Getting out tonight. Sharon . We are hearing reports of wrong way traffic as people scramble to get out. Southbound is the only way out. People are tweeting highway 29 is at a standstill. No one can travel down highway 29. Everybody must be headed to clear lake on which ever road gets them there. And highway 29 is a mess. So many people have just seconds to evacuate. The valley fire burns out of control. A massive fall of flames consuming rough terrain that sent four firefighters to the hospital with Second Degree burns. Evacuations stretched along highway 29. Clear lake and calistoga. Fire crews told all 1800 people in the town of cobb to leave. Mandatory evacuations also issued for middle town and lake county shown here shrouded in heavy smoke. Neighbors are helping neighbors escape safely. Their barn burnt down. They are hoping to save their homes. I know a lot of people here have lost their homes. Reporter two shelters are open tonight. One at the kelseyville presbyterian church. T
Good both directions. Evacuees who escaped the flames of the valley fire are returning home but not to the houses they left behind. Oh, no bills house is gone, oh, son of a gun. It is being called one of the most devastating fires in state history. The fire has destroyed at least 585 homes. Some of the thousands evacuated when the fire broke out are now being allowed back home to see what, if anything, is still there. And the fire has burned close to 100 square miles. The area you see right there in red. Kpix 5s Juliette Goodrich has the latest from middletown. Looks like hell. Reporter for many the return home was their first chance to see the devastation. I mean, theres the kitchen sink. Reporter ralph mccomb found his home unscathed by the fire. I was like total relief. I mean, i was like, wow, this is great. The boat motor, the table saw. Theres the kitchen sink. Reporter but it was a different story. That was a computer. Reporter for Kevin Gingrich and his family. This is a flower
Wall and spun into a work zone. Now, officials on scene tell us the driver in the accident was arrested on suspicion of speeding and driving under the influence. The person who died was a contractor working for caltrans. Lets take a quick check of your weather this saturday because it is going to be a warm weekend. Its the final weekend of summer 2015. Live look at the transamerica tower this morning. We are in the 50s all around the bay area, 58 degrees in the city right now. Sunshine for all today, warmer temperatures beginning today, and then peaking tomorrow, tripledigit heat, may even see some record breakers. Well have a look at your extended forecast coming up in a few. In many hours many of the people who were chased out by the valley fire can finally go back home. The Evacuation Order for middletown will be lifted today at noon. A lot of evacuees who have been living in tents at a camp in talatokinga are from middletown. So likely today there likely be delays and traffic jams
Jeff bush joins us live from the lakeport command center. As firefighters continue to move through the night. Jeff . Jeff fighting a fire this size is a 247 operation, you have the equipment and people going and coming all day. It is a very delicate dance that takes a lot of effort to make this work smoothly engine after engine after enginefirefighters coming off the linesmany of them havent slept in the last 24 hourshard workthe Incident Command Center is where most of them come to clean up and get some restbut, its not glamorous of particularly comfortable. Tent living is what these firefighters have come to expect. Its hard but each of them knew what they were signing up for. Fire commanders are plotting out the next days work inside while volunteers are making sure everything and everyone goes to the right place. Ryan benton we make sure everything is clean, we help with traffic and help with foodjust make sure everyting is comefortable for the firefighers when they leave and get b
Street now because a guy tried to grab a girl. Jeff scary stuffconcerned residents say they are shocked to hear the news about the attempted abduction of a woman who was walking along Second Avenue in unincorporated redwood city. The Sheriffs Department says this man was in his van and tried to get the woman to get inside. She refused but he wouldnt give upeventually, the suspect drove his van onto the sidewalk and got out. Police say the man, then, grabbed the womans arm and tried to force her into the vehicle. She fought him off and got away. This sketch was provided to kron four by the Sheriffs Department and it shows the suspected kidnapper. Police say he is a hispanic man in his mid 30s with brown hair and a larger than normal nose. Police also say the man has a mole or a scar on his left cheekvery distinct. The suspect was driving a 1990s gmc van with a unique roof rack on topthe rack has several posts sticking up. Neighbors in the area say they are worried the man might try to a