last evacuation was too much of a hassle, so they are waiting it out. >> i have seven horses back there. we have four kids here and four dogs. it is easier for now. >> for those who made another hasty retreat animal control workers were busy rescuing their pets. >> they had a call at the top to help a citizen out w

near lake berryessa wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> nice to see there is progress there. to get the latest information on the fire near lake berryessa, you can download our free abc 7 news app for smartphones tablets and apple watch. just enable the push alert for instant updates. >>> highway 50 closed in eldorado county because of a large wildfire burning 200 acres on both sides and is now 30% contained. there are mandatory evacuations ordered from white hall to the sand flat camp ground. fire officials said opening highway 50 is a priority. for now, anyone traveling to tahoe is asked to use 80 or state route 88 instead. >>> a jury has convicted henry smith jr. of first degree murder with special circumstances for the 2011 killing of jim capu. he was shot as he chased down smith following a bank robbery. deliberations in this trial had to restart twice. just this week, the judge removed a juror for bias against police. after the juror allegedly called a bailiff a thug with a gun. earlier a judge had to be replaced due to a health emergency. prosecutors are seeking the de

live west of winters, wayne freedman abc 7 news. >>> thank you. abc 7 news was at the fire station in santa rosa as crews loaded up air tankers with fire retardant. the tankers made 45 stops yesterday, more than 50000 gallons of fire retardant. today heavy smoke is hampering visibility. half as many planes have been making drops. >> a lot of the terrain is inaccessible so aircraft are highly effective in helping that until we can gain access to this. >> one of two helping fight the wragg fire. >>> several bay area teams are on the fire lines. this left station 7 in san francisco this morning to get to work on that fire. >> southern marin firefighters expected to be deployed for up to 14 days. >> firefighters from almeida county left from a staging area this morning. crews have come from as far away as san diego to help battle the flames. >>> let's go back live to sky 7 hd over the fire. you can still see the smoke coming off of it. the area around the fire line is considered horse country and evacuations became complicated when an entire ranch was

it is a historic moment for us and wayne freedman is there with what we're calling drone view 7. >> it'sesting. this gives us remarkable views. hobbyists as you know have been flying for years. but now, the faa put rules in that allow for television stations to use a drone to cover the news. towards candle stick park a remote controlled drone covering the news. you're looking at what is left from generations of memories. the federal government called it an unmanned aircraft system. you probably know this as a drone. >> you can see it's larger to be able to carry more equipment. >> this developer plans on turn it into a new neighborhood. >> we're sad but this is just the start. an incredible opportunity for housing and economic developments. >> it was built for san francisco giants. it's known for windy and cold conditions. last year, it was filled with music. a fitting goodbye. today, it looks like a heap of rubble but with a lot of memories mixed in. developers will remove 6,000 tons of steel, replacing 98% of the material. if you're wondering about this spot where they made the catch,

it is a historic moment for us and wayne freedman is there with what we're calling drone view 7. >> it's interesting. this gives us remarkable views. hobbyists as you know have been flying for years. but now, the faa put rules in that allow for television stations to use a drone to cover the news. towards candle stick park a remote controlled drone covering the news. you're looking at what is left from generations of memories. the federal government called it an unmanned aircraft system. you probably know this as a drone. >> you can see it's larger to be able to carry more equipment. >> this developer plans on turn it into a new neighborhood. >> we're sad but this is just the start. an incredible opportunity for housing and economic developments. >> it was built for san francisco giants. it's known for windy and cold conditions. last year, it was filled with music. a fitting goodbye. today, it looks like a heap of rubble but with a lot of memories mixed in. developers will remove 6,000 tons of steel, replacing 98% of the material. if you're wondering about this spot where they made the c

from sebastapol wayne freedman, abc7 news. >> firefighters are scrambling to contain a brush fire ino county. cal fire says winds are hampering efforts. the fire started as a vehicle fire near mix canyon road and sky ranch labor. >> response time is considerate nal dealing with fires and there may be a way to protect them. >> it would help. researchers have been working on this for two years. the idea to detect earlier than firefighters can by using a satellite system. california wildfires cost taxpayers billions of dollars per year. >> it's the it means fire isn't the estimator. >> researchers have come up with the system not yet put into use. imagine a satellite that is snapping pictures every few seconds. researchers using flames and drones to get details of the fire. >> where things are burning. and how much energy is in the fire. >> the drone then claims would have mounted regular and infrared cameras. >> we can connect these and have them work together. these are fascinating. this is just credit card sized thing inside of here. >> that would then be stored and accessible to tho

from sebastapol wayne freedman, abc7 news. >> firefighters are scrambling to contain a brush fire in solano county. cal fire says winds are hampering efforts. the fire started as a vehicle fire near mix canyon road and sky ranch labor. >> response time is considerate nal dealing with fires and there may be a way to protect them. >> it would help. researchers have been working on this for two years. the idea to detect earlier than firefighters can by using a satellite system. california wildfires cost taxpayers billions of dollars per year. >> it's the it means fire isn't the estimator. >> researchers have come up with the system not yet put into use. imagine a satellite that is snapping pictures every few seconds. researchers using flames and drones to get details of the fire. >> where things are burning. and how much energy is in the fire. >> the drone then claims would have mounted regular and infrared cameras. >> we can connect these and have them work together. these are fascinating. this is just credit card sized thing inside of here. >> that would then be stored and accessible

wayne freedman tweeted this picture of the smoke in marin county. >> drones are blamed for hamperingrve area. firefighters bat willed flames. the fire burned 250 acres before being knocked down. two drones interfered with drops. the drones pose a major risk to pilots and a collision to result in major damage. >> new details emerge of the final moment of an 8-year-old girl's life. madyson middleton was brutalized before her death at the hands of a neighbor. janet o is in santa cruz with more. janet? >> the district attorney will hold a news conference later this morning to discuss the charges against the 15-year-old suspect. the teen lives at ta accused of murdering eight-year-old madyson middleton. 200 gathered at the beach to mourn of loss of the innocent child. maddy was sexually assault asked strangled at the suspect's apartment. she knew the 15-year-old and trusted him why she went to his place. as far as a motive the 15 your -year-old wanted to see how would react to the murder. her body was hidden in a recycling bin. surveillance video footage was shown with the teen making civ

wayne freedman live with the story. >> reporter: this is an eye opener.you are thinking of hiring a contractor follow three very specific rules. first ask that contractor for a license. second, look up that license number on the state board site right the. the third if he asks for a deposit never give him more than 10% including for materials. if you don't follow these rules you may wind up in a situation like the people you are about to see. >>> even after 64 years of marriage bill and june are willing to admit they are still learning. it began with this magnolia tree after this man approached identified himself as a contractor and offered to help with a beetle infestation. >> he said i can correct it and charge you $600. >> reporter: when did you become suspicious? >> when no telephone calls were answered. >> reporter: the so-called contractor goes by multiple names. deputy district attorney knows most of them. >> either adam and the last name can be contreras or revis. >> reporter: he is wanted in 19 other cases for defrauding customers without doing w

wayne freedman tweeted this picture of the smoke. >> the public is being invited to a viewing for fallene sergeant scott lunger shot and killed last week during a traffic stop. the gunman got away but he was arrested a short time later. sergeant scott lunger was a 15-year veteran of the department. the chapel of the chimes is where the view takes place from 4-9:00 p.m. tonight. a motorcade will escort his cassette with memorial services at 10:00 a.m. and are open to the public. >> two bay area state senators will urge a competent to require contractors to report lawsuit settlements. a loophole was exposed by the balcony collapse. the contractors' board should be notified of civil actions by a licensed contractor. the construction company that build the complex paid $26 million in legal settlements prior to the balcony california lop d collapse but they are not require to report the cases. >> a broken water line spilled 15 million gallons will be fixed by end of the week in san bruno and spilled for 13 hours. the public commission said they had to let the water if not it could have tainte

wayne freedman has the story. >> reporter: take a stroll through the national cemetery, a place wherewly and tend to last permanently. on this day, a reason to celebrate the fourth of july. >> i see it as a good day for our country. >> reporter: if retired marine lieutenant colonel john stevens looks familiar it's because we've been following him for years as he tried to establish a korean war memorial in the prosidio national cemetery. >> we need to have people know about wars so that we can hopefully prevent wars in the funeral. >> reporter: that memorial is on the cusp of reality. stevens and john reed stood by a sign marking the stop where next week they will break ground. the more than 30,000 graves in this cemetery 2,273 of them belong to korean war veterans. >> this is called the forgotten war. i don't think history gives it the kind of attention it should. >> it was united nations action where millions of koreans died and 33000 americans. finding the land raising the money took john stevens and these men years. >> it was a good project. it kept me out of the house. >> so says