A local dentist office went up in flames Monday afternoon, sending thick black smoke into the air for miles above Bankers Hill and San Diego's iconic Balboa Park. 

The fire broke out at approximately 3:15 p.m. Monday at the dentist's office on the 2700 block of 3rd Avenue, fire officials said. The building is north of Laurel Street and west of Sixth Avenue, west of The Old Globe and the San Diego Museum of Man. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) Media Services Manager Lee Swanson said the fire broke out in a two-story commercial building. The sign on the building identifies the building as Uptown Smiles Dentistry.

San Diego Police officials said a witness told police the entire building was engulfed and people may be inside. 

NBC 7’s Meteorologist Dagmar said the Santa Ana conditions are in effect for the fire with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

The junction of Interstate 805 and the 15 Freeway was closed briefly on Monday afternoon, as crews were battling a brush fire burning along the interchange, officials said.

The fire started burning just after 3 p.m. on both sides of the junction of the 805 and 15 freeways in Fairmont Park.

As of 3:40 p.m., the fire was extinguished.

By 4:30 p.m., the 15 Freeway north at I-805 had reopened and traffic was flowing again.

NBC 7’s Meteorologist Dagmar said the Santa Ana conditions are in effect for the fire with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s.

Fire officials don't know exactly what caused the fire, though they believe someone might have tossed a cigarette or another lit object amid the brush next to the freeway.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A pedestrian searching for coins on the Interstate 5 center divider Monday afternoon was struck and killed by a car, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers said. 

The crash happened at approximately 3:05 p.m. on I-5 near Cassidy Avenue when a 24-year-old woman from Escondido stopped her 2006 Mazda 6 in the center divide, Catano said. She stopped just north of State Route 78. 

The woman got out of her car and started walking along the center divie, looking for coins she had previously spotted on a community service detail with Cal Trans, according to CHP officer Jim Bettencourt. 

She was walking along the divide when a 41-year-old man from El Cajon lost control of his 2016 Toyota 4 Runner while driving southbound on I-5, Bettencourt said. Officers are still investigating how he lost control of his car. 

He veered into the center divide and collided with the pedestrian. 

She suffered major injuries and was being transported to a local hospital when she was pronounced dead en route. 

The driver, who stayed on the scene, is cooperating with police. 

No other information was immediately available.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered Tuesday morning for Santa Cruz Mountain residents living near the Loma Fire, which had charred 2,000 acres and was 5 percent contained early in the morning.

The new evacuations include all of Croy Road, which includes the Swedish community of Sveadal near Uvas Canyon County Park and Little Uvas Road. Cal Fire officials worried the fire was headed that way. Mandatory evacuation orders were previously ordered on Monday for the Loma Prieta ridgeline area including all tributary roads along Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Uvas Canyon County Park, Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, Loma Prieta Way, Highland Road and Mount Bache Road.

Cal Fire officials said Tuesday morning that two homes had burned, and 300 more remained threatened in the rugged terrain with little or no access roads.

This kind of "extreme" fire behavior is the "new norm," according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Mathiesen. "It's fall, we're coming off a four-day heat wave."

The Red Cross set up three evacuation centers Monday evening for those who needed food and shelter: Soquel High School, 401 Old San Jose Road in Soquel; the Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos; the Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 DeWitt Ave, Morgan Hill.

The blaze is in the area of Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads in Santa Clara County, west of Morgan Hill, and is spreading at a rapid rate in the southeast direction toward open space, Cal Fire said.

Fire officials do not know the cause of the fire. They expect the blaze to burn for a few days. It started on Monday about 3 p.m. By Tuesday morning, 350 crews were battling the fire; 500 firefighters were expected by afternoon.

Resident Fred Eggers lives on Summit Road.

"My basic plan is to protect my property and my family," he said on Monday night. "I will be the last one to leave if we have to."

For the latest updates on the fire, visit the Cal Fire website or a dedicated groups.io page.

WHILE THE HOLIDAYS... tend to have definite dates, from Thanksgiving landing upon the fourth Thursday in November to the mid-February showing of Valentine's Day, the start of the holidays are a little looser, in general. Easter festivities might kick off around the time the first flower buds pop up, while the end-of-the-year observances have a way of entering just as Halloween ends. But there's a way, just ahead of the holiday kick-off, to enjoy an array of elegant edibles that aren't about the traditional recipes of the close of the year, but rather local and sustainable foodstuffs. It's...

CELEBRATE THE CRAFT, and it happens mere hours before the final two months of the year move to high gear, a time when every food event seemingly has a connection to the season at hand. But the La Jolla event, which is at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, spotlights excellent local chefs, thoughtful preparation, and the mission of the Slow Food Movement, a movement all food mavens might keep in mind during the hectic holidays to come.

SUNDAY, OCT. 30... is the 14th outing for this culinary adventure, and, once again, the pretty, ocean-close Arroyo Terrace of the historic hotel will set the scene. Slow Food Urban San Diego is the beneficiary (a portion of the proceeds will go to the group) and attendees are the sated winners of the day, thanks to the plentiful "food tastings, wine, craft beer, and complimentary valet parking." A ticket to the daytime to-do? It's $135, and tax and tip are included. If you want to stay over at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, there's a package kicking off at $449. The holidays, and all of those over-the-top eating opportunities, are just ahead, so ponder pausing for a moment for a Slow Food moment, one that spotlights not the bigness of eating but rather the curated localness of the pursuit. 

Two children who were the subjects of an Indiana statewide Amber Alert Monday afternoon were found dead later that night, Elkhart police said.

Amber Pasztor, 29, of Fort Wayne, was charged with murder and is being held in Elkhart County Jail.

About 5:25 p.m. an officer walking out of the Elkhart Police Department on Marion Street, was stopped by Pasztor, the children's non-custodial mother, who was driving a vehicle matching the description of the one described in the Amber Alert, police said. Pasztor told the officer there were two dead children in the backseat of the car, police said.

The statewide alert was issued for 7-year-old Liliana Hernandez and 6-year-old Rene Pasztor. 

The children were last seen at 6:21 a.m. ET in Fort Wayne and were believed to be "in extreme danger," police said. 

Fort Wayne is 125 miles north of Indianapolis. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Allen County Sheriff's office at (260) 449-7661. 

In just three regular season games, the Chargers have already lost three key players for the rest of the 2016 campaign.

The latest casualty is middle linebacker Manti Te’o. The Chargers captain tore his Achillies on a non-contact play in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss in Indianapolis.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Te’o said following San Diego’s 26-22 loss to the Colts. “I live by a quote that says, ‘God puts mountains in front of you to show other people that it can be moved,’ and my faith is strong. I know that I will be alright."

Te'o is the Chargers' leading tackler and is in the final year of his rookie contract. He has rounded into form the past couple of years as the defensive play caller.

“It was a big year for me, and I worked extremely hard and there is nothing that you can do now," said Te'o. "Just look forward, move forward and keep going.”

In week one, top receiver Keenan Allen tore his ACL in a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs.

And in week two against Jacksonville, running back Danny Woodhead also tore his ACL and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Slot receiver Stevie Johnson was lost for the year during the team’s first weekend of training camp and safety Jahleel Addae broke his collarbone on a late play against the Jaguars.

That’s five projected starters that are not suiting up for the Bolts and Addae is the only one that has a chance to play again later this year.

Chargers coach Mike McCoy was visibly disappointed when acknowledging Te’o would be out for the rest of the 2016 campaign.

“It’s another one of those guys that you feel for,” said McCoy. “The way he’s worked, what he’s done, what he means to our organization. It’s a shame.”

Te’o was a decorated college athlete at Notre Dame and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Johnny Manziel in 2012.

The Chargers drafted him with the 38th overall pick that year, moving up in the second round to select Te’o.

Hopefully this eerie string of injuries ends now and does not continue into week four.

Former Chargers starting quarterback Drew Brees makes his return to Qualcomm Stadium with the Saints this week for the first time since switching franchises in 2006.

New Orleans and San Diego will kick-off at 1:25 p.m. this Sunday.

Dozens of students were settled in their seats Monday night, ready for what many are now calling a show.

"Sometimes it's hard to take both parties seriously," said Amabelle Rishah, a student at Southwestern College.

Rishah said she went in a Donald Trump supporter, and she's leaving one as well.

"I hate the point Hillary Clinton made that minimum wage should be raised. I don't think that should be. I think you should go to college. I think you should have some sort of education and actually earn for the pay that you deserve," she said.

She's one of the few however in the classroom. Many still undecided at this point, but say Donald Trump's performance hurt him in a big way.

"I was never going to vote for Donald Trump but I think now, just to defeat him I'll have to vote for Hillary,” said Nicolas Brincio.

Viewing parties were held all over San Diego, including one hosted by the San Diego Democratic Party.

"I thought Hillary did a wonderful job, and I thought that Donald Trump refused to answer much of the questions and just went off on tangents," said Peggy Goodman.

Donald Trump supporters also met to back their candidate, including Veterans for Trump. Back at Southwestern College, students were eager to vote for our next president, but say the reason behind it is all wrong.

"I don't want to risk not using my vote and having the greater evil take precedence so I'd rather pick the lesser of the two evils which right now, in my opinion, it looks like Hillary is a better option, said Michael Cuevas.

Students took a survey after the debate. According to the results, Hillary Clinton walked away with 22 votes. Five students voted for Donald Trump, but the majority did not support either candidate.

The developer of the 484-unit Pinnacle on the Park, Phase 1, has obtained $135 million in refinancing for the apartment property in downtown San Diego, according to brokerage firm Kidder Mathews, which arranged the financing.

Developed by Vancouver, B.C.- based Pinnacle International, the 45-story tower opened last year off 14th Street, between Island Avenue and J Street in East Village. A Kidder Mathews statement said the firm’s Jamie Dick and Jay Dick arranged the fixed-rate refinancing through an undisclosed life insurance company, with other terms also not disclosed.

The completed apartments are located on a 1.3-acre public park that opened last year and was also built by Pinnacle International.

According to Civic San Diego, the city’s downtown project oversight agency, Pinnacle International began grading earlier this year on a second tower at Pinnacle on the Park, set to include a total of 476 residential units and slated for completion around mid-2019.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is holding rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday, a day after facing off with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in the first presidential debate.

Investigators are trying to track down a man described as a “person of interest” in a reported sexual assault on Del Mar Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Two men are believed to have assaulted two women on the beach May 26 at approximately 3:55 p.m., according to San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

No details were given regarding the alleged assault.

However, Crimestoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man captured on surveillance camera who was with the two suspects shortly before the incident.

The person of interest has not been named but has been described as in his mid 20s with a military style haircut, dark brown eyes, and a tattoo on his left shoulder, investigators said.

Anyone with information on the identity or location of the suspects or the person of interest is asked to call NCIS at (760) 725-7854 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case. Anonymous email and text messages can be sent via www.sdcrimestoppers.org.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie knew about George Washington Bridge lane closings in Fort Lee as they were happening, longtime Christie aide David Wildstein testified publicly for the first time Tuesday.

Pictures of Christie, Wildstein and Bill Baroni were taken the morning of Sept. 11, 2013 at the World Trade Center memorial site. It was there that Wildstein claimed he and Baroni bragged to the governor about the traffic nightmare the lane closures caused - and their refusal to answer phone calls from Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich, who declined to endorse Christie's reelection.

Wildstein, testifying at the criminal trial of Baroni and Christie aide Bridget Kelly, claims the governor also told his Port Authority appointees not to communicate with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop - who also refused to endorse the governor.

Wildstein has pleaded guilty in the scheme to tie up traffic at the bridge.

Baroni was Wildstein's boss at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operates the bridges, airports and other facilities including the World Trade Center. Kelly was Christie's deputy chief of staff and headed an office responsible for outreach to county and municipal officials.

They are accused of reducing access lanes to the bridge and face fraud, conspiracy and civil rights charges. They have pleaded not guilty and have said the government has twisted federal law to turn their actions into crimes. They also have said other people with more power and influence were involved in the lane closures but aren't being prosecuted.

Christie has denied knowing about the bridge scheme until well after it was carried out, and a taxpayer-funded report he commissioned absolved him of wrongdoing. He hasn't been charged.

A big rig carrying a load of oranges crashed Monday, causing delays along southbound Interstate 5 in the Carmel Valley area.

A Sig Alert was issued just before 3 a.m. for SB I-5 at Carmel Valley Road.

California Highway Patrol Officers diverted traffic while crews unloaded the truck's cargo.

As of 7:30 a.m., a tow truck cleared the damaged trailer from southbound I-5. Traffic along the popular north-south route along the coast slowly picked up.

However, less than 20 minutes later, the tow broke down on the interchange between I-805 and SR-52 east.

A gun was fired inside a San Diego County Sheriff's station Monday, striking a  deputy, officials said.

The deputy was shot in the leg by a federal agent by what was descibed as "an accidental discharge" by a spokesperson for the sheriff's department.

The shooting happened at the Lemon Grove substation when a federal agent was unloading a .22 gun seized in a search warrant.

The bullet hit the deputy in the lower leg.

He's expected to make a full recovery, officials said.

Officials said the names of the injured deputy and the federal agent won't be released.

A heat advisory has been extended for Tuesday in San Diego.

Monsoon moisture from the south is combining with the Santa Ana winds from the east, NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said.

"We're going to be very hot and humid all day," Kodesh said. "It's going to feel very steamy out there today."

Coastal communities can expect highs in the mid-90s but the humidity will make those temperatures feel higher for residents, she added.

It's also going to be uncomfortable in the inland neighborhoods and foothills.

There is an increased risk of heat-related illness today. For a list of cool zones in San Diego County, click here.

Cal Fire is advising residents to skip yard work because even a small spark from equipment can start a brush fire.

As alwasy during fire season, residents of San Diego County are advised to make sure that an emergency preparedness kit is prepared and stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media.

One Oceanside-area middle school student has been removed from the campus because the child developed a so-called “hit list,” district officials informed parents this week.

The seventh grade student threatened to "shoot up" Lincoln Middle School, officials with the Oceanside Union School District said Monday. 

The child also created a list which named individuals and identified a group of people who the student wanted to harm.

District officials told parents at a meeting Monday night that they learned of the threat on September 20.

“School leadership, in partnership with law enforcement, quickly investigated and dealt with the potential situation,” the district said in a written statement obtained by NBC 7.

“Parents of the students on the list, the named students and the students in the group were informed of threat,” the district’s statement reads. “Staff members that were on the list were also informed. “

The student won’t be returning to the campus.

Parents received automated phone messages Friday, Sept. 26, informing them of a “safety and security risk.” The message said the risk had been resolved and there would be a meeting Monday night to discuss details.

Late Monday, parents and families from Lincoln Middle School, Palmquist Elementary and South Oceanside Elementary gathered to hear from OUSD officials. The elementary schools were included because of their proximity to the middle school.

Families were given details about the incident and told there would be an increase of security on the campus of the middle school.

Amanda Merz, whose child attends school within the district, questioned what faculty and staff members were doing before the child felt the need to develop a “hit list.”

“The child here that wrote the hit list is the victim,” Merz said. “We failed that kid.”

“If we’re doing our jobs as a parent and teachers, we know what’s going on with the kids. We’re paying attention,” she said.

She said her daughter was fearful of being struck by classmates when she attended Kindergarten at a school with the district.

Lincoln Middle School is located on 2000 California Street.

Two San Diego-based real estate agents are dealing with a case of identity theft after their online photos were used as the faces of a fake company, unbeknownst to them.

For realtors like Will Fagan and Dan Becker, social media is a powerful tool in their mission to sell homes.

But, as Fagan and Becker recently discovered, that online presence can be a double-edged sword. Recently, both realtors – who are each active on social media platforms – had their photos swiped online.

Those photos were then used to create fake profiles on the professional networking website, LinkedIn, the names of the realtors changed.

Both men were listed as the heads of a company called Asenqua Ventures – a company Fagan and Becker had never heard of, let alone worked for.

“I have no idea how they came after me or chose my photo,” said Becker.

The fake firm was supposedly headquartered in New York. But Fagan and Becker said they have no connections whatsoever to the company, or to its founder, who was convicted of financial fraud.

Both realtors received phone calls from a LinkedIn contact telling them about the fake profiles, which have since been removed from the website.

“You could have knocked me over. I was blown away [by the identity theft],” Becker said.

And, while they’re no longer being misrepresented, Fagan told NBC 7 he believes he’s now dealing with some repercussions of the bizarre case.

“I’ve recently been hacked through email,” he said.

He worries that his face was associated with a fake business lacking integrity when integrity is the most important part of his real job.

The scam has left the realtors with concerns about their reputations.

“For me, as a small business owner, my reputation is everything to me,” said Becker. “All my business comes through people who know me, or word of mouth. So if that’s tarnished or diminished in any way that can affect my business and my livelihood.”

Becker told NBC 7 he has been using his unfortunate experience to educate friends about tools like Google’s Reverse Image Search, which can help you see if your image is being misused.

That very tool is recommended by the Identity Theft Resource Center. If you find your picture is being used inappropriately the center recommends reporting it to the social network. There may also be legal options available as well.