ask your doctor about ibrance. i'm raunl mathai. next on nbc bay area news, encouraging news as we head into the weekend. covid cases continue to drop. how much can we afford to let our guard down? we're getting key guidance from one of the top experts in the country. a midflight emergency. how a pilot and passenger landed this hot air balloon in sonoma county after an equipment malfunction. plus -- are they a symbol of oppression? our famous mission bells? one just went up in gilroy today. despite protests from native americans. what the city is saying about its decision. good evening on this friday night. we start with breaking news.

a large fire in santa clara. this is happening right near the san jose airport. you can see the response there and the fire trucks. this is happening at the elks lodge on martin avenue just west of the san jose international airport. we spoke with one of the women who works at the elks lodge helping to serve dinner. she said when she got there, she saw this building like we're seeing it now, in flames. >> two officers were already working in there and getting the dinner ready. apparently the guests were bussed. i came in 5:30, 5:35. the lodge was already engulfed in flames. and i don't know what to say. it's just a devastating day for santa clara and elks lodge today. >> you can see she is shaken up, rightfully so. that is a popular elks lodge. no official word how this fire started. she did say a gas line may have

burst. at least two people possibly inside, maybe more. we do have reporters now on the scene. no word of any flight delays or interruptions at air traffic sjc. we know the 49ers are flying out of sjc in about an hour. we'll bring you updates on air and online as we get them in. also tonight, wear those masks. the white house promised it would start shipping 400 million free n95 masks across the country this week. they should be arriving at pharmacies and grocery stores. but in the bay area, no luck. at least no luck yet. walgreens tells us n95 shipments are still arriving at its warehouses and they'll head to stores on a rolling basis over the upcoming days and weeks. cbs has a similar plan, and both companies say they'll continue to update the mask delivery timelines on their websites. a reminder, once they arrive, you're limited to three free masks per person.

in just a few minutes a lot of people get together for lunar new year. and the 49ers game. should you mask up even at home? we're getting guidance from the chair of medicine at ucsf, dr. bob wachter. a questionable testing covid site, a few sites. a company we exposed is shutting down operations. the name, center ccc. it operated more than 300 test sites nationwide, including san jose, mountain view, and san ramon. the site you're seeing is in mountain view on el camino real. our investigative team jumped into action after we got a call from a viewer about missing results. we found out more complaints, then failures at the company's partner lab. we reported about the fbi search at the company's illinois

headquarters. the ccc, the founders of the company, say they're laying off 150 workers, almost the entire staff. they say they'll refocus on cooperating with investigators and they want to clear their names. some of our other headlines on this friday evening, an unbelievable save midair, right there in the sky. a hot air balloon pilot and a passenger being hailed as heroes tonight after an unusual equipment failure midflight. this happened yesterday. the balloon was carrying 13 people on a float over sonoma county. the burner, the fuse to control the altitude of the balloon, suddenly fell off of its rack. imagine being stuck on that gondola, that little cabin, the basket. the pilot and passenger worked together to keep the balloon inflated until it touched down. >> luckily we had a volunteer firefighter. a real hero. he helped hold up the burner so i could add heat. and we were able to hover. >> a volunteer firefighter was on board, thank goodness.

everyone aboard walked away with no injuries. the pilot is working with the faa and the manufacturer of the gondola to figure out what went wrong. what are your plans this weekend? it is friday, there's a lot going on. sunshine, lunar new year, the 49ers, even a big warriors game against the nets all happening at omicron cases continue to drop. that's good news. should we be letting our guard down? restaurants and bars setting up tvs inside and outside for saturday night's warriors game. then sunday's 49ers game. chinatown expecting a good turnout as we kick off the year of the tiger. city health leaders say they want everyone to stay vigilant so we don't trigger another surge. >> san francisco is now on the downslope of the omicron surge. cases are still quite high, though. so it's very important for us to continue to layer up our many layers of protection. >> joining us, dr. bob wachter,

chair of the department of medicine at ucsf. a quick nonmedical question. you have 256,000 followers on twitter. how many did you have two years ago prepandemic? >> 17 thousand. >> i don't know the math on that, but it's increased a lot. >> assuming the pandemic ends, i'll go back to 17,000. i think it's the topic rather than me. >> well, no, a lot of people are listening to what you've been tweeting the last couple of years. let's talk about san francisco where you are right now. among the first cities to go on lockdown two years ago. now among the first cities to lift this mask mandate as of next tuesday. is that a good move? >> i think so. i think the cases are coming down rapidly, as we expected. we have to get back toward normal. i don't think we're going to get all the way to normal. in the next month or so.

but i think we have to make moves in that direction, because this virus is milder, most people have immunity, and by this point everybody's had the opportunity to get their three shots. i hope people have done it because it's massively effective in preventing severe cases. our hospitals are still pretty full. they haven't started coming down very much yet. but there's no reason they won't, because the cases are going down, the test positivity's going down. i think we're going to be in better shape the next few weeks. it is time to begin getting a little more permissive than we have been. >> so many people have tested positive. are they in the clear now? what are the chances they get reinfected in the months ahead? >> not zero. they are really in good shape if they've also had three vaccine shots. so if you've got three shots, you had two shots and a booster, and you had a breakthrough case, you have superpowers. your chances of getting very sick and dying are essentially zero.

if all you had is a single infection and you had no shots, you may think you're in good shape. you probably are in decent shape for the next month or two or three. but i would wonder and worry about the immunity someone has from the infection. it's not zero. you're better off than you were prior to your infection but nowhere near as protected as you should be and reasonably high risk of reinfection. >> 49ers game sunday, watching probably in a group setting. any guidance for safe gatherings? >> it's probably too late, but if you have not gotten your third shot, it's a good excuse to go ahead and get it. we have seen with omicron that three shots is much, much more protective than two shots. two shots is better than nothing. do you need to be wearing a mask in an outdoor, crowded place? the answer is that the risk is very, very error, but with

omicron, not zero. it's so infectious that if you have not been vaccinated, i would be very careful, and i would wear a mask. if you're fully vaccinated, by which i mean three shots, i think you're in pretty good shape. me, sitting outside, a breathe, i wouldn't be wearing a mask. if i went into the bathroom, for example at the stadium, i probably would. >> we'll watch for your updates on twitter and here on nbc, dr. wachter, thanks for your time, have a good weekend. >> you as well, raj. >> more at nbcbayarea.com and our nbc bay area app. that includes our covid faq. the link is at the top of the page. it includes an explainer on the new less-restrictor mask rules coming to san francisco and how to choose the best mask. it's a symbol of california's complicated history. you're looking at a new mission bell being installed today in downtown gilroy. growing up here in california, the missions were a big part of

our history. celebrated in elementary school. for many the bells are reminders of colonialism and oppression of native americans. some cities have taken down the bells. stephanie explains why in gilroy, the bell is going up. >> reporter: a 1906 mission bell. an incredibly common sight across california. historical societies say they mark the his tore call route that connected our state's missions and camino real. for many, they're a reminder of dark times in california history. >> the mission bell represents the destruction and domination of many, many california tribes. >> reporter: these sentiments have brought down bells from santa cruz to san diego. two years ago, gilroy's art commission and the city council approved placing this bell downtown to honor the city's 150th anniversary. a tribe says they only learned this was happening a few months ago, so they wrote a letter urging them to reconsider.

>> it represented the death of 100,000 to 150,000 indians that were taken to the missions. and the city council did not reply. >> reporter: today the bell went up. this right here is monterey road, or el camino real. as you can see, the bell was placed just a few feet away from this historical route. and in an area that also features information about the city's history. councilmember mendari says she also asked the council to reconsider. >> a symbol of white supremacy, a symbol of oppression, a symbol of genocide that you have to walk by, that's costly to our psyche, to our heart. >> reporter: those who voted for the bell declined to comment but said the issue was decided during multiple public hearings two years ago. the mayor had a statement saying in part, there will always be those disappointed bit outcome of any agenda item and such does not warrant do-overs solely

based on the request of those disappointed. the tribe says they'll now launch a new campaign to bring it down. up next, have you ever thought about moving to montana? yeah. it's happening. there's a bay area migration to big sky country. we'll sell you why, what's up there? we'll be joined by a real estate agent in boseman. off they go. almost. the buses are waiting, the fans are ready for the sendoff. we'll take you to 49ers hq as they get ready to depart for l.a., one win away from the super bowl. 0,xq

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perfectly sized to share with a friend, coworker, or the ceo of your favorite restaurant. my new $6 tiny tacos big box. only at jack in the box. welcome back to nbc bay area news tonight. just admit, there's a good chance you might have thought about it, maybe flirts with the idea of leaving the bay area, leaving california. we've heard all the usual destinations. nevada, oregon, arizona, texas. but now it's montana. big sky country, quickly becoming kind of a hot spot for bay area transplants. check it out. the "chronicle" crunched the data from california city lab. it shows people leaving san francisco and heading to montana up 140% since the beginning of the pandemic. and people leaving the bay area in general, the region, for montana, up 51%. so why montana? tonight we're joined by ever

dawn charles, a realtor in bozeman, montana. nice to have you on the program. honest answer, are you mad at us for bombarding your state? >> no, not at all. montana isn't for everyone. i have to say. >> well, everdawn, what's the draw? is it the beauty, the business? lesser texts? what is it? >> it's definitely the beauty. the outdoor recreation. and quality of life. again, it's not for everyone. this is a mountain town, montana is colder, we have snow sports and all of that. >> how different is the covid response? if you want to talk health issues and political issues, how different is the covid response in montana compared to california? >> well, we have a much smaller population than you all have. we still have more cows than we have people.

and so the covid situation has definitely been different from what i'm hearing from friends and clients coming to montana. there's definitely pockets of montana where covid never existed, it feels that covid never existed. it comes and goes. it's a much more relaxed mace. >> everdawn, okay, this is up your alley, being an agent for keller williams. home values have shot up in your region. before the pandemic, zillow put the median price home in montana at about $471,000. it's now almost doubled. we're look at the graph here, about $700,000. are locals being priced out? >> unfortunately, yes. in boseman specifically, in the bigger cities, towns in montana, the prices have definitely

raised. montana is a big state, we have a lot of small towns. and the real estate, the influx of people coming in, is affecting most of our state. however, that's not true for everywhere. >> it's happening in several states, montana is not alone. everdawn, what are people telling you specifically from the bay area about just why they're reaching out, reaching out to you, exploring montana? >> it's definitely quality of life that they are coming out here for. again, it's colder here. we live in a mountain town. and so outdoor recreation usually is their number one -- their number one priority. the fact that they can also wora lot of folks out this way. >> yeah, i've been there on a work trip a couple of years ago. it was beautiful. and i look forward to coming back fishing, biking, skiing.

you guys have a lot going on. what's the temperature, just for fun, right now? >> for you, raj, 28 right now. it's pretty warm, it's january. >> it's actually not bad. >> it could be negative 20. >> thank you for the warning. we look forward to coming to visit you. everdawn with keller williams in bozeman, montana, have a good weekend. >> thank you, you too. much more on why housing prices in the bay area are still high and why it's still hard to find one for sale. watch that story at nbcbayarea.com on our streaming app, on apple tv, roku, and amazon fire. check out our must-see playlist. cool to check in on montana there. are you ready for some football? the 49ers game sunday down in l.a., but these fans are getting a head start. this is happening right now. in fact, this video taken a few minutes ago at levi's stadium. all these 49ers fans waiting to give the players and coaches a big farewell before they head

south. the buses are waiting for the players. the team will roll out to sjc within the hour for their short flight down to los angeles. so is this team ready? well, if you think about it, they've been ready for two years. ever since losing that super bowl to the chiefs in miami. here's nbc bay area's anthony flores. >> the nfc championship between the 49ers and rams is less than 48 hours away. you can feel the excitement and energy building in santa clara. we've seen fans 40 the carload purchasing 49ers gear. the niners and rams have been playing since the 1950s but this is just the second time in the history of the rivalry they will meet in the postseason with a trep to the super bowl on the line. jimmy garoppolo, his shoulder is no longer on the injury report, but he's still dealing with that sprained right thumb on his throwing hand. i watched him in practice, and he looks like the same old jimmy. the 49ers have dominated the rams recently. we all know they have won six in a row against their nfc west

division foes. all week long players from both teams say the winner on sunday will be the team who can execute the best. the nfc championship game is sunday. how will you be cheering on the niners? one fan is channeling his giants fandom by chanting "beat l.a." mark will be at work that won't stop him from watching the big game. from thousands of miles away, steven says, look at this he'll be cheering on the 49ers in montana. so yes, we do have a montana contingent watching and cheering the niners. a live look, that is beautiful on this friday night, the golden gate bridge. jeff is going to join us next, talk about our weekend forecast. a lot hiving.

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quick shoutout to all the grad students at stanford. i spoke at their crisis communication class this morning. 8:00 a.m. this class starts. that's really early, especially for night shift guys. >> too early for me. >> great class, a lot of energy, a lot of smart students, professor george foster. been teaching this class 11 years. a beautiful day on campus. how an imposter was able did treat real patients. >> a bittersweet evening for us after 23 years covering news in the bay area. we're losing one of the best, our longtime reporter jean elle hanging up her microphone.

jean has worked the night shift like us. we've gotten to know her well. she is a true professional, a quality journalist. we wish jean elle the best of luck. >> oh my gosh. >> it's going to be strange not to have jean on tv. maybe she'll be watching us late at night. >> so genuine. such a hard worker. what you see on tv is exactly what you get in person. and yeah, we are going to miss you so much, jean. >> she's a great surfing too. >> yeah. best of luck to you. by the way, very accurate and responsible for journalists nowadays and even in the olden days. that is very important to us. congrats, jean. we've got high pressure bringing in dry weather. we're going to get a bit of cloud cover mixing in as well. let's go ahead and get you to the microclimate forecast and we'll show you what we are dealing with. again, it's just a small system. no rainfall with this. we're going to get the clouds moving into the bay area tomorrow morning. you can see those widespread cloud covers from the north bay down to the south bay. as we head through the

afternoon, we get that sun coming in. it's going to be a nice saturday afternoon for us. temperatures to start are going to begin in the 40s. a light wind out of the north-northeast at 4. then as we roll through the day tomorrow, with that afternoon sunshine it's going to feel like spring out here for a lot of the bay. up to 66 in napa. 65 concord. and mid to upper 60s san jose to morgan hill. heading into san francisco where the coastline will be in the low 60s. the only problem you might notice is your allergies. because of this dry spell we've seen in january, we're now starting to see a lot of pollen and plants blooming. trees dropping a lot of pollen. i'd dar, ash, alder, elm high. we need rainfall but in the seven-day forecast, we are dry. so next up for us would be cloud cover on monday. then we're looking at a little wind on tuesday. 15 to 35. that's going to increase the fire danger. then continued sunshine wednesday, thursday, and friday. so raj, i've been saying great

for 49er get-togethers sunday in the bay. kickoff 3:30. temperatures in the upper 60s. good for the 49ers. >> nice l.a. weather. speaking of, good thing you brought up the allergies. i've been sneezing. nowadays you sneeze, everyone gets paranoid. it's a lot of allergies, right? >> i'm with you on that, i took my temperature a couple of times to make sure what kind of category you're in there. take the allergy medicine, and 15 minutes later, good to go. >> thank you, jeff, have a good friday night. coming up at 8:00, "that's my jam" with jimmy fallon. a two-hour "dateline" at 9:00. and our 11:00 news. that's going to do it at 7:00. for everyone here at nbc bay area, have a great weekend, keep safe.

i see her in everything i do. >> she died while on a date and her family suspects foul play. today a stunning new development in the death of lauren smith fields. >> the person last seen with her is an older white man. >> i'm just proud of her strength to be able to share her story. >> aw. >> we battled it together. >> the moving story of rams quarterback matthew stafford and wife kelly one step from the super bowl as they adapt to the california lifestyle other. >> with kanye west and the pinata. >> that whole day was a blur. >> what does his downfall mean? >> that's my barbecue sauce. >> talking abo