this morning, breaking news. raging wildfires descend an on exclusive california community. thousands forced to evacuate. and back east, we tell you where tropical storm danny is heading now, as sam champion is live on the coast. a story of joy and horror. we talked to the family of a young girl, found 18 years after she was kidnapped by a sexual offender. held captive in a backyard. giving birth, twice. and we hear from the kidnapper, who says he's god's chosen voice. >> you're going to be absolutely impressed. also this morning, tens of thousands pay their respects to senator ted kennedy. and we talk to his wife, vicki, for the first time. food, marked down 75% less than the regular price. what's the catch? we take you inside the booming business of the salvage grocery we take you inside the booming business of the salvage grocery store. captions paid for by abc, inc. and good morning, america. i'm diane sawyer with chris cuomo. robin is on assignment on this friday, august 28th, 2009. we have the fires out in the west. and the big storm bearing in on the east. >> we have the latest from both coasts. let's begin with sam champion. he's out on the end of long island, new york, where residents are watching out for danny. good morning, sam. >> good morning, chris. good morning, diane. this is the latest on tropical storm danny. it looks like we'll keep it a tropical storm. it's about 400 miles off the coast of cape hatteras. about 800 miles off where we're standing right now. and the waves on the eastern seaboard, are a little higher than normal. but we expect big waves as danny makes its way along the coastline over the next three days. with powerful waves from florida to the carolinas, storm danny will churn up the rest of the east coast. these nas dafoe toes show an how making a prediction on danny's exact path difficult. >> we have 10-foot to 12-foot seas. >> reporter: 11 states are watching danny's progress closely. but tropical storm watches are in effect for north carolina's outer banks. with that news, president obama who was vacationing in martha's vineyard, left a day early, to attend senator kennedy's funeral. last week, 15-foot waves swept three bystanders out to sea, killing a 7-year-old girl. >> people tend to underestimate the power of water. complacency is a big problem. people believe, that can't happen to me. >> reporter: another concern, heavy rain and flooding, responsible for most deaths in tropical systems. hurricane floyd in 1999, leaving 57 dead. we see all the storms pushed to the eastern side of it. it's disorganized and expected to stay that way. with the path kind of wobbling and not knowing how close it will be to the coastline, it's a catch hour-by-hour, to see when this storm will come in close, if not contact with the eastern seaboard. we think it's very close as it passes cape cod sunday, at about 2:00 in the morning. the latest news, diane, this morning, that danny, expected to stay at tropical storm strength. diane? >> sam, thanks to you. and from east, we head back out west, where this morning, right now, homeowners are rushing to evacuate from raging wildfires, bearing down on their homes. we turn to abc's brian rooney in rancho palos verdes. >> reporter: this one broke out late yesterday. it's been very hot and very dry all week. and this fire broke out and burn ed uphill. it was very scary for those who live here overnight. a dangerous fire broke out on steep hills below multimillion homes. adding to southern california's wildfire woes. firefighting helicopters flew most of the night, which is rare. holding this to 100 acres so far. >> it's just come over the crest of the mountain there. and just spread out sideways. you can see the flames jumping over the hill. >> reporter: about a dozen miles north of downtown los angeles, more than 1,000 firefighters are scrambling to protect nearly 500 homes in a mountainside fire that's so far has burned at least 400 acres. it was close enough to home that some residents packed up and left. >> we get very scared. we see the flames coming through. >> reporter: fire in the san gabriel mountains was 60% contained overnight. but with temperatures over the week, it can rage out of control. it's rare for fire to burn so close to the coast, where it's cooler and moister, chris. but it gives you an idea of what kind of fire season we seem to be having. and as always, it's early. >> absolutely. brian, please stay safe out there. we want to stay in california. we want to tell you about this almost unbelievable kidnapping case. a woman has been reunited with her family after being held captive for nearly two decades in a convicted sex offender's backyard. this morning, her kidnapper issing out. mike von fremd is in antioch, california. he has details of this incredible story. good morning, mike. >> reporter: yes, chris. this morning, we're learning disturbing, new details about the man who took jaycee lee duh dugard and kept her captive for 19 years. last night, in a rambling jailhouse interview, with station kcra, we saw a window into his troubled mind. >> what took place at this house. and you're going to be absolutely impressed. it's a disgusting thing that took place in the beginning. but i turned our lives completely around. in order to understand it. >> reporter: the horror began in 1991. little jaycee, in a pink windbreaker and stretch pants, was walking to a school bus. when her stepfather called for help. >> 911? >> this is 911. >> my daughter has been kidnapped. >> reporter: he raced on bike. who followed was a massive search for jaycee. candlelight vigils. pink ribbons around trees. >> it's time she comes home to her family. >> reporter: "america's most-wanted" dedicated a program to finding the 11-year-old. age progression technology showed what she might look like older. yet, the trail grew cold until this week. >> i'm very happy to be in front of you under these circumstances. jaycee dugard was found alive. >> reporter: but the joy of finding her alive has been obliterated by what investigators have learned. phill phillip garrido, and his wife, nancy. >> it was a hidden back yard, within the backyard. it inhibited outside viewing and to isolate the victims from outside contact. >> reporter: but garrido now admits to impregnating his hostage. forcing her to give birth at home to two girls, now 11 and 15. >> having those two children, those two girls. they slept in my arms every, single night. and i never touched them. >> none of the children have gone to school. they've never been to a doctor. >> reporter: on tuesday, garrido's web unraveled. while trying to distribute religious literature with two, young children, he drew the suspicion of a u.c. berkeley police officer. a background check revealed a 1971 conviction for rape and kidnapping. he was ordered to see his parole officer. but when he showed up with his wife, two children and a woman named alyssa, authorities soon realized she was, in fact, jaycee lee dugard. a rambling blog offers insight into the troubled mind of jaycee's captor. trumpeting his ability to speak in tongues and control sound with his mind. last night, he spoke from jail with sacramento's kcra. >> you have to take it one step at a time. just do what i ask you to. you'll be so happy with what yaur doing. >> reporter: the other question this morning, is why garrido's wife stood by him for so many years. according to garrido's brother, she was a robot under his control, in different than the manson girls. chris? >> mike, a lot of questions. but tremendous answers and relief for the family here. i just spoke with jaycee's stepfather, the man who raised her, before she was abducted, carl probyn. he saw her be abducted this morning. he described it authorities. he was a suspect early on in this case. here's what he had to say. how clearly do you see that morning? and that hill, with the sun on it. and your daughter walking up the hill, with the gray sedan and the two people. everything you described wound up being accurate. >> that's unbelievable. to this day, i was always curious. how close was i in the car. how close was i in this? it came out perfect. i can't believe. i just glanced at it. an '85 ford. you know? the backyard and everything. i can't believe i got it right. >> the truth is, you were a suspect early on, weren't you? >> i would imagine, you know, being the stepfather. and the last person to see her. i'm sure i was. >> how difficult was it to try to convince people that you didn't have something to do with the disappearance of a little girl. we use the term stepdaughter. but she was your daughter. >> correct. i was the only father she's ever had. i was so busy trying to find her. >> how did you learn that your daughter is still alive? >> my wife called me. she said, are you sitting down? i said, yes. she said, they found jaycee. she paused. and she said, she's alive. we both started crying. >> what do you think of this man and what he's been doing to your daughter? >> it's pretty sick. i feel sorry the way jaycee has gone through this. how he had her locked up for basically 18 years. no school. no doctor. no dentist. the children have never been to a doctor or dentist. no life. you know, it's going to be a long road to change things around. >> how do you make sense of the fact that this man was regularly seeing a parole officer. authorities have been to this compound or whatever you want to call it. neighbors raised attention to the fact that there was a sex offender with kids around. and nothing happened. >> he had them hidden right. and jaycee's a mellow girl. maybe she didn't try to escape. or maybe he had her convinced that the neighbors were in on everything. it was the right time, right place. and he luckily screwed up by passing those flyers out and brought attention to himself, with two girls next to him. he finally made a mistake, after 18 years. >> he did a radio interview. he says that this is actually a heartwarming story. and it's a story of redemption, about how these two, little girls he had with jaycee just changed his life. what's that kind of talk mean to you? >> sounds pretty sick. you know, from what he's done. he's ruined our lives. you know, it's just -- changed his life. but it sure screwed ours up. he's had her for 18 years. now, it's our turn. i have no compassion for this guy. he's just out in left field. >> what have you heard about how she's doing? >> i heard she's doing good. the two girls are running around, playing. my wife says jaycee looks good. she looks almost like when she was kidnapped. she looks very young. she doesn't look 29 at all. >> has your wife passed along anything how jaycee explains what happened to her? >> i didn't get a chance to talk to her. my mother talked to her last night. and she says she feels -- jaycee feels really guilty for bonding with this man. there's really a guilt trip here. >> you have to explain to her, she was just a child. this man's a manipulator. and obviously very, very sick. >> and after 18 years, we think about it. he's had her longer than we had her. we had her for 11 years. he had her for 18. >> it's tough to measure the toll this took, right? you, the experience of being there when she's taken. this wound up pulling you apart from your wife, right? the holidays and the course of events of life totally changed after this. >> it ruined our lives, totally. for the first ten years. my wife, during christmas, during the kidnapping date, during jaycee's birthday date, she would take a week off from work and sit home and cry. she was a total basket case. >> is this something that in the back of your mind, you had always prayed for. somehow, some hope, she wasn't gone like all the others? >> toward the end, i just wanted a resolution. i wanted to find out who did this. make these people pay. and now, i've won the lotto. they captured them. this guy's confessed. it's not going to be a long trial. it's just fantastic. the girls are healthy. i couldn't ask for a better ending. you know? >> well, i want to let you go. it speeds up the time before you can see your daughter. i can't wait to talk to you after that reunion. >> you got it. >> good bless. good luck to yo. it's great to meet you this way. >> thank you. >> unbelievable. and our hearts, of course, go out to the whole family for this reunion. hopefully they find some peace and healing quickly. let's get over to sharyn alfonsi. there is other news this morning. you're following a developing story. a shooting near a university. >> that's right, chris and diane. good morning. police are investigating two virginia tech students. two students were found shot to death at a comp ground popular with students. the search continues this morning for a suspect. two years ago, a student gunman murdered 32 in a campus rage. even federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is not immune to identity theft. just days after his wife's purse was stolen from a capitol hill starbucks, someone started cashing corrects from bernanke's personal account. that led investigators to an elaborate identity fraud ring, involving hundreds of victims and more than $2 million in bank losses. and finally, painting the town and everyone in it red. a giant foot fight left tens of thousands of tourists in a small, spanish city, covered from head-to-toe in squishy tomatoes. more than 100 tons of tomatoes were used at this year's event. that's the news at 7:15. apparently you have half the town blocked off for the fight. and half for showers. heading back out to sam, now. as he tracks, not only danny, but the rest of the nation's weather. sam? >> good morning, again, diane. we talked about danny at the top of the storm and updated you on that storm. let's talk about the other two headlines this morning. one of them, the heavy rain in the midwest. we've had almost a foot of rain in some locations in southern iowa. chicagoland's involved in that. erie. and in the southwest heat and fires, also at the top of the show. in the heat vegas at 108. phoenix, 112. and the high fire danger continues. coming up in just a few minutes our next weather, reel look at the high fire danger in the southwest. we'll deconstruct danny. why that storm weakened. what it will do and what it won't do? >> thanks, sam. now, we turn to the celebration and commemoration of senator ted kennedy and his work. more than 20,000 people lined up yesterday to honor him at the john f. kennedy presidential library in boston. and "gma" weekend anchor, kate snow, joins us from there now. kate? >> reporter: good morning, diane. they actually had to extend viewing hours until 2:00 in the morning overnight. first in the line were back here at 5:00 a.m. this morning. one woman said to me last night, she feels as if a member of her own family had died. and for the kennedy family, it's that public outpouring. the sharing of this grief that's been such a comfort. they waited two, sometimes three hours. all wanting, needing, to say a personal good-bye. >> i deeply appreciated his accomplishments. out of respect for him and his family, i wanted to be here today. >> this is history. >> reporter: we watched the senator's widow talk with people outside for almost an hour. we asked her how she felt seeing so many. >> our whole family is deeply grateful. deeply grateful for this outpouring of love. that's why i wanted to personally come and thank as many people as i could. >> there would have been nobody who would have been so loved as teddy, that he would have just loved this. >> reporter: inside, senator kennedy's son, patrick, greeted visitors as they filed past the flag-draped casket. all night long, a small group of friends and family kept vigil in the room. they'll take turns on duty so the casket is never alone. and so much of the kennedy family is here. caroline, daughter of john f. kennedy, dispensing hugs. as they gathered and made the voyage from hyannisport to boston, people crowded the street. late last night after the viewing, young and old lined up again, to sign condolence books. what did you write in the book? >> thank you for what you did. thank you for what you did to our country. you're an inspiration to all of us. >> reporter: young and old here. and those books will be read, we're told, by the kennedy family. the viewing begins again this morning, from 8:00 to 3:00 this afternoon. and then, tonight, a private service inside, which they're calling a celebration of life. we're told it will be filled with music and stories. we'll hear from vice president biden, at that private service, which will be televised. there will also be senator john mccain there, joseph kennedy, and caroline kennedy. and, diane, of course, tomorrow is the larger memorial service, featuring president obama's eulogy. >> all right, kate. i know you will be anchoring "good morning america" weekend there from the library. and abc news live coverage of the service will begin at 10:30 a.m. eastern. and for more, you can go to our special section on senator kennedy at abcnews.com/kennedy. when we come back, new evidence in the model murder. and the parents of the suspect will speak out. i have asthma. and when my symptoms-the coughing, wheezing, tightness in my chest came back- i knew i had to see my doctor. he told me i had choices in controller medicines. we chose symbicort. symbicort starts to improve my lung function within 15 minutes. that's important to me because i know the two medicines in symbicort are beginning to treat my symptoms and helping me take control of my asthma. and that makes symbicort a good choice for me. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. and should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. so, it is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on other asthma medicines. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. i know symbicort won't replace a rescue inhaler. within 15 minutes symbicort starts to improve my lung function and begins to treat my symptoms. that makes symbicort a good choice for me. you have choices. ask your doctor if symbicort is right for you. 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(announcer) if you cannot afford your medication, [ announcer ] soy has been in ancient china, soy was such an important food... that the emperor declared it sacred. in japan, buddhist monks believed eating soy... was healthier for the body and spirit. for thousands of years, cultures around the world... have eaten soy for its health benefits. which is why today, we take whole soybeans, in their natural state, and bake them with fruit into soyjoy. good morning. it's 7:24. heavy storms blew off in anne arundel county across the bay and north of easton. that's pushing thunder and lightning and over through harford county. now this is passing across the harford zone. let's pull it back and show you the region. this cluster you can switch you'll see right across the mid-atlantic states. this is part of a southern storm as opposed to danny offshore. danny will have rains from the southern system and the widespread watch with more storms likely and temperatures stuck into the the traffic. here's kim with the latest. >> reporter: traffic is moving slow approaching the beltway. looking at the west side of the outer loop, traffic is moving along nicely. it's suching given the morning we've had. as you make your way down toward route 70 interchange, however. on the side streets, we have several things going on. richie rye way past route 648. a downed tree blocks three lanes. working a co at essex. and timonium has downed wires in the roadway. towson is closed in both directions due to flooding. we'll be right back with the morning news update next. mo