Reservoir and also to fill up those helicopter buckets and then douse the fires directly. We are hearing between 200 to 300 structures are in harms way. Evacuations are now mandatory. If you look at your screen, you can see them dropping some of the red fire retardant that they are trying to do it around the perimeter. So it looks like they are right on the top maybe leaning on the western edge where they will try to draw a line with that red retardant to keep the flames from coming over the ridge towards the western side of the mountain. And this started i would say around 3 20 in the afternoon, the photographer steve dorr and i were on the opposite side of san jose when we first saw the smoke in the sky. At that point the smoke was a light gray color as we would turn it around and head into this direction. By the time you got here, you can see the smoke has changed color, now its the darker color going up into the sky and that smoke is continuing to spread across the sky to the west. Now fortunately that the wind, it is light, but it has picked up over the last hour since weve been here. So when we first got here it was no wind whatsoever. And then as they moved on the wind has kicked up a little bit. A very slight little gust of wind right now. Nothing too bad. But you dont want it to get any worse than that. And reports of an explosion in watsonville as we found out its a false alarm. So that explosion reported in watsonville, that is now confirmed to be a false alarm, unknown if it was connected to this in any way. Again the headline of the hour, firefighters are using five helicopters right now to try to douse the large fire from the air. They just did a drop of the western edge of the fire right at the top of the ridge there, trying to make sure that it will not come over the ridge and move over more populated areas. Well have another update for you as it is needed. Live in the Santa Cruz Mountains jesse gary ktvu 2 news. How many homes are threatened and how many people do we know have been evacuated and where have they gone . Were not sure the number of the people that have been evacuated, frank. And people in this area, they generally have relatives that we are guessing they are going to relatives homes. You dont know the number that they know that this are roughly 200 to 300 structures in this area and remember that it began with a structure fire if you are just joining us, starting around 3 20 in the afternoon with a structure fire that spread through the vegetation and went up quickly. It has been very hot here in the south bay and very low humidity. And so things are very arid. All it takes is a little fire and there you go, it is off and running. We dont have a lot of wind, but as i say that, the wind is starting to pick up a little bit blowing from the west to the east. And so that may actually age those firefighters in keeping the flames from coming over that ridge and if they continue in this direction, if they switch directions to get behind the flames to push it that it could push them over the ridge and that is what they are really worried about. And if necessary they would try to battle these flames. All right jesse, we will touch base with you in a little bit. We want some of the people to know that the evacuations are going along summit, me die that and cro mezina and croix ridge road. We want to go straight to chief meteorologist. Bill martin. It is not bad, but when you look at the smoke youll see that. Three days in a row with heat. Monday we get the warm temperatures, record heat yesterday. This is what happens. Now this fire, the Santa Cruz Mountain is a traindriven fire at this point. It is hitting the upper atmosphere and flattening out where basically the inversion is at this point. The winds are blowing essentially out in a southerly direction, meaning that it is blowing the smoke up towards San Francisco and up towards san jose, towards the camera here in san jose. Right now, weve got smoke coming up from the San Francisco airport. Im seeing the smoke coming down here. But with the spare the air day today and tomorrow and air quality is going to be a concern. Again, you can see that smoke if you look out over the san mateo bridge that you will see them there and temperatures are very warm today. I dont know if we have a live camera, but i know that you are busy. That it might be just it. But we have the live chopper 2 up here over the fire. Here we are, good. Were breaking it out. Be patient with us now. But this is a fire, this is what it looks like as you dont see them here. They will let it burn over the ridgeline. They will not jump in to try to stop that, but they are going to defend that ridge line and youll probably see some. Ive seen some for the first time with you as they will try to keep it from going up obviously as jesse said over the ridge. The actual live camera right now. Weve got a lot of dead pines in the area because of the beetle disease as you know with threeheats three days of heat and three days of record heat. Now you have a fire that is not being driven by the wind, but being driven by steep terrain. This area, you know, it looks like the big surf fire that broke up there. You sought big sir fire, the soberanes fire. That was altering driven, the same kind of thing with a little bit of the wind towards that. But this is about canyons and valleys and real steep typography and a lot of dead trees. How hard is it to get up there . I know that youre familiar with that area. How hard is it for firefighters to get up there . Real hard. Theres a fire road on the ridge. But that is probably the main access road in there. I dont know exactly which one, but there are some fire roads there, it is not easy to get to. There are a lot of homes there and how to get to the home is beyond that point where the fire is now spreading. Which direction is the wind blowing . And where will that plume likely head . They are moving up towards the south. So the winds are blowing from the bay and the san jose area and towards us from the south to the north and that is why we are seeing smoke in the bay right now, we are seeing smoke. The air quality, it is kind of an issue with a lot of the stuff falling out in san jose and this camera, san jose, okay, another shot. This video, yes, thats earlier. As the fire has been burning for a little while now. Going for an hour and a half. Around 3 00 this afternoon. Why, do you have a couple of homes being threatened . You have very difficult areas to get to. How dry is it up there right now . The moisture, a few moisture for the content of what will be like a leaf or a branch. Moisture is probably in the single digit, 7 , 8 , extremely low. I mean its fire season and everything that weve had many years of the drought and here we are with three days of heat and boom. And right now what is the temperature like . It is so hard for firefighters in the battle for these kinds of conditions. How hot is it . Straight up probably about 99 degrees, 100 degrees right in the fire zone. Jesse mentioned wind, but not much wind other than the southerly wind that will be in the bay and that the fire is creating their own wind because the heat will rise with the cooler coastal air that will try to come in and that it will be feeling windy at the base of that. We are watching that, we will check back in with you in just a little bit. The first president ial debate with a live look inside their debate hall. And donald trump, they are walking in right now. I dont see him, but that he has that car or he has just gotten out of the car. And that he is walking inside. This is being held at Hofstra University on long island. About a thousand people are expected inside the debate hall tonight. This isnt the first time that hofstra has hosted an event like this as they would host the president ial debate in 2008 between then senator barack obama and senator john mccain. Four years later president obama and governor mitt romney squared off there in another debate. And the debate starts in less than an hour now at 6 00 tonight. It is expect today be one of the most watched debates of all time with an estimated 100 Million Viewers. People are gathering at watch parties around the bay area. We want to show you a live picture now inside one of those watch parties in San Francisco. We will go out live to our reporter there in just a moment, but first joel waldman is at Hofstra University this evening where that stage is now set. Reporter hillary is going to do very well because she is going to just lay out the vision, this positive vision for the country. Reporter as Hillary Clinton and donald trump make their final debate preparations on the campaign trail on monday that their Vice President ial running mates were each offering the final predictions as to who will be best on the big stage. Theyre going to hear a broad shouldered leadership that will make america strong again. It will make america safe again and great again. Reporter about 100 million meshes are expected americans are expected to tune in to one of the first president ial debates. According to new polling, three out of four u. S. Voters are expected to be among those watching. The thing about 90 minutes is boy, you cannot hide. So we are going to speak tonight about donald trump. Reporter can he give any details about anything . Can he answer questions like where is your tax return . Reporter in the meantime a new poll finds out that half of all likely u. S. Voters will actually use their president ial debates to help them decide who to vote for. The american people, theyre going to be able to hear from two candidates. They are going to hear about two futures for the country. As we mentioned that there are a number of watch parties around the bay area tonight. Ktvu amber lee is live in San Francisco where the Commonwealth Club is hosting an event this evening. Amber . Reporter julie, we are inside the hotels there downtown San Francisco. Now, this event, it is built over nonpartisan watch parties, the event will start at 5 30, but we would want to show you around and take a look as you can see the cutouts of the two president ial candidates that will be debating as we would look down the hallway the entire floor that will be devoted to the watch party. About 300 people so far are expected to attend as you can see the large screens that are set up. That is the division of the Commonwealth Club and their network for voters. Here with me, with them and to tell us more about what you are expecting tonight. Hi amber. We are really thrilled because it is is a part of the evening, with the brigade and their hotel data and we are not affiliated with any party, but the faith base party for them to come and talk about the issues that will matter to them if you are undecided. It is a historic night and we are excited to be here. We were talking about how important it is and that it is nonpartisan, right . It is a safe place where you could come in if you have an opinion to share it and to discuss it with others. If you dont that you can pop out their questions and something that will be important for them to show you a century old form that will be dedicated to the kind of discussion. What do you hope that they will come away with them when they leave . I hope that you will come away excited and that it will be like a 4th of july that they should be excited about getting educated to vote to talk to other people about the issues that matter to them and i hope that they will leave ready to keep leaving, keep getting educated to vote on november 8. Thanks, marissa. Again this event is free. However you need a ticket and they are all out of tickets, un. If gnatly. Im just curious. Have you talked to many people that are still undecided going into the debate tonight . Reporter well nobody, that is attending is here yet. We have workers and volunteers. We have not had a chance to talk to anybody, but i certainly plan to. All right, well get back to you later on after the big showdown. Amber, thank you. You can watch tonights debate right here on ktvu starting at 6 00. We will carry the full debate live. It is expected to last for an hour and a half and we will also have an hourlong newscast at 6 00 over on ktvu plus. Coming up at 5 30, well have more debate analysis. Fear spread quickly through the east bay with news of the possible threat against students at benicia high came forward. Police allegedly arrested the 16yearold for making those threats. The school was even locked down for a part of the day. Our Crime Reporter henry lee was at the school with more of the threat. Henry . Reporter well frank, police say that the teenager threatened to open fire open campus as he was arrested. But police say no gun was found. Tensions were high on the Benicia High School campus as police learned of a threat made by a ninth grader. The threat involved the threat of an active shooter here at this school. Reporter word of a threat and some false rumors spread quickly among students after second period. Apparently a kid brought a gun to the school as he was going to shoot the school. And they would stay in the room and turn off the lights, lock the door and then get up against the wall, cover the windows. Reporter the officers converged on the campus and the school and two others nearby were put on lockdown. I thought it was a drill, but then it lasted a lot longer than what it should have. Reporter police said they found that student in a classroom arrests arresting him. But they had a hit list or was plotting a shooting with other suspects. We have no information about any hit list. Reporter a motive for the threat isnt clear. They reported what they were seeing on their phones through social media. Some parents would rush to campus. I got a call from him and then my question, when i first talked to him that my first question was why are you calling me . It is all right suspicious and that the activity is going on and he says oh, we are on lockdown, mom. It doesnt really mean it is fear, but we moved here because we wanted to be away from this type of stuff. Reporter they said that social media made it difficult for some to separate their fact from fiction. And this device, that it is kind of a curse of a blessing, it helps you get the information out quickly. But then people, they could also start communicating. And that they would have some things based on the rumors where they are not true. Reporter but now police say that the 15yearold boy arrested is cooperating with the investigation. Officers are also working with their family to resolve the situation. Live in Benicia Henry Lee ktvu fox 2 news. Henry, just to reiterate, no gun was found at school, correct . Thats right. No gun, no hit list and the investigation is continuing as to any motive. All right, henry lee live for us tonight at benicia, thank you, henry. Now another fire is burning north of the bay area. Dozens of homes have been evacuated. But they do have some good news to report. Im tracking the fire and the Santa Cruz Mountains where they are bleeding into the essential bay. Ill let you know what you could expect for the heat advisory, the spirit of the air day and the fires burning in the bay area. Also ahead both president ial candidates are ready for tonights debate that will start in less than an hour from now. Here are the live look inside their debate hall at Hofstra University in new york starting at 6 00 right here on ktvu fox 2 news. Coming up ross palombo will join us for what to expect. Honey, is the internet back yet . Yes i need to let her know that i like this i like, like, like, like. I havent seen a movie based on a comic book in so long. I know. Were over here internet people get high Speed Internet from at t. With over 99 reliability. At an everyday price with no extra monthly fees. Keep calm, you internets on. The fbi says that Violent Crime rose across the country last year. Even so Violent Crime is still at historic lows rising about 3. 1 . That category includes murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The u. S. Attorney general said that while the increase shows that there is work to be done, those crimes remain at some of the lowest levels in the past 20 years. By building bridges and trust, we can shape the direction of our communities. When Law Enforcement communities present a united front against violence, we can make progress. The attorney general spoke this morning at the Violence Reduction network summit. Now to Sonoma County where they are battling heat along with the wildfire that has forced the evacuation of the rule community. The fire is just burning a few miles away from last years devastating valley fire. As many as 90 people have been forced to evacuate. The saw mill fire started shortly before 11 00 yesterday morning and about 10 miles east of clover dale off their road. The residence in the community, they are under evacuation orders tonight. The fire has burned about 1,500 acres roughly 20 contained. Ktvu rob roth was up at the firelines today, showing us the weather conditions there, that they eased a bit today, helping the crews battling this fire. Reporter in these rugged hills, the good news seemed to far outweigh the bad today, they have not gotten any bigger since last night. Smoke so visible here that even ten miles yesterday wasnt today. Reporter and no growth of the fire that will be the good news. Reporter it is still premature for them and while the winds appear calmer today that they are often unpredictable. Reporter the challenge today, that it is very hot where we are expecting the possible record breaking temperatures today. Were not out of the woods yet. Reporter the temperatures are in the 90s. We are always looking out for each other as we are very aware of their stresses, but we do as we need to take as many breaks as we can while getting the job done. Reporter 36 homes, they remain under evacuation. Here at the Good ShepherdLutheran Church in hillsburg, but so far no one has come by. Many residence living down the hill from the fire see nothing to fear at this point. I figured if it gets close enough that they will notify me. Reporter others are keeping a are keeping an eye on it. And without, i mean, havi