protect your dog from fleas and ticks with nexgard chews. the protection that's #1 with dogs. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. for a limited time, get up to a 2-month rebate when you buy 12 doses of both nexgard chews and heartgard plus chews from your vet. terms apply. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> evaluated, the time is now. >> there amazing. it's like sitting down in the future to sit in one of these, to be able to dispatch and have a fully accessible app to do that with. >> a crucial vote on the expansion of self's in san francisco expected to be handed down any minute. given evening.

-- good evening. >> after months of waiting, the utilities commission will vote on whether or not to lift the restrictions on both cruise and waymo vehicles. there is public, so happy right now. >> we were at today's hearing and we have the details from leanne. >> it is still going on. with a bit of perspective here, on december 9, cruise first conducted its first driverless ride on the street of san francisco. that company, owned by general motors, and another owned by google have been testing their vehicles, generating a lot of controversy. if this goes their way they could start generating money, after spending millions. >> you guys are not stupid. don't be stupid. >> there was no lack of energy at today's hearing to determine the fate of self-driving companies.

it was up to four members of the california public utilities commission to vote on whether to expand their accessibility. people heard hours and hours of public comment from both sides of the aisle. >> it is not ready for prime time. >> i trust them much more than distracted or angry drivers. >> it is the most competently driven car i have ever driven in and i thought my dad was the best driver ever. >> its vehicles have driven over 3 million miles with no injury to passengers. still, between generate first and july 18, there have been 177 reported incidents, including those complaints from police, fire and muni. >> there week technology is befuddled by this little traffic cone. >> people have posted how placing those cones on the vehicles appears to disable them. >> when all of these little kids and the text rose, pure and say it's about safety, really?

>> those with vision impairment argued that autonomous vehicles offer them a sense of freedom and security. >> when i get into a vehicle, i am able to do so without the fear of being harassed, groped, assaulted, attacked or potentially worse. >> those with physical disabilities who take public transportation rely on humans to assist them. this cabdriver argued today that autonomous car's offer no assistance. >> how does a person using a wheelchair get into a cruiser when someone using a walker is not able to load their walker in the trunk? they cannot use these vehicles. >> on that issue, the question is who is going to help that physically disabled person put their walker or wheelchair inside that autonomous vehicle? another topic that was discussed was the impact that this would have on taxi or uber and lift drivers, and their jobs.

i have never been at a hearing where there were so many people who wanted to weigh in. >> if this expansion is approved, what does that look like? are the streets going to be flooded with rubber taxis? >> these committees have previously said that they do not plan on immediately adding vehicles to their fleet, once that decision is handed down, but trust me when i say that they will expand, take for example, uber. lift. the scooter companies. they flooded the streets at the beginning. now, right now, these self-driving car's have had limitations on where they can go, and when they can pick up drivers. but they can only pick up passengers or -- that our employees or participating in their tests. >> imagined over and left. this -- besides the self-driving part, how different will they be, more or less expensive? >> they really have not set a price.

at least not publicly. people who have taken one and we have not confirmed this have told me that it is a little less than the cost of a uber ride. the other issue that i want to mention is where can they go. they can potentially go anywhere. if approved. but as i witnessed, they have not quite mapped out the entire city of san francisco. as we demonstrated in our previous videos on this subject, we wanted to go to a random museum or go home, and as you know, they could not take us there. maybe someday. >> someday. thank you leanne. >> if you want to watch those videos she mentioned, she documented her experience with cruise -- these rubber taxis. >> had to our website abc7news.com. >> developing news out of hawaii with a number of dead from the wildfires climbing to 53 people, expected only to go up as crews

searched through the rubble. the fires also damaged or destroyed nearly 300 structures, governor newsom announced that california is sending search-and-rescue teams to help out. firefightersre making progress against the fires on maui, the haa flower -- fire contained. they are building fire breaks to establish a perimeter around his fires to keep them from spreading. >> the devastation we are seeing is unfathomable. particularly in lahaina, which is all but gone. >> some of the victims are trying to help others who cannot find their family or friends, and one man is making it his mission to help others. >> we are here with those details. >> yesterday, you heard from a resident who evacuated with his family. he's fine, but he has been updating me on their situation today. he told me that his family found out that their home was destroyed by the fire.

he is trying to make the most of the devastating situation by helping others. while bryce is staying with family on the other side of the break isla, he is using social media to help people find their friends and family. bryce posted asking people to share pictures of people that they are looking for. that is because there are still a lot of connection issues and self service is very spotty. his instagram page is filled with dozens of photos and messages, and thanks to his posts, some people have been located. >> they're not letting people into lahaina, and there is no way i can get in there right now. to help feet -- peop physically. i'm going to do what i can the power that i have. it's all on my phone. what i'm doing is copying and pasting the message, tida the

person that sent it to me, and posting that, along with their photo to my account. erase the message that is on the post, and i just put found and i repost that to my story, saying that they are found. >> so far he has helped locate around 20 or more last night even. you can see the grateful messages faqs. he hopes to continue helping people locate their loved ones. bryce is not the only person helping in this way. a local woman created an alphabetical spreadsheet a woman who -- women or lost, which can be found on the fire flood and disaster relief group on facebook.

the american red cross is helping people reunite with families so it lot of people are still trying to locate their friend and family -- friends and family, but there is help out there. >> and with the death toll going up so dramatically, it's just terrifying. thank you so much. >> are also hearing from fire survivors who tried to save their community even in their last moments. our sister station continues coverage from lahaina, where he talked to one man who spent hours battling claims. >> this is the franchises at the start of historic lahaina, and they lost their home, and they're starting to see if the first time. we met another person named john, who sat on his rooftop fighting this fire until he could not find it any longer. >> i set up on the roof and i battled the fire for about three hours, i cannot do it anymore because i did not have any protection or respiratory stuff. >> describe it to me. you're on the roof trying to fight the fire, realizing that your whole unity is in trouble. >> going at it with a garden hose, saying if i had a hydrant i could have put water on the house and maybe save it. i said i have to move, i

physical body is getting -- i ran with a lot of heat at my back and i ran to the left over here, and i ran to the ocean and just i gave in. >> so you save yourself by jumping into the ocean? >> yes. >> what did you see when you look back? devastation. devastation. everything gone. just mine. there's nothing left. -- not just mine, there's nothing left. it's not just here. as a guys go down the street, you go everywhere, there is nothing left. sorry for getting a little emotional, but there is literally from the houses to the markets to the businesses, it's like a nuclear bomb went off.

the wildfires were causing mr. -- major disruptions at the airport for passengers traveling to and from the island. the state of hawaii is discouraging all non-essential travel into the airport and major airlines are helping customers rebook their trips. united american southwest hawaiian airlines are waving change fees for inbound and outbound travelers who have booked travel to maui. >> some tourists have been able to make it back to the bay area. our new seam coverage continues now with suzanne phan, who joins us. ice the people i tal sfo were still stunned by the image -- images coming up from maui. i talked to a man who had just returned from maui and a graphic artist who had hoped to help fire victims. >> so much devastation amounting to heartbreak.

those arriving experience it firsthand. >> as anxious as i was to see people evacuate, he was still that they had watched their house burned down. i think will to be here. >> aaron returned home after spending a week in maui with his family. they were in lahaina and elsewhere. >> we were stuck there for over 30 hours. it was pretty crazy. due to the fires, we had missed our original flight, which left on tuesday. and from there, we had 2000 of our best friends staying in the airport, all over the place. it was nuts. >> flights to maui were canceled and there were no major delays or cancellations to hunt -- honolulu. tim branding him is flying home to honolulu after a two-week holiday in the bay area. >> i'm shocked at the news. behind that is one of my favorite towns.

it doesn't look like it exists anymore. >> we caught up with bay area resident brad fu sea and his wife at sfo. we asked him about his list efforts to help people in maui. >> we just wanted to support them. christ his company designed a special t-shirt to help raise funds for the fired victims. -- five victims. >> the island of maui with a phoenix card presenting renewal and perseverance, and also the flower at the bottom. >> you can find out more about it on sumo fish design, and to donate on sumo fish.net. we have learned that several red cross volunteers have been dispatched from sfo to maui, several left at 8:00 this morning and more will be leaving tomorrow, and in the coming days. we are live at sfo. >> things very much. help for hawaii is continuing to ramp up.

resident biden has applied federal relief, including the national guard, and governor newsom directed the office of emergency services to deploy 11 members of the states urban search and rescue team task forces to help in recovery operations and searches for survivors. other members of the state search-and-rescue team, as well as fire personnel, are also being deployed. >> if you would like to help, you can make a $10 donation to the red cross might texting red cross 290 999, or pledge any amount by calling the red cross at 1-800-red-cross. the american red cross northern cultur region has deployed people to the fire zone where they are focusing on helping people find shelter. we will be right bac

>> it warning from a federal prosecutor casting doubt on san francisco's plans to open state consumption sites. >> tara campbell reports that

the ongoing battle against the drug overdose crisis means that leaders will not back down. >> new york city, home to the first to safety injection sites in the country, and the model san francisco has been hoping to follow in order to slow the overdose crisis. a group of local leaders visiting the sites earlier this year, including supervisor matt dorsey. >> what they're doing is not just important for people who are using drugs in new york, but also a model for the whole nation. >> the new york times reported a warning from a federal prosecutor. threatening to shut down the site. >> as a practical matter, we are on thinner ice than we were a week ago before the attorney weighed in. >> people can go here to use drugs under supervision in case of an overdose. they are illegal under federal law, but that biden administration has not been enforcing it. sam rivera is the executive

director of onpoint nyc in a statement responding in part as the biden administration funds study into the operation of our opc's as a potential tool to help combat our nation overdose crisis, on is count -- proud to continue its work for the city, state and national officials to save lives and strengthen new york's response to a devastating health crisis. >> because the sites are illegal, nonprofits operating them are still at legal risk. >> when it comes to civil disobedience, to save lives, there is a moral imperative to go forward. >> leah preston is the lead of one of the nonprofits hoping to open a site in san francisco. rivera recently visited. >> we are always going to be on shaky ground as long as there is a federal law against doing this work. >> supervisor dorsey wants to put pressure on the federal government to make way for the sites. >> i'm going to ask that

supervisors, to take all necessary steps to be -- make sure that onpoint new york can continue to operate. >> tara campbell, abc 7 news. >> if you or someone you know is struggling with drug addiction, you can find a list of resources on our w

david: as we start a new school year, there's something new happening in california's public schools. they're called community schools. leslie: it really is shared leadership with families, students, educators, and communities. jessie: i feel like we're really valued as partners. david: it's a more innovative, holistic approach. grant: in addition to academic services, we look at serving the whole family. narrator: wellness centers, food pantries, and parental education. jessie: they're already making a difference. david: california's community schools: reimagining public education.

>> let chris on our weather, the weekend is the most here,. -- almost here. >> is going to heat up intohe weekend. let's take a look at el niño. an advisory issued by noaa day, warmer than average sea surface temperatures near the equator continuing. the is a greater than 95% chance it will continue through winter, two in three chance that it will be strong, and they caution that does not necessarily mean strong impacts locally. keep that in mind, we get another update in september.

typically, during an el niño year, the hurricane season is not as advanced or bad, but this year, noaa is updating it and saying above average. there should be and the average is about seven hurricanes. make sure to-five as opposed to the average of three. as we look at live doppler 7 we are tracking what is left of the former tropical storm eugene, triggering showers across parts of southern california, they have seen an isolated thunderstorm as well with a southerly wind, there's dew points elevated here in the bay area, when you see those 50's, it's monday, 60's is humid. we are seeing that in oakland and san jose right now, mountain view as you can see, fields a little sticky, that's why. 90's inland, a nice variety of weather conditions, and you can see from the emeryville

air quality advisories extended through the rest of today due to that fire in oakland. there could be localized impacts, even though we are showing good air quality across the region. santa cruz, socked in. cloudy skies overnight, isolated showers or drizzle possible as that low continues to lift and humidity lingers through tomorrow. summer heat returns on the weekend. you will notice that mid-high level moisture coming in from the south. tomorrow morning we might see isolated sprinkles or drizzle, certainly the best chance is going to be around monterey, san benito county's where they could see thunderstorms as well. it's a slight chance as we head into tomorrow morning, and then after that, we will start to notice that drier air moves into the weekend. your morning temperatures in the 50's, watch out for some damp roadways tomorrow afternoon, looking at humid conditions, particularly in the southern and eastern part of our viewing area, low 60's on the coast, and breezy. for outside lands tomorrow,

could be damp with drizzle, 62 degrees in the afternoon, and mix of sun and fog, bumping up those temperatures for the weekend, don't forget, dan and ashley will be there performing with his band. drizzle on friday, with a dry and warmer patterned over the weekend, bumping up those temperatures, inland highs in the hot category, mid-upper 90's, but monday we are talking triple digits inland. and the good thing is the coast is only going to be in the 60's. the fog is going to be with us. >> we will head to the coast.

a super thin, flexible patch with maximum otc strength lidocaine that contours to the body to relieve pain right where it hurts. and did we mention, it really, really sticks? salonpas, it's good medicine. introducing togo's new frech dip sandwiches. featuring fresh artisan bread piled high with tender roast beef, smothered with melty provolone cheese,

just enough chipotle mayo and served with hot au jus for dipping. try the roast beef or pastrami french dips today. only at togo's. >> one of the biggest festivals in san francisco is just days away. >> outside lands is happening in the polo field at golden gate park. headliners include kendrick lamar, do odessa and the foo fighters. it -- they are celebrating 50th year, and have sold out 225,000 tickets. one of the concert cofounders says that the festival is a much-needed economic boost for the city.

>> we have generated over billion dollars in economic impact to the city of san francisco, and that is something, particularly in the -- these times, is even more notable. >> this year the festival will include several night acts playing after hours shows, and our own dan ashley will be performing with his band. >> can't wait to be there, $1 billion. still a lot what is ahead. >> let's go to karina nova with stories coming up at 5:30. >> our coverage on the maui fires continues tonight, we will get a firsthand look at front street at lahaina from a reporter on the scene and they help coming for those searching for the missing with limited cell phone service and parts of the island. then, we dramatically shift gears to a much happier story on the news championship title for the warriors.

join us for those stores and more at 5:30 on our streaming tv program. >> you can download the app or head to abc7news.com to join her in just two minutes. >> world news tonight with david muir is next, we appreciate your time. >> we will see you again at 6:00.

tonight, deadly and catastrophic fires torch maui. thousands of hawaiian residents and tourists race to escape the flames. horrific images inside the inferno. the historic town of lahaina, which has stood for centuries, hundreds of homes and buildings and cultural landmarks destroyed, gutted by fire. dozens of people killed. the death toll only expected to rise. firefighters stretched to the limit battling multiple fires around the clock. visitors ordered to leave the