more acres burned, and more houses threatened a wildfire crisis in california. more acres burn more houses threatened overnight. good evening, i'm terry mcsweeney. >> and i'm peggy bunker. firefighter crews are headed to our state from all other the country because there are so in wildfires burning in california right now. take a look at the largest one. this is the rocky fire burning in lake county. now 46,000 acres. this is one of at least 20 other large fires across the state. most of them in the northern part of california. we're joined live at the santa clara fire department headquarters for more on what

the local firefighters are doing to help and where the biggest threats are. >> reporter: they have a tough job ahead of them peggy. the department has sent 27 firefighters to the rocky fire west of sacramento which as you mentioned has already scorched more than 46,000 acres. in addition two strike teams from several south bay cities including san jose have also been sent to the rocky fire. we talked to a cal fire spokesman about the challenges of fighting two dozen fires throughout california at one time. >> the conditions across our state and especially here in northern california are tinder dry. that's what's allowing the fires to burn as such anz explosive rate. >> reporter: to give you an idea just how explosive, the rocky fire grew 20,000 acres in just a five-hour period last night. cal fire crews are burning out some areas ahead of the rocky fire to try to stop the flames from spreading so quickly, and

that did work near highway 20 last night. the california national guard is also providing air tinker to try to slow down those flames. now the firefighters who are here from santa clara county fire department are now taking a little bit of much needed rest. but they'll be back on the front lines tomorrow. and they are tasked with structure defense, protecting homes in that area. reporting live nbc bay area news. >> really serious situation there. right now let's check in with meteorologist rob mayeda with a lack at how the weather is going to affect the wildfires. >> right now short term not so much around the rocky fire. hot and dry conditions up there. the satellite view interesting. you've got the fog on the coast and the smoke flums from the rocky mountain fire is taking up this part. you can see here on the satellite, the upper level system pulling in more tropical moisture out of the desert

southwest. northern california north of redding we have a chance of more lightning sparked fires from some of those storms not throwing down enough rain with all of the lightning that we're seeing across the high country of california. the fire exploding overnight. 47,000 acres. the footprint almost the size of clear lake. a much different story in the bay area. the temperatures right now are running a little cooler than yesterday as the sea breeze is turning stronger. once again tonight we'll see the low clouds coming back inland but probably just for elevations below 2500 feet which may not push the cooler marine air up towards lake count. humidity recovering a little bit towards the morning with drizzle and mist for the bay area. but the hilltop areas looking dry. back to you. >> rob, thanks very much. new at 5:00 pacifica has

yet another dead whale on its beach, the third in the past few month. scientists are expected to examine the body. in the meantime the police are working on a plan to remove the carcass. christy smith is live with more including reaction from folks on the beach. christy? >> reporter: it's drawing a number of curious people to the beach to take a look at what's going on. also we're told a team from the marine mammal center is on hand. you can see them working down there. what they say is this is a humpback while carcass. it was discovered this morning, according to the spokesman for the certain. they're going to collect samples and then workers from the center will keep on eye on it in the tide to determine exactly when they can do a that cropcy. it concerns them because there are been other dead whales

recently. >> this is really sad to see. this is the third one i've seen in the last couple of months. so not sure what's going on. but it's really concerning. >> now two dead whales washed up in the area in may and april, the cause of death unclear. one thought to possibly be due to a ship strike but we're told there was no conclusion on that to absolutely confirm it. cause of death is unknown. marine mammal center on the scene. we're hoping to check in with them at some point but we're told they'll be here for quite some time. reporting live christy smith, nbc bay area news. >> amazing to see that. everyone there at work on the whale. happening now, transbay b.a.r.t. service is shut down for the weekend. b.a.r.t. representatives say the bus shuttle being offered is an alternative and it is running smoothly. he's take a live look at the backup on the bay bridge. certainly not as bad as it was yesterday when it was bumper to bumper at this time. this is the only way to get across to the east bay.

lanes are crowded but they're moving. the closure is so workers can replace the aging crossover trackance do general maintenance. b.a.r.t. rider is down 50 pshs which is making the entire process easier. >> we have more buses than we thought we were originally going to see running constantly. it's a good thing that fewer people are coming out. >> now b.a.r.t. is still open and on track for 4:00 a.m. to open for the mourning commute. another transbay tube closure takes place over labor day weekend. we'll tell you about that as it gets closer. coverage continues online at nbc bay area. there you'll find detailed information during the closure. more mosquitos found with the west nile virus and now they're making moves to stop the spread. starting at 9:00 p.m. they're fogging part of the 9025 zip

code. the mosquito district will continue to monitor the area to make sure that the fogging worked. they want those that live in the area to report any dead birds they find. that's often the first sign that west nile is spreading because the birds carry the virus. west nile virus has been found in every county in california with the exception of san francisco. coming up next at 5:00, the san jose earthquakes want to stop a deadly move behind the wheel. the message they have today. and later -- >> are you sending a message that pg&e -- >> a new sheriff in town when it comes to pg and e.

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practice "buzz free" driving. that's the message the san jose earthquakes is sharing with it's teenage and practice was free driving. that is the message that san jose earthquakes are trying to share with teenagers and adult fans. today the organization held an event to raise awareness of a distraction of a buzzing phone and what it can cause. before the games fans got to explore solutions like an app that blocks their phone screen to help them break bad habits. >> it clicks into place when you are at driving spood.

when you come to a stop full stop and you're there for a while at your destination, then it goes away. >> event organizers say that 40 people die every day in the united states from drunk or distracted driving. fans were also able to take a buzz free pledge to stay safe behind the wheel. the little league intermediate world series is in full swing back for a third year in a row in livermore. they'll be playing each other for the championship. the host team from danville will play the east team from new york at 6:00 tonight. players ages 11 to 13 are eligible to play in the intermediate baseball league which features longer pitching distances and bases. >> this is the next age up. a little more distance to it. 50 foot pitching, 70 foot bases. they can lead off. they can go from the stretch. they're getting closer to the

professional baseball standard. >> championship game will be held saturday 6:00 p.m. at the park and admission is free. >> good luck to them. very exciting. coming up an exclusive interview with the man in charge of you water, your power and your electric bill. >> taking over for michael beady, big shoe to fill small shoe to fill? >> different shoes. from tennis shoes. >> arriving in the middle of a possible criminal investigation what does he have to say about how he's going to run the cpuc. life's the food that brings us together. and kitchens where every meal is the most important of the day.

life's the food that brings us together. and kitchens where every meal is the most important of the day.

the new president of the state's public utilities commission -- is trying to rebuild t public's tst -- after the new president of the state's public utilities commission is trying to rebuild the public's trust after leaked e-mails led to state and federal investigations. in his first indepartment tv interview he sat down with chief investigator tif reporter toni cob les ski. >> it was an intriguing interview. we talked about the criminal investigations, the scandals that rocked them, what insiders call a cozy relationship with p pg&e pg&e. >> taking over for michael, big shoes to fill or small shoe to fill. >> different shoes. i'm tennis shoes.

>> an interesting contrast offer by michael picker after inheriting the most powerful seat for the powerful agency that determines what california residents pay for water, gas and leg tris pi. the agency charged with setting the safety standard for utilities. the agency that federal officials say contributed to the deadly san bruno pipeline explosions. >> i'll be honest with you. this is probably the most frustrating job i've ever had. >> in recent years, conflicts and controversy are rocked the public utilities commission. >> federal investigators looking into the case. >> ultimately after an e-mail scandal led to ongoing criminal investigations last december the former president decided to step down. >> i surrender. don't shoot. i surrender. >> it was a bit of an iconic moment. all of the controversy and his last meeting he puts his arms up

and says, i surrender. what did the moment say to you? >> said it was a passing so i took note and tried to focus on my job. >> what's your lead on michael peevey's legacy. >> it's complicated. >> 65,000 e-mails becoming public exposing allegations of inappropriate access and interactions between the buc and high ranking pg&e executives. >> the e-mails are troubling and disstressing but i'll leave it to somebody better qualified than me to say whether there's actually been a crime or some kind of a violation. >> michael picker took over for peevey after lengthy stints in the government. his decision to answer our questions just months after taking over offers a stark contrast to his predecessor who regularly declined interviews and often worked to avoid public

accountability. >> mr. peevey we'd like to talk to you about your travel sir. >> explain to us why the puc should fly for you to fly to and from los angeles, your home. >> i'm head quartered in los angeles. you know mr. cob les ki you are an extremely difficult person. >> what's the message you send by coming here to napa instead of going to skooe speak to the senate? >> you're very antagonistic. you got a job to do. sir -- >> it's pathetic what you're doing. >> okay. >> pathetic. >> our reports over the past two years questioned free travel to exotic international destinations accepted by the former puc president. >> what's your philosophy on accepting free travel from groups that are funded by the utilities you regulate? >> never done it. i do think we need to get out and talk to people and meet with people. but i don't feel the need to have luxury. >> critics of mr. peevey said

the travel he accepted crossed the ethical line. will you cross that line? >> probably not. i stumble every day here but i think that's one i can avoid. >> under peevey critics accused the puc of acting like a lap dog instead of a watchdog. an attack on the water grid led picker to suggest earlier this year that pg&e may be too big to operate safely. >> and i think we need to hold them accountable. and if we find they are unable to actually perform then you'll have to figure out what we legally can do. nobody here actually knows what it would take to revoke a pg&e's franchises. >> are you sending a message to

pg&e that you eesh looking at a bigger picture here? >> no. i'm mapping out a work plan. >> he's also mapped out an internal plan for his agency. he has ordered puc leaders to develop a code of conduct and hold training for staff. another priority a plan to modernize the agency and equip it with updated technology. >> the puc is really kind of stale and isolated in many respects. it has not kept up with the times. >> picker acknowledges that it will take time to rebuild an agency that has slowly unravelled for years. >> how do you want people to look back on the michael picker era? >> i think they should look back and see what the organization has done and probably not even notice that somebody new is in my chair. >> picker says he wants reform of the puc to go deeper than the superficial repairs. how long will that take?

he says california rate payers should start noticing a difference in two years. finally, credit where credit is due. michael picker sat down and answered tough questions for more than an hour. potentially the dawn of a new era. i'm tony kovaleski. >> if you have a tip for the investigative unit give us a call at 888-9946-tips or send us an e-mail. >> we want to thing everyone who came out to the 32nd annual free month festival of the arts. >> yeah actually the largest free festival west of the mississippi. we checked on this. it is in fact that. about 400,000 people. >> yeah. >> it featured music, family activities, more than 600 arts and crafts booths. we'll never forget this shot will we? beautiful dogs. >> barkley and -- >> riley.

>> that's right. and it's rob who was getting hit. >> had we not all had to be here we would have surely be therein. that would have been great. >> at rob? >> not at rob. >> speaking of rob -- >> right now we have some sunshine around the bay area. earlier this morning, this t reason it's 0 so gorgeous in fremont, all day sea breeze that brought the lo clouds in for the morning and the high clouds going from left to right up out of the south for the afternoon. dublin along the 580 corridor the cooler air spilling down during the afternoon. temperatures still in the 70s. right now emeryville at 71 degrees. san francisco, sunshine as a slow drive. northbound right now, everybody take in the view. 70 degrees with mostly clear skies. san jose right now 76. and the temperature trend that began today, a slight cooldown

is the way that the workweek will start with the temperatures trending cooler now. thanks to the fairly strong sea breeze, mild and breezy to start the weekend. you see the seven-day forecast at the bottom of the screen. this cooldown could take us through tuesday morning. you got low clouds and drizzle for the morning, andshine for the afternoon, high clouds drifting by through the mid afternoon hours for tomorrow. morning temperatures upper 50s and low 60s. lunchtime temperature, still comfortable. a little cool around san francisco and oakland. mid 60s around noon. and highs evanentually close to 08 80 degrees. mid and upper 60s in san francisco. 77 degrees in napa. 82 should be the warm spot for places like walnut creek and livermore tomorrow and dublin in the middle 70s. we want to keep an eye on what's

happening out of the hawaiian island. category one storm. it's going across all of the hawaiian islands. the bigger story here is all of the rain hitting the northeast facing sides of the big island. so watch out for this as you head out to those regions maybe from wednesday through friday. this storm will have a big impact on hawaii not as a hurricane but a heavy rain producer. midweek for us a slight warmup in the temperatures as the high pressure turns a little stronger. monday and tuesday we dip downward in the temperatures. thursday should be the warmest place of the week. livermore and rising close to 90 degrees. san jose should see a similar trend, 70s on tuesday mid 80s on thursday. san francisco a slight warmup on thursday and then cool down into friday and saturday and the roller coaster ride continues. next weekend, a mile start and then 90s could return by this

time next weekend as the high pressure returns by next sunday. back to you. coming up a heart stopping moment on the racetrack. >> watch as a driver nearly takes out his own pit crew. the incredible video coming up after the break.

some heart-stopping moments at a nascar race today after a driver takeomembers of his own pit crew. ==nats vo== "a disasterous stop some heart stopping moments at a nascar race today after a driver takes out members of his own pit crew. >> he went through his pit stop. >> look at this video here. the driver rams right into his own crew at the pit stop here at the poke no raceway. three people flew into the air. a 32 pound jack landed on one of the crew members. another member ended up being thrown over the hood of the car.

everyone did bounce back. hard to watch. and immediately got back to work, if you can believe it. they were later checked out and are all okay. >> wow. we'll be right back. k this out. with xfinity home we get 24/7 professional monitoring and video monitoring we can watch on our own tv. that's way better than our old security system. [metal clanking] [chip crunching] [baby crying] don't be old fashioned. xfinity customers, add xfinity home for $29.95 a month for 12 months. plus get a free security camera. call 1-800 xfinity or go online today.

appeared on the empire state building may have been during a king kong movie. but they appeared again the last time a wild animal appeared on the empire state building may have been during a king congress movie. but they appeared again last night for a good cause. a display showing endangered animals was projected over a 33 floor span of the iconic skyscraper. amazing. >> beautiful. >> a tote oval 160 species for shown. it was meant to draw attention to the plight of these animals. empire state building like it's never been seen before. >> they do different colors for different events. it's so nice that they did that

for the animals. nbc nightly news the next. more local news at 6:00. >> see you then. on this sunday night, fire fight, the intense battle against a growing inferno that threatens thousands of homes in california. we're on the front lines. fatal shooting, a police officer killed during a routine traffic stop in memphis. tonight, one person is in custody while the manhunt for the shooter intensifies. in the running, what our new poll reveals about donald trump and the rest of the republican field amid growing speculation that vice president joe biden might challenge hillary clinton. hunting outrage, a second american, a doctor from pennsylvania is accused of illegally killing a lion in africa, as authorities seek to extradite the dentist for the killing of cecil. wedding encore, why one couple decided to walk down the isle