Very little oil from Iraq is exported to California, but when there are problems in the volatile Middle East, gas prices in San Diego start rising.

"Fear absolutely drives prices," said gas price analyst Charles Langley, "and what we are seeing is the fear factor right now."

Langley said problems in Iraq will no doubt impact world prices, but should it happen within days of unrest?

"What's so absurd about this is it takes about 90 days to get oil from the Middle East," said Langley, "So for our gas prices to go up today because oil prices went up today is kind of ridiculous."

While Langley finds it difficult to understand, he's not alone.

Brad Spilkin filled up his car with gas Friday because he heard prices might be going up, but he admits, he doesn't understand why.

"What happens in the world, I'm on the bottom of the totem pole," said Spilkin. 

Another driver Mike Boardman said he's tired of trying to make sense out of it.

"It doesn't take hardly anything to make them go up," he said.

Less than 15 percent of oil from Iraq is refined in California.  Much of California's oil comes from across the state, Alaska and Canada. 

Oil also comes from Saudi Arabia, with 21 percent of imported Middle Eastern oil coming through the Straits of Hormuz.  Clearly any blockade of that area would have a worldwide impact.

Right now the biggest impact on California prices comes from local refineries.  A recent reported shutdown at the Shell refinery in Martinez is being blamed for higher wholesale prices.  Any flaring or other production problem at a refinery usually hits wholesale prices within days. 

Langley said the recent price spike is more due to local refinery issues than revolts in Iraq.  But he admits a shutdown of supply in Iraq would hit California drivers hard.

"If the conflict in Iraq is long term, we could see prices climb back above record levels for the year later in July," said Langley.

A woman who raced to help when she heard a child calling for his or her daddy assisted in a very different reunion when she learned the calls were actually coming from a missing parrot named Ralphie.

The woman became concerned when she heard what she thought was a child calling “Daddy, Daddy” over and over again in the area of Holland Hill School, at 105 Meadowcroft Road, around 5 p.m. on Thursday, so she did what she thought she needed to to do and started looking for the child.

When she followed the sound, she did not find a missing child. Instead, she found a large green parrot 25 feet up in the tree, so she called Animal Control.

WATCH: House Teetering on Cliff IS Burnt Down

The talking bird, which had been reported missing from a home about a mile away, was too high up for Animal Control to reach, so they called the on fire department, according to police.

Firefighters used a long pole to get the bird out of the tree and it flew into an area of bamboo.  

Firefighters then chased Ralphie out of those trees so Animal Control could catch it in a net and bring it to the shelter.

PHOTOS: Adorable Zoo Babies

Ralphie continued to talk, nonstop, according to police, and was finally reunited with its owner.

 As unrest spreads throughout Iraq, so does unease in the East County, home to the United State’s second largest Iraqi population.

Many were eager to share their passionate reactions to Al-Qaeda-linked militants who are seizing large swaths of Iraq’s north, making their determined advance toward Baghdad.

"It is horrific," said Sami Jihad, Ph.D. "The movement is uncalled for."

He was among a group of Christian Chaldeans gathered at Nahrain Fish and Grill in El Cajon Friday.

Some like Sameer Oro lived in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime and when the U.S. invaded.

• READ: World Events Impact California Gas Prices

“I left Iraq in 2007. It’s the same critical situation now,” said Oro.” You know why? Nobody knows who kills who,” said Oro.

Business owner May Pauls is vying for U.S. intervention to stop the bloodshed among those she knew.

“The thing that makes me sad is my country,” Pauls said as she began to tear up. “What we really need [is] Mr. Obama to help us. People are dying there. People are dying. This is my country.”

President Obama announced Friday the U.S. will “do our part” to help the troubled nation, but he will not be sending any troops back into combat there.

The stance is one Sami Jihad understands.

• READ: Obama: We Won't Send Troops to Iraq

“It’s too late. Americans can do nothing now because those guys are marching, and I won’t be surprised if by the end of the day, they capture Baghdad,” Jihad said.

Others, including Jim Behnan, disagree, saying this is the moment to stand strong.

“I don’t care if it’s by troops, by force, by talking, by diplomacy – I don’t know. But they have to do something fast, not only the United States, but the whole globe,” said Behnan.

The group that spoke with NBC 7 said they’re not only concerned for those they know personally, but for all people in Iraq.

"We love them. We pray for them,” Behnan said. “Not only Christian, but every nationality in Iraq and Syria or any country in the whole Arab countries because those countries are on fire now.”

Whooping cough cases continue to surge in San Diego County with 621 cases confirmed so far this year – nearly eight times as many cases as this same time last year.

Pertussis cases have been skyrocketing all year and this week, 19 more cases have been reported where the public may have been exposed, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services.

The local numbers are part of greater nationwide trend.

As of June 10, there have been 3,458 cases of pertussis reported to California Department of Public Health this year, more than were reported in all of 2013. More than 800 new cases have been reported in the past two weeks.

Health officials said the frequency of pertussis cases ebbs and flows every three to five years, with the last peak in California in 2010.

The main priority for health officials is preventing serious disease and death in infants. As for vaccination, young children need five doses of DTaP by kindergarten and a Tdap booster is recommended for pregnant women during their third trimester.

Here’s the week’s new pertussis cases as provided by the San Diego County Health and Human Services. All of them had been up-to-date on their immunizations expect for three noted:
 

•  An individual at KinderCare in San Marcos
•  A 6-year-old, a 9-year-old and a 10-year-old at Marshall Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District.
• An 8-year-old who was not up-to-date with immunizations at Lake Elementary School in the Vista Unified School District.
• An 8-year-old at Sunset Hills Elementary School in the Poway Unified School District.
• A 15-year-old at Carlsbad High School in the Carlsbad Unified School District.
• An 11- year-old at Twin Oaks Elementary School in the San Marcos Unified School District.
• An 11-year-old who was not up-to-date with immunizations at Marston Middle School in the San Diego Unified School District.
• A 12-year-old who was not up-to-date with immunizations at Encinitas Country Day School in Encinitas.
• A 13-year-old at Meadowbrook Middle School in the Poway Unified School District.
• A 13-year-old at Carmel Valley Middle School in the San Dieguito Union High School District.
• A 13-year-old at Carlton Oaks School in the Santee School District.
• A 13-year-old and a 14-year-old at Lewis Middle School in the San Diego Unified School District.
• A 14-year-old at La Jolla High School in the San Diego Unified School District.
• A 14-year-old at Magnolia Science Academy in the San Diego Unified School District.
• A 16-year-old at Mount Carmel High School in the Poway Unified School District.
• A 17-year-old at Junipero Serra High School in the San Diego Unified School District.

 A former San Diego neighborhood pharmacist must pay $147,500 for allegedly mishandling powerful and highly addictive prescription narcotics, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced this week.

A Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation revealed suspected illegal activity at the Sixth Avenue Pharmacy in Hillcrest, owned by licensed pharmacist Alma Jean Loechler, 66.

After an inventory audit, DEA officials say Loechler could not account for nearly 16,000 oxycodone pills over a two-year span. The painkiller is more commonly known by its brand names: OxyContin, Roxicodone and Percocet.

In another incident, police returned about $30,000 worth of medication that had been stolen from the pharmacy two months earlier. Prosecutors allege that Loechler reentered those drugs into her inventory, violating the Controlled Substance Act.

• READ: Mexican Officials: Marine Crossed Border 3 Previous Times

Loechler is accused of dispensing controlled substances through invalid or absent prescriptions, exchanging drugs for services, dispensing expired drugs, “advancing” pills to customers. Investigators say she also failed to control the pharmacy’s inventory, maintain record of distribution or account for a significant amount of controlled substances.

The federal government brought a civil case against Loechler, seeking monetary penalty claims.

As part of the settlement, Loechler was forced to sell Sixth Avenue Pharmacy and lost her DEA controlled substance registration, on top of paying the $147,500 penalty.

However, the agreement is not an admission of liability by Loechler or a concession by the government that its claims were not valid. 

A North County man accused of killing his neighbor over a tree trimming feud took the stand again Friday in his trial, testifying that he's not happy about the shooting but he did prepare for the worst that day.

Prosecutors questioned defendant Michael Vilkin on whether he planned to kill filmmaker John Upton in March 2013.

“I was hoping for the best, but I was preparing for the worst,” ViIkin testified.

He told prosecutors that when he feared his neighbor would hurt him, he was wearing his computer glasses which “would be a better choice in a shootout.”

• READ: Mexican Officials: Marine Crossed Border 3 Previous Times

Vilkin is charged with the murder of Upton. The incident started as Vilkin was working on some property he owns next to Upton’s Encinitas home.

The defendant said Upton approached him angrily and was holding what looked like a gun. Vilkin shot Upton first in the stomach and then in the head when he said he thought Upton was wearing a bullet proof vest and continued coming toward him.

Prosecutors have said Upton was not armed at the time, but was instead carrying a phone in his hand.

The fatal shooting ended a year-long dispute that began over tree trimming. Earlier in the week, Vilkin testified that Upton's body language became threatening overtime, and he said he even saw Upton with a gun in one instance.

That's when Vilkin began looking into getting his own gun, he said.

On Friday, when prosecutors asked Vilkin if he is happy about what he did, he responded, “I cannot be possibly happy. I cannot feel satisfaction from killing a person no matter what he did because it was not a punishment for what he did to me. It was automatic action to protect my person.”

Among others who testified Friday was the ex-husband of a woman living with Upton when the shooting happened. He claimed Upton was an aggressive person.

The closing arguments are scheduled for Monday.

San Diego’s chance of hosting the 2024 Olympic Games is no more, as America’s Finest City is now out of the running, The Associated Press reported Friday.

A person briefed on the U.S. Olympic Committee's decision-making process told The AP that the four cities still in consideration to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games include Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The person requested anonymity because the USOC has not made an official announcement.

Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. The other three cities would be first-time hosts.

The International Olympic Committee will award the Games in 2017.

The last two U.S. candidates both suffered humiliating fourth-place finishes: New York for the 2012 Olympics and Chicago for the 2016 Games that went to Rio de Janeiro.

San Diego had been vying to get on that short list of host cities for quite some time.

In February 2013 the United States Olympic Committee sent a letter to then-Mayor Bob Filner to see if the city would be interested in hosting the 2024 Games. At that time, San Diego was one of 34 U.S. cities in the running.

In December 2013, San Diego County leaders put their full support behind a bid to bring the Olympics to the city, with the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voting to back an exploratory group in an effort to join nine other U.S. cities in making a bid.

In February of 2014, Vincent Mudd, the chair of San Diego’s Exploratory Committee was positive about San Diego’s chance as host, telling NBC 7, “We’re looking very, very good at 2024.”

Mudd said the process of proving America’s Finest City was fit to host the Games was tough. This included the city having to show it has at least 26 venues to hold Olympic events, in addition to the infrastructure and transportation to support all of the people the Games would’ve brought in.

In his official announcement Friday, USOC Chairman Larry Probst expressed his gratitude to both San Diego and Dallas, which also will not move forward in the bid process.

"Also, we very much appreciate the high-quality proposal from San Diego, a city that truly embraces sport and has a long history of supporting Team USA," said Probst. "Both of these world-class cities are committed to working with the USOC to enhance the Olympic Movement in the United States.”

Upon hearing the latest news on Friday, Mudd released the following statement:

“San Diego has been well served by engaging in a process to explore hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. We have an amazing city and a dynamic region which is the envy of the world. For the past two years, we have established an outstanding relationship and trusted dialogue with the USOC while pursing the bid for 2024. We are all extremely proud of our solid and credible relationship with this outstanding organization today. During this highly professional process, we have presented The City of San Diego in the most compelling and illustrative manner through our presentations, videos, location advantages and guided personal tours.

As the USOC continues its exploration of the 2024 Games, San Diego will continue to have a proactive role as we enthusiastically support the International Olympic movement and the USOC’s mission. Although San Diego was not selected to go to the next round, we are very confident The City of San Diego has positioned itself in a manner which may allow our region to actively participate should a California city be chosen as the final United States candidate city. San Diego’s initial exploratory committee began five years ago.

Additionally, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone on our San Diego Exploratory Committee as well as those who joined our movement over the past several months. Your enthusiasm and commitment has been truly gratifying and personally appreciated. We are not intending to halt our effort and will continue our quest for this coveted international opportunity. Thank you all very much.”

A gun store in El Cajon was robbed by three armed suspects Friday afternoon, officials confirmed.

The robbery happened around 2:15 p.m. at Hiram’s Guns & Spirits at 660 S. Magnolia Ave. El Cajon police said officers were called to the scene after three armed men stole several guns from the business.

The suspects fled in a red sedan.

A short time later, El Cajon and La Mesa police officers pulled over possible suspects in a vehicle that matched the red sedan description at Fletcher Parkway and Baltimore Drive.

At 3:30 p.m., officials confirmed three people had been detained for questioning in connection with the crime, including two juveniles and one adult.

No injuries were reported in the robbery, but the owner of the shop was extremely shaken up by the ordeal, according to his friend and witness, Robert Foster.

Foster told NBC 7 that he was near the gun shop when he saw the suspects running away heading down an alley. He then saw them take off in the red car.

Foster realized his friend who owns the gun shop had been robbed and quickly called 911.

When he went inside the shop, he said there was a lot of broken glass in and around the showcases and four or five firearms were missing.

Foster said he was shocked by the robbery.

“I never thought it would happen to this shop right here because it’s been here for a while,” he said.

The incident remains under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.

One person is in custody after police busted a cockfighting ring in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

• SEPTA Regional Rail Strike

Officials say a tip led them to a home on the 2900 block of E Street where the operation was taking place.

When police arrived on Saturday around 3 a.m., they discovered a large scale cockfight that was in progress, according to investigators. Police say dozens of participants and spectators fled the scene but officers were able to arrest the owner of the property.

Officials with the PSPCA initially told NBC10 that they removed 20 birds from the home. They later sent a press release revealing that they removed 18 live roosters and one dead rooster from the home. The birds were brought to the Erie Avenue shelter for forensic evaluation.

• Pilot Error in Katz Crash? 

“This is a fairly elaborate setup,’ said George Bengal of the SPCA. “He’s got an area in the back of this location that is pretty well concealed. There’s a lot of training equipment that he has back there. He’s got all the paraphernalia that’s used in bird fighting.”

The homeowner, who has not yet been identified, was arrested. Cruelty charges are pending.

• Woman Shoots Self, Ex-Boyfriend: Police 

A Southern California teenager was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill students at his high school and then himself, police said Friday.

Deputies got a call about 2 p.m. Thursday about a sophomore at Adolfo Camarillo High School threatening to shoot and kill another student earlier that day, according to the Camarillo Police Department.

• Read: Man Who Wore KKK Hood to Meeting Settles Lawsuit

After deputies talked to the 15-year-old boy and his parent, they found out the boy told a student he planned to "shoot up the school" and then take his own life, officials said.

The frightened student who was threatened helped police arrest the teen.

"Another student threatened to shoot him and come back and possible shoot up the school," Camarillo Police Detective Julie Novak said. "He immediately was very smart and Immediately reported the incident not only to school officials but to law enforcement ."

• Read: California Native Can't Come Home: Attorney

Several thousand people were at the school for graduation ceremonies when officials found out about the threats, police said.

The teen was later arrested at his family's home, where parents chose to give police all the weapons in their home, police said.

"We do want to remind parents it is important to keep weapons locked up and safe. If you have teenagers who are going through any issues, it's best just to not to have them in the house."

The teen admitted to police that he made the threats, but said he had no intent of shooting anyone, police said. He was cited and released.
 

A Westmont, Illinois, man was sentenced to four years in prison Friday after he was convicted of speeding away from police officers on his motorcycle and later posting the high-speed chase video on YouTube.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Hamza Ali Ben Ali ignored orders to pull over in October 2012, and was able to elude police in a chase that reached speeds of up to 115 mph.

Ali later posted video of the chase on YouTube, taken from a camera mounted on the back of his motorcycle.

But it wasn't the video that did him in. Ali was wearing a GPS device on his ankle given to him by immigration authorities and that's how police tracked him down.

The judge admonished Ali for putting others in jeopardy and boasting about it, the Daily Herald reports.

Ali was already serving a three-year sentence for an assault charge in Cook Count and may be deported to Algeria, according to the newspaper.

President Barack Obama challenged a young, "super underrated" generation to take on climate change and protect the planet during a UC Irvine commencement speech Saturday.

After praising California for leading the way in environmental issues, he said Congress "is full of folks who stubbornly and automatically reject the scientific evidence" and say climate change is a hoax or fad.

• Watch: Families Wary Over Possible Iraq Intervention

"Look, I'm not a scientist either, but we've got some good ones at NASA," Obama said. "And I do know that the overwhelming majority of scientists who work on climate change, including some who once disputed the data, have put the debate to rest."

Obama told the 8,000 graduates that it would be up to them to make change as they grow into leadership roles.

"I am not trying to discourage you, I am trying to light a fire under you," Obama said.

Obama said that he couldn't wait to see what this generation of college graduates would do, adding that they are "super underrated."

"Consider this: since the time most of you graduated from high school, fewer Americans are at war," Obama said. "More have health insurance. More are graduating from college. Our businesses have added more than nine million jobs. And the number of states where you're free to marry who you love has more than doubled. That's just some of the progress you've seen over your four years at UC Irvine."

During his speech, Obama also announced a nearly $1 billion competition that will help communities recover from natural disasters and plan for future ones as well.

The president accepted the school's invite after students, faculty and athletes sent signatures, postcards, and a student-made video featuring the university’s 7-foot-6 basketball team center to the White House.

The Saturday ceremony coincides with the 50th anniversary of then-President Lyndon B. Johnson’s dedication of the land that university is built on, but will take place at nearby Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The president and First Lady Michelle Obama begin their time in California with a brief stay in the Palm Springs area - the president's third time in a year.

With the president's visit comes traffic closures as well. They include:

• Closure of PCH from Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach to Ledroit Street in Laguna Beach from 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.

• Closure of PCH from Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach to Ledroit Street in Laguna Beach from 10:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

• Katella Avenue and Douglas Road closures in Anaheim from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• Highway 57 north and southbound closure at Katella Avenue in Anaheim from 1:00 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.
   

The White House has not confirmed where the Obamas will stay during their visit, but the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, where he hosted a summit with King Abdullah II of Jordan in February, is a possibility.

Saturday morning, Obama will travel to Orange County, where he will be at a Laguna Beach roundtable with 25 fundraisers who each donated up to $32,240 to the Democratic National Committee, before delivering the commencement address.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

A fire sparked at an industrial building in Barrio Logan Saturday, according to fire officials.

The blaze began just after 11:20 a.m. at the CP Kelco building located at 2075 East Belt St.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials said firefighters could see smoke streaming from the building when they arrived on scene, but no flames were visible. A strong odor was also coming from inside.

They soon determined the electrical paneling underneath the plant had caught fire, and they had to wait for the system to be powered down before going in to make sure everything was safe.

Officials say the plant uses its own electrical system to power the building. 

No one was injured in the fire. Investigators will continue to look into what caused the grid to ignite. 

San Diego’s Little Italy community – home to dozens of restaurants – will host its popular Taste of Little Italy event on Wednesday, an extravaganza of food sure to please the palates of the hungriest of foodies.

The self-guided walking food tour runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and includes approximately 30 participating eateries. This includes spots such as 98 Bottles on Kettner Boulevard, Ballast Point and Café Zucchero on India Street and Craft and Commerce on W. Beech Street, among many, many more businesses, as seen on the full list here.

Each restaurant will serve samples of their most popular dishes, including appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks for foodies to savor and sip. As foodies stroll, live music will play throughout the neighborhood.

Attendees can guide themselves from restaurant to restaurant with a “Taste Passport,” which lists participating eateries with each location’s specific menu offering. After each bite, attendees can get their passport stamped before heading to their next delicious destination.

Those passports can be picked up at the Taste of Little Italy office at 2210 Columbia St. on Monday or Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or on the night of the event at 4:30 p.m.

The event offers three routes for attendees to take on their food journey: the south route – approximately 14 restaurants from north Fir Street to south B Street – the north route, 14 restaurants from north Kalmia Street to south Cedar Street, or the combined route, which includes all participating restaurants.

A single route ticket costs $29 per person, while entry to both routes costs $45 per person. Though online tickets are sold out, “week of” ticket sales begin Monday at 9 a.m. by calling the Taste of Little Italy office at (619) 615-1092.

Buon Appetito!

 After two violent crimes in less than a week, some North Park residents are concerned about an element of danger festering in their area, despite the neighborhood’s efforts to shed what some call a sketchy past.

Resident Kyle Stewart told NBC 7 he generally enjoys North Park’s renaissance of sorts.

“So it’s really surprising to have this underlying element of violence – whether it’s gang-related or random – taking place in the community,” Stewart said.

Violence like two shootings in the past week hit too close to home for Marilyn King, who was down the street when a 62-year-old woman was shot in the back of her shoulder during an attempted robbery.

• READ: Suspects Rob El Cajon Gun Shop with Fake Firearm

The incident happened in King’s alley parking lot.

“The other day I was coming home and there was a bunch of police cars over there, so I would think it’s getting worse,” King said.

On Monday, two people were injured in a drive-by shooting near University Avenue and Villa Terrace.

At this time, San Diego Police were not able to provide a year over year crime statistic comparison for North Park, but according to their crime mapper, there have been 46 robberies and assaults within a mile radius of Thursday’s violent attempted robbery.

Ray Lopez, who lives in a complex near where the woman was shot, said his home has been burglarized twice in the past six months.

Still, he’s trying to keep the recent crimes in perspective.

“It upset me. I’m not scared or anything, but it could have been one of us,” Lopez said.

Despite this rash of crime, those who spoke with NBC 7 said they still feel comfortable walking the streets of North Park either during the day or at night, and you’ll find no shortage of restaurant-goers and bar-goers every weekend.

 San Diego’s North County was graced with the presence of British royalty (once removed) as Pippa Middleton pedaled her way off on a cross-country bike race.

Pippa, the sister of Great Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, joined an eight-person relay in the Race Across America (RAAM), which set off from the Oceanside Pier Saturday.

The grueling trek stretches 3,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean to Annapolis, Maryland.

The only woman on her team, Pippa should rack up nearly 300 miles herself over the nine-day relay as she and her team switch off every 25 minutes, event representatives say.

Road.cc reports Pippa and her brother James are riding for the Michael Matthews Foundation, which helps provide education worldwide for children who do not have access to schools.

The foundation is named for the youngest Briton to have summited Mount Everest. Unfortunately, Matthews, 22, died on his way back down the mountain.

The Middletons are closely tied with the Matthews family, Road.cc says, since Pippa once dated Michael’s brother James, who is also part of their eight-person team.

On the road, there is no rest for the weary. Unlike stage races like the Tour de France, RAAM is all about time. Once the clock starts, it won’t stop until their tires touch the finish line.

Racers are required to complete the trek – which crosses 12 states and climbs 170,000 feet – in roughly half the time allowed for the Tour de France, and the course is about 30 percent longer, according to the race’s website.

And if you think Pippa and her team have an exhausting journey ahead, just remember: some cyclists are riding the race solo.

Three people, including a police officer, were taken to the hospital after a fire at a Point Loma apartment complex, officials confirmed Saturday.

A witness says she heard what sounded like an explosion coming from the Loma Highlands Apartments at 2185 Chatsworth Boulevard around 2:36 p.m. Soon after, she saw a plume of black smoke rising from the building. 

A painter, working in a small, unventilated part of a second floor unit, was burned in the fire. Officials say a San Diego Police officer suffered from smoke inhalation as he went in to help the burn victim. 

A third vicitm in a nearby apartment reported feeling dizzy and short of breath, so paramedics also took her to the hospital.

Firefighters quickly responded and were able to control the blaze, but not before two units were damaged. 

The flames heavily damaged an upstairs unit and did minor damage to the apartment below it. 

The Red Cross has responded to help 20 to 25 people find temporary housing. 

Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire.

Check back for details on this developing story. 

Six Flags Great America announced Saturday that the amusement park's newest roller coaster Goliath, which is being hailed as the world's fastest wooden coaster, will open Thursday.

"We are incredibly excited to be so close to debuting this triple world record breaking ride to the public," Six Flags Great America spokeswoman Katy Enrique said in a statement.

The ride is expected to be the world's fastest wooden coaster with the tallest and steepest drop, plunging riders down 180 feet at a near-vertical 85 degrees. It will reach speeds of 72 mph.

• Six Flags Releases Details on New "Record-Breaking" Roller Coaster

Goliath was expected to debut last month, but the ride's rollout was pushed back because of "delays in the final touches," Enrique said.

"The world’s tallest, steepest and fastest wooden roller coaster, Goliath, is coming soon," the amusement park said in a statement. "Thanks to Mother Nature’s freezing temperatures this winter and unseasonably cool and rainy spring, the final touches on Goliath have been delayed."

A man is dead after he drove his car into a Chula Vista home Saturday, authorities told NBC 7. 

Ramming into a house, the driver took a chunk from its corner at the intersection of Carla Avenue and East J Street around 5:30 p.m. 

The man died at the scene. 

Chula Vista Police say high speed driving -- possibly racing -- is a suspected factor in the crash. 

The intersection will remain closed for a few hours as police finish their investigation. 

Check back for details on this breaking news story.