The threat of fire danger in the Cleveland National Forest is listed as very high, meaning fires can start very easily and spread at a very fast rate.

So, officials will initiate elevated fire restrictions Monday.

The Forest Service said the high temperatures and thick brush have increased the risk of fire in the 460,000-acre area.

Under a very high fire danger, fires start easily from all causes, spread rapidly and intensify quickly.

Among the restrictions are: 

Wood or charcoal fires will be allowed only in designated fire rings located in identified developed campgrounds and in identified developed picnic areas.

Also, spark arrestors are required for all off-highway vehicles, chainsaws, and other internal combustion equipment.

Get more information on the USDA website. 

The Cleveland National Forest is divided into the Descanso, Palomar and Trabuco Ranger Districts which are located in the counties of San Diego, Riverside, and Orange.

Residents use the area and trails to hike, bike, camp, climb, fish or have a picnic. 

About 5 billion emojis are sent each day on Facebook Messenger, the social media giant said Monday, World Emoji Day.

Many of those emojis might be kissing winky faces, the most popular one on Messenger in the United States, according to statistics released by Facebook to mark the day, which was first proclaimed by Emojipedia in 2014.

On Facebook, which sees just 60 million emojis posted each day, Americans (and Indonesians, too) preferred the rolling on the floor laughing emoji. Facebook users in Brazil and Mexico go gaga for the heart-eyes emoji, while the face throwing a kiss is popular in Italy and Spain. Globally, the tears of joy face was most used.

In the privacy of Messenger, the love seems to come out. Both Americans and Indians use the kissing winky face the most, while various heart emojis are the most popular in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Brazil and Thailand.

The first World Emoji Day was celebrated three years ago on July 17 because it's the date that appears on the calendar emoji, according to the official website.

This year, Twitter is expected to crowdsource ideas for new emojis, while the Empire State Building will be lit up yellow at night.

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The Trump administration acted Monday to allow 15,000 more visas this year for temporary seasonal workers, though some business owners say the effort comes too late.

Under authority from Congress, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly extended the cap on H2B visas, which cover non-agricultural guest workers in seasonal industries like landscaping, fishing and resorts.

Local economies in parts of New England and the Great Lakes rely on the program to cope with a major surge in business over the summer.

Jane Nichols Bishop, who runs an agency in Mashpee, Massachusetts, that works to secure visas for local businesses, said earlier this month that the H2B program serves to fill temporary jobs that Americans don't apply for.

“It’s not that Americans don’t want work, it’s that Americans don’t want these jobs because they’re back-breaking hard work,” Bishop said. “You’re standing on your feet in the heat of the kitchen peeling onions and washing dishes until 2 in the morning.”

A federal law caps the number of available H2B visas at 66,000 a year. Until last year, guest workers who had already participated were not counted toward the cap.

But after Congress effectively reduced the number of guest workers allowed in for the summer, it gave DHS the power to authorize more visas in May.

Some employers have complained that relief on the issue was coming too late into the summer, given the two months it took DHS to take action on increasing the visa cap.

“There are still so many hotels and restaurants that have been impacted by this in a negative way,” Steve Hewins, president of the Maine Innkeepers Association said after Monday's decision. “It’s still going to be weeks before any of the workers who are available can make it here.”

DHS spokesman David Lapan told NBC News that the authority to allow the additional visas was provided by Congress at least six months later than normal.

Last year, the federal government allowed 13,382 additional visas beyond the statutory cap to meet seasonal demand.

While President Trump has expressed his opposition to guest worker programs, he has made an exception for the H2B visa — one his Mar-a-Lago resort regularly applies for in order to supplement its staff.

A senior DHS official told NBC News that businesses applying for the program must state that they will be irreparably harmed without a workforce boost, so the additional visas are consistent with an "America First" policy.

"This does help with American businesses continuing to prosper," the official said.

Sarah Mace Diment, the owner of a bed and breakfast in Algonquit, Maine, on Monday called the delay on the issue "ridiculous" and said that the additional visas are only a "drop in the bucket" that may not fulfill business needs.

“I have no idea if I’m even going to get a visa once they’re processed,” Diment said. “It’s going to be anywhere from a three to six-week process to see if I get my visas, and by then we’re talking mid-August.”

Diment had to close some rooms in her hotel because she was not able to fill six housekeeping positions she has been filling with H2B workers for over two decades.

A driver was killed when a vehicle veered off the South Bay Expressway near Bonita Monday.

A man was traveling the wrong way on eastbound State Route 54 transitioning onto the northbound State Route 125 before the crash, according to CHP officials. 

Investigators believe the driver lost control of the vehicle and went over the edge of the transition road, landing in a ravine below.

It appears the victim may have been in the wreckage for at least a day, CHP officials said.

A tow truck driver was removing the wreckage via Quarry Trail below the transition ramp. 

A SigAlert was issued for the transition road but lifted just after 10:30 a.m. 

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

One person was in custody Monday, accused of assaulting an El Cajon police officer on Fletcher Parkway and Johnson Avenue.

At 10 a.m., witnesses called police reporting the suspect in a petty theft was at the KFC restaurant on Fletcher Parkway. 

When an officer made contact with the suspect he was assaulted, according to ECPD Lt. Taylor. 

Other officers arrived and located the suspect across the street from the initial incident. They were also involved in a scuffle with the man but took him into custody. 

He was described as an El Cajon resident in his 40s. 

The police officer was taken to a local hospital. No details were given on his condition but Taylor said the officer was expected to recover.

The restaurant is approximately a block from the Parkway Plaza mall, north of Interstate 8.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

After many San Diegans marched for pride this weekend, a group of volunteers in Hillcrest took pride in cleaning up the mess afterward.

"They say party hard, but with party hard, comes work hard afterwards," said Andrew Dugger, a town councilmember in Hillcrest. "We like to keep our neighborhood clean and looking nice."

The Hillcrest Town Council hosted a post-pride cleanup event at 8 a.m. Monday morning. They kicked off the day with a free breakfast and coffee provided by the Pardon My French restaurant.

"I went to pride this past weekend. I had a ton of fun and really enjoyed the celebration," said Rachel Clancy, a volunteer. "And so I figured I'd stay around after and do what I could to help revitalize the neighborhood."

Organizers expected nearly a hundred people to take part in the cleanup efforts. After the cleanup, volunteers were treated to free refreshments provided by Urban Mo's.

The Hillcrest Town Council hosts an annual neighborhood cleanup as part of their partnership with San Diego Pride.

Building a robot is hard. Now try doing it over Skype.

A group of Iranian teenagers was accepted to compete in the the FIRST Global Challenge, a robotics competition designed to encourage youths to pursue math and science, in Washington, D.C. this week.

But sanctions on their country blocked them from ordering parts from the United States. High schoolers from George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia, stepped up to help, building their robot for them over Skype. 

The American and Iranian high schoolers communicated for three months that way, with the Iranians sending sketches and diagrams so the American students could build their robot for them.

“Our main goal is to show the world that we can do everything we want, without paying attention to the political problems,” said Amin Dadkhah Tehrani, a 15-year-old from Iran. “We just want to show the world that science cannot be limited.”

For their first Skype session, the Iranians stayed awake until 2 a.m. to accommodate the nine-hour time difference.

“That was just kind of crazy,” said Kirstin Springer, a member of the Virginia team. “We are talking to people all the way on the other side of the world, who have such different life experiences than us.”

The Virginia team's captain volunteers at NOVA Labs, a programming and engineering space in Reston, Virginia. She connected with FIRST Global leaders there, who asked her team to help the Iranians.

Nearly 160 teams from around the world are competing Sunday through Tuesday in the FIRST Global Challenge. They face off against each other using unique robots built from a uniform kit, packed by FIRST Global with gears, pulleys and more.

Not every Iranian student spoke English, so they relied on a few to translate their designs for the Virginia students.

“It was a trusting experience for all of us,” Tehrani said. “That was the first time we’ve done something like this. We make their ideas better, they make our ideas better.”

Tehrani and two teammates made it to D.C. to compete. A fourth classmate couldn't make the trip.  

Team Iran is competing against teams from India, Vietnam and Austria, among others.

Police are responding to a report of a truck into a home in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego, police confirmed.

The incident occurred at 2:47 p.m. on the 5400 block of Lenox Drive between Winston Drive and Beverly Street.

According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), the brakes went out of the truck and it crashed into a home.

At this point, no injuries have been reported.

The truck slammed into a wall.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

At least three vehicles were involved in a collision in Otay Mesa Monday evening, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed.

The crash occurred at 4:58 p.m. on the northbound Interstate 805 near Palm Avenue.

Witnesses said one person was laying on the ground.

At this time, there is no word on injuries.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

President Donald Trump celebrated American-made products on Monday, and in doing so brought renewed attention to his own family's production and sale of goods made overseas, NBC News reported.

“We want to build, create and grow more products in our country using American labor, American goods, and American grit,” Trump said at a White House event kicking off the administration's "Made in America"-themed week.

"We are going to put that brand on our product because it means that it's the best," Trump added. He then signed an executive order aimed at better supporting American companies and protecting U.S. workers.

But White House aides have struggled to answer questions about the Trump Organization’s and Ivanka Trump’s decisions to manufacture a number of products overseas in places like China and Mexico.

Four students were stabbed and one adult arrested after a fight at Hoover High School Monday afternoon, San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Information Services Specialist Jennifer Rodriguez confirmed. 

The fight between seven to eight students drew more than 60 spectators to an area off campus, near the 4200 block of Chamoune Avenue, in San Diego's Talmadge neighborhood, according to Rodriguez.

San Diego police responded to the scene to assist SDUSD police with the fight. 

Four SDUSD students suffered stab wounds as a result of the fight, district officials said. They were taken to a local hospital. 

Two victims were 15 years old, two were 16 years old, Rodriguez said. 

Three of the students attend Crawford High School during the regular school year and one attends Hoover High, Rodriguez said. All four students were at Hoover for summer school.

A 20-year-old man who is not a student was arrested in connection with the fight, Rodriguez said. He has not been identified. 

SDUSD police and SDPD officers are investigating the incident. 

No further information is available. 

A Ford Dealership in Ohio discovered marijuana hidden inside 15 vehicles shipped from Mexico earlier this month, worth about $1 million in roughly 400 pounds of marijuana.

Employees discovered roughly 30 pounds of pot in the spare-tire compartment of each car, said Silverio Balzano, a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The marijuana was concealed in half-moon shaped packages.

The Ford Dealership in Porter County reported the smuggled marijuana to local law enforcement and the Porter County Drug Task Force, said Balzano.

All the cars were shipped from Hermosillo, Mexico to a CSX rail yard in Lordstown, Ohio. The vehicles involved were mostly Ford Fusions as well as one Lincoln MKZ, according to the DEA.

The first vehicle with pot was discovered on July 7. Since then, most of the packages of marijuana have been recovered by July 11.

There was a similar case earlier last March in Minnesota, said Balzano. There were 14 packages with about 217 pounds of marijuana recovered from seven vehicles at the Dilworth Auto yard.

If you’re planning a trip to the pool or the beach this summer, don’t forget your sunscreen and remember to reapply regularly. While there’s nothing that can undo the damage of a sunburn, Consumer Reports suggests some steps you can take to make the sunburn look and feel a bit better while it heals. 

• A cool or lukewarm shower can help take some of the heat out of the sunburned skin.
• As soon as you get out of the shower or bath, while skin is still damp, apply some moisturizing lotion, especially if it contains hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that helps bind water to the skin.
• Aloe can be helpful too. Applying the plant’s pulp to the sunburned area helps hydrate the skin and calm the inflammation. If the pain is hard to bear, you can take aspirin or ibuprofen.
• For a more immediate relief, try a cold compress or even apply a thin layer of cold plain yogurt.

Resist the urge to peel your skin or burst any blisters. Exposing the affected skin increases the risk of an infection. If a blister bursts on its own, you can use a topical antibiotic, like bacitracin.

****

Our viewers shared their Sunburn treatments, they include:

• Soaking a rag with a strong tea and treating the skin.
• Noxzema
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Jergens Ultra Healing moisturizer

Sheriff Bill Gore explained why the San Diego County Sheriff's department has been working to get body-worn cameras for deputies, a week after a deputy-involved shooting in Vista.

"We realized a long time ago this is the future of law enforcement. It’s a critical tool that we have," Gore told NBC 7.

But there's a lot more to collecting evidence than just using body-worn cameras on deputies. Gore said they have to consider aerial surveillance from helicopters, cameras on businesses, taped interviews, as well as cell phones with cameras on everyone. That all has to be integrated into a case file to be reviewed by a detective.

Gore said the department started the process a few years ago, with a pilot project for about 90 days.  

"We took a time out after our pilot and said, we want to do this right – not necessarily fast," said Gore. “What we realized is that there’s so much more to this than just the body-worn camera on the deputy. That’s just one piece of the video evidence that we have out there in almost any case now."

He said the department made a bid for a platform that will allow them to integrate all spare videos into one place.

Since the biggest expense with body-worn cameras is storing the video, the department has looked into creating their own video storage system through a bidding process, said Gore.

“We’re hoping it’s going to cost about a quarter of what other agencies our size are spending on this very valuable technology," said Gore.

He said the problem with only seeing video footage from a witness after there's a fight or use of force is that all the audience sees is the result.

“I think it’ll be important now with the body-worn cameras as we’ve seen to see the whole event in its context. It puts it in proper context," said Gore.

As for the recent deputy-involved shooting, Gore said the department takes those very seriously.

“We take, clearly, officer-involved shootings the most seriously to the investigation that we do," said Gore. "And it’s important that we do that thoroughly, accurately and get all the facts to the deciding authority which in our county is the District Attorney.”

Body-worn cameras are coming to the Sheriff's Department by the end of the year. Gore said the video storing process, if successful, will be made available to other departments in San Diego County so they can save money too.

The San Diego City Council voted Monday to purchase a south bay hotel for $6.65 million dollars.

The plan is to use the hotel for transitional housing for low-level criminals, such as chronic repeat drug offenders.

The council voted 8-1, with one lone vote against the plan coming from Councilmember David Alvarez, who represents the district where the hotel is located. Alvarez voiced frustration the community wasn’t involved in the process. He also predicts legal challenges to the plan.

“You need to bring in the community residents to make sure that they felt like they’re part of the solution instead of trying to shove it down their throat,” said Alvarez.

Prior to the vote, the council heard from residents who voiced concerns about potential crime.

“I have two small children and elderly parents who I think will be at risk if a large population of people with criminal backgrounds is going to be in the area,” said Angel Vargas.

“We have a lot of theft and loitering and issues. I’m not saying it will increase or decrease, but we have enough problems to deal with in our community,” said Zayra Quintero.

At the council hearing, city staff praised the transitional housing plan which is part of the so-called SMART program. The goal of the program is to increase days in treatment, while reducing recidivism and court appearances.

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman also praised the program saying it would free up law enforcement.

According to a city staff report, the SMART program was developed, in part, because of Proposition 47, which was passed in 2015. Prop 47 reduced many drug and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. It was intended to divert offenders from prison to community-based treatment and housing programs.

But Alvarez said converting this particular hotel, located just west of Interstate 5 off Palm Avenue near Imperial Beach, will cause trouble with the state Coastal Commission. He said this will reduce the availability of mandatory, low-cost affordable lodging by the beaches and bays.

“The significant concerns raised by the California Coastal Commission that have been left unaddressed will ensure that this project is delayed," said Alvarez.

"The City chose to disrespect the community, and not follow the law and is therefore in the worst possible situation: spending millions of dollars on a property and facility that may be left vacant for years,” said Alvarez in a statement after the vote.

If you thought your trips to the dentist were unbearable, just be glad you aren't this 538-pound grizzly.

An about eight-person team of veterinarians knocked out Albert the Grizzly last week to give him a root canal and extract one of his teeth.

The veterinarians also ventured into the mouth of his buddy, Hank the Tiger, who had five root canals, which took more than three hours to complete. Both the creatures are from Lions, Tigers & Bears, a wildlife Sanctuary in Alpine, California.

The dental work on Hank took longer than expected and the team wasn't able to peform scheduled dental procedures on bobcats Mia and Clarence or Cassara the Leopard, according to a Facebook post from the sanctuary

Both Hank and Albert are in "excellent" health following their surgeries, the sanctuary wrote in the post. 

Lions, Tigers & Bears wildlife sanctuary is accepting donations to offset the cost of the dental procedures.

Authorities at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) are investigating three separate attacks that left three correctional officers and one correctional counselor injured. 

The first incident happened Monday morning when inmate Ronnie Moody first approached a correctional counselor and asked to speak with him during an alarm response in the Facility C yard.

Moody, 35, first came to RJD from San Francisco with an 11-year eight-month sentence for vehicle theft by a second striker, attempted robbery, resisting arrest and attempting to remove a firearm from a peace officer. 

When the 35-year-old inmate approached the counselor, the counselor told Moody he could not talk with him during an active alarm. 

Moody entered his office and began striking the officer in the head. The correctional counselor used physical force to defend himself. 

Meanwhile, a control booth officer fired a 40-millimeter direct impact round at Moody. He was restrained as he tried to take swings at the staff. 

The counselor was taken to an outside for hospital for treatment. The counselor suffered head injuries, a broken nose, and bruises and lacerations to his face and hands that needed stitches. He was later released from the hospital. 

Moody was treated at the facility for minor injuries. 

The second attacks happened as RJD staff were attempting to secure the dayroom. 

Inmates Gary Deans and Donnel Jones jumped up, officials said, and struck two correctional officers in the head, neck and groin areas. To stop the attacks, officers used physical force. 

Deans, 50, is serving a 30-years-to-life sentence for first-degree murder with a firearm. 

Jones, 54, is serving 34-years-to-life for carjacking and robbery by a third striker. 

At the same time, inmate Billy Williams began inciting other inmates to assault staff. Officers placed him in restraints.

As he was being escorted out of the building, Williams head-butted the officer was escorting him. 

The officer used physical force to stop the assault and force him to the ground. 

Williams, 53, is serving a 35-years-to-life sentence for voluntary manslaughter with use of a firearm by a third striker. 

The three officers suffered minor injuries. They elected to stay on duty. 

All the inmates involved in the attacks were moved to the Administrative Segregation Unit. 

As officials investigate, inmate movement on Facility C and one additional yard have been limited. 

The incident is under investigation. 

A baggage handler at San Diego's Lindbergh Field was sentenced Monday for stealing cash and gift cards from mail shipped in the area.

Ben Anitok, 59, was sentenced to time served, with four months in a halfway house, followed by five months of home monitoring for mail theft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Anitok, a former employee of Delta Ground Services (DGS), admitted to opening mail that appeared to be greeting cards and stealing cash and gift cards. He also admitted that he received stolen gift cards from other employees.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, an investigation was launched after cleaning crews reported finding multiple envelopes of opened greeting cards in bathrooms inside the airport.

Police were able to verify to whom the mail belonged to and discovered the gift cards had been used without authorization.

Anitok is the fourth former DGS employee to be convicted since December 2016. 

DGS contract with the U.S. Postal Service to transport mail through Lindbergh Field.

For the third straight day, Hector Sanchez started at catcher.

And for the third consecutive outing, the switch-hitter smashed a home run.

Unfortunately for the Padres, this time Hector’s heroics came in a loss as his team had trouble keeping up with their division opponents in Colorado.

The Rockies tapped out 11 hits and tagged Padres starter Luis Perdomo for seven runs in the first three innings Monday night on their way to a 9-6 win over San Diego.

Padres catcher Austin Hedges sat out again as a precaution after taking a foul ball off his catcher’s mask during Friday’s game.

Manager Andy Green originally had Hedges in the starting lineup Monday but later decided to hold out his starting catcher for at least one more day.

Green added that he hopes to have Hedges back in action later this week.

His understudy batted cleanup for the second straight day and again Sanchez gave the offense a boost.

San Diego trailed 8-3 in the eighth inning when Sanchez smacked a solo shot to right field to start a late rally.

The 27-year-old from Venezuela had hit a walk-off two-run homer Saturday night against the Giants and then crushed a three-run bomb in the first inning of Sunday’s 7-1 victory over his former team.

This time his home run trot did not give his team the lead, but it did help the Friars climb back into the contest.

Before the eighth inning ended, Jose Pirela scored on a sacrifice fly and Allen Cordoba added a RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-6.

But Colorado added an insurance run before Greg Holland closed the door in the ninth to register the save.

Another bright spot was Jabari Blash who is getting more playing time while everyday right fielder Hunter Renfroe recuperates on the disabled list with a strained neck.

Blash crushed a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Padres a brief 2-1 lead.

But Perdomo faltered in the third inning and Padres manager Andy Green decided to give him a quick hook.

Reliever Craig Stammen entered and tried to put out the fire but Colorado tacked on one more run and took a 7-2 lead into the fourth inning.

Wil Myers usually plays well at Coors Field but he struggled at the plate.

The 2016 All-star struck out four times and finished 0-for-5 with a groundout.

Despite the loss, San Diego has still won 7 of its last 11 ball games.

Rookie Dinelson Lamet is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Rockies.

Colorado counters with Antonio Senzatela.

First pitch is slated for 5:40 p.m. at Coors Field.

Two wildfires that scorched hundreds of acres in San Diego County were caused by drivers who may not even know they were at fault, according to fire officials.

A broken down car part called a catalytic converter is to blame for both.

Nick Sciara with FTS Auto Repair told NBC 7, it's a problem he sees regularly. 

"People are just super busy in their day to day lives, where the car actually comes last until it finally stops," he said.

Sciara said not taking proper care of your car can have serious repercussions, such as a 400-acre wildfire in Alpine, which forced evacuations and shut down parts of the Interstate 8 in Lakeside for more than a day.

"That filter- it gets overheated and breaks down, and then it starts to basically fall apart and that's what exits the tailpipe at several hundred degrees," said Sciara.

He said if you take your car in for routine maintenance, your catalytic converter could last hundreds of thousands of miles.

Sciara added this is not something we can check at home or with an instant oil change. But it should be a priority, especially during fire season.

"Without proper maintenance, this piece fails and it causes bigger problems later and potentially a fire," said Sciara.

Cal Fire officials told NBC 7 just this year, they have already responded to 69 car fires in San Diego County.  That’s only one of several agencies helping fight fires, so that number is much higher.

The majority of cars have at least one catalytic converter, Sciara said. Any car made after 1970 is required by law to have one to help keep the environment clean.