>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH SOME GOOD NEWS. FIREFIGHTERS ARE MAKING
PROGRESS CONTAINING THE TWO
BIGGEST FIRES BURNING IN THE
STATE.
THE LNU COMPLEX FIRE EVENT IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR FIVE DEATHS. IT
BURNED MORE THAN 357,000 ACRES
IN YOLO, SALINA, NAPA, LAKE AND
SONOMA COUNTIES.
970 STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN
DESTROYED. CONTAINMENT IS 33%.
>> THE SCU FIRES ARE NOW 25%
CONTAINED.
MORE THAN 365,000 ACRES HAVE
BURNED AND 20,000 HOMES ARE
STILL THREATENED.
>> LET'S HOPE THAT FIREFIGHTERS
GET SOME CREDIT FOR WHAT THEY
WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE.
>> EVAN ANDERSON APPLAUDING THE
PROGRESS FIREFIGHTERS MADE.
15,000 FIREFIGHTERS WERE
BATTLING 700 FIRES.
NEARLY 4000 PEOPLE EVACUATED
TONIGHT.
THE LIVE COVERAGE CONTINUES
SHOWING A NEW TOOL HELPING
FIREFIGHTERS RIGHT NOW.
FIRST WE WANT TO GO WITH JOHN
BARTELL IN AN AREA THAT HAS
BEEN THE MOST DISSIPATED BY THE
FIRES.
>> Reporter: WE HAVE BEEN
TELLING YOU STORIES.
ENTIRE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN
LOST.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS A MUCH
DIFFERENT STORY.
IMAGES ON CHRISTIAN WENTWORTH'S
CELL PHONE TELL PART OF THE
STORY.
>> IT WAS A WAR ZONE.
THEY GRABBED THEIR HOSES AND
RAN INTO THE FIRE.
4 THE STORY HE IS TELLING IS
ONE OF PREPARATION.
LONG BEFORE THE FIRE MADE IT
WAY OVER THE HILL, HE ENDED'S
NEIGHBORS WERE PREPARING FOR
THE SEASON.
HERE'S WHAT PLAYED A HUGE PART
OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY.
ALL OF THE SPACE AS WELL.
>> THE COMMUNITY GOT TOGETHER
AND DEALT WITH IT.
>> Reporter: HAD IT NOT BEEN
FOR CREWS, THIS TREE WOULD HAVE
GONE INTO FLAMES.
>> THEY PRETTY MUCH TO SAVE THE
HOUSE IS.
>> THERE ARE MANY THANKS BUT
BEFORE THEY LEFT, PAUL WAS ABLE
TO THINK THE CREW THAT SAVED
HIS HOUSE.
>> WE LOVE YOU GUYS.
>> Reporter: IT IS FAR IN THE
DISTANCE, GIVING THE COMMUNITY
A MUCH NEEDED REST.
>> THE FIGHT AGAINST THE
MASSIVE FIRES CONTINUES.
WAS A RARE CHANCE TO TOUR AND
AIRCRAFT PROVIDING
INDISPENSABLE HELP.
>>> SOME OF THE AIRCRAFT IS
KEPT.
THIS IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND.
THE PILOT TELLS ME, ALL IT TAKES
IS A TEXT MESSAGE.
>> Reporter: A BOEING 747 WAS
NAMED THE SUPERTANKER AND USED
TO HELP FIGHT EVEN THE LARGEST
FIRES, INCLUDING THE LNU AND
SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRES.
>> THE CHIEF PILOT SAID HE
STARTED FLYING PLANES WHEN HE
WAS 15.
WITH OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE,
HE HELPED RETROFIT THE AIRCRAFT.
THE BELLY OF THE PLANE HOLDS
THOSE WATER OR RETARDED.
>> YOU CAN FILL A SWIMMING POOL
IN EIGHT SECONDS.
>> IT TAKES 28 MINUTES.
>> Reporter: WE GOT A QUICK
TOUR.
AT ANY SECOND IT WOULD BE
DEPLOYED AND WE WOULD HAVE TO
SCRAMBLE OUT OF THE PLANE.
>> WE FOUGHT FIRES IN ISRAEL,
CHILE AND SPENT MOST OF THE
LAST SUMMER IN BOLIVIA.
>> Reporter: ONLY FOUR PILOTS
HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED.
>> WE ARE HERE TO HELP.
>> Reporter: IT DOES NOT COME
WITHOUT A RISK.
THE PILOT SAID HE RELIES ON THE
TRAINING TO KEEP CREW AND
FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND SAFE.
>> WE HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK
INSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
>>> EVACUATIONS IN NEWCASTLE
WHEN ANOTHER FIRE BROKE OUT.
>> Reporter: WE CAN ALSO SEE
ROSEVILLE, AUBURN AND PLACER
HILLS FIREFIGHTERS PITCHING IN
TO HELP.
THE CAUSE IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION.
FORCED THE EVACUATION OF TWO
NEARBY HOMES.
THE DIVISION CHIEF SAID WITH
RESOURCES STRETCHED THIN AND
WITH A BUSY FIRE SEASON, NOW IS
THE TIME TO BE READY.
>> YOU NEED THAT PERSONABLE
RESPONSIBILITY AND DEFENSIBLE
SPACE.
>> I CAN SEE IT COMING UP.
WE HAVE THE HOSE SPRAYING THE
BACKYARD.
THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH MY
HOUSE SO I GOT OUT OF THERE.
>>> NOW FOR A CHECK OF THE
LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
>> IRONICALLY ENOUGH I PASSED
THAT FIRE. ON THE LEFT SIDE,
THEY WERE ALL OF THESE
NEIGHBORS.
PEOPLE HAD PULLED OVER TO TAKE
A LOOK.
BY THE TIME I GOT HOME, I HEARD
THE CHOPPERS IN THE SKY.
I THOUGHT DO YOU HAVE YOUR PLAN
IN PLACE?
IT WAS FAIRLY CLOSE.
LESS THAN HALF A MILE AWAY.
THE REMINDER, I HAVE TO MAKE
SURE I TAKE THE ADVICE MYSELF.
TODAY WAS A PRETTY NICE DAY.
WE HAD IMPROVEMENT.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE ARE LOOKING
UP, LOOKING TOWARD THE GILMORE
BACKYARD.
WE HAVE TEMPERATURES WITH 87
DEGREES.
THERE IS A DELTA BREEZE COMING
IN.
87 IN SACRAMENTO AND 81 AT
FAIRFIELD.
TEMPERATURES ARE WARMER.
96 AND ORVILLE.
THEN ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
VALLEY, 93 AT MODESTO.
31 IN FAIRFIELD AND 16 IN
SACRAMENTO AND 16 IN
PLACERVILLE.
THE WIND WAS COMING OUT OF THE
SOUTH AT 8 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR.
THEY WERE NOT VERY SIGNIFICANT
BUT JUST ENOUGH TO DRIVE DOWN
TEMPERATURES AND JUST ENOUGH TO
HELP MIX OUT SOME OF THAT GUNK
AND ALL OF THAT PARTICULATE
MATTER AND ALL OF THOSE
PARTICLES THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
IT IS MUCH SMALLER THAN BEFORE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT ORANGE AND
PARTS OF AUBURN AND SACRAMENTO.
MODERATE AIR QUALITY IN THE
SOUTH.
THAT IS A GOOD THING.
YOU WILL SEE TEMPERATURES IN
THE MID TO UPPER 60s COMING IN
TONIGHT.
NICE AIR QUALITY FOR NOW.
WHAT ABOUT THE WEEKEND?
WE DO HAVE CHANGES.
WE WILL LOOK AT THAT FORECAST,
COMING UP.
>>> WE ARE FOLLOWING DEVELOPING
NEWS.
POSSIBLE EVACUATIONS AND