Evacuations are underway as a brush fire on the Barona Indian Reservation has spread to nearly 40 acres, according to fire officials.

The fire began shortly after 5 p.m. at the 14000 block of Wildcat Canyon Road near Barona Casino and Akuunyaa Way on the southeast corner of the reservation, spreading rapidly. 

According to the sheriff's department, deputies are evacuating homes in that area. CalFire said there is one immediate structure threatened. The Sheriff's department said lots of residents are being evacuated but did not have a total amount as of yet. It was unclear where residents were being evacuated to. 

The California Highway Patrol said they are closing down portion of Wildcat Canyon Road due to the fire just north of Barona Casino and at San Vicente. 

Cleveland National Forest is working with CalFire, they said, by sending one helicopter, three fire engines and one water tender to fight the fire. 

Aircrews were seen flying above the fire to assess Cal Fire's attack.

There has been no report of injuries or damages. 

Casino officials are working on getting more information and and determining whether there is any immediate threat to the casino. 

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.

A former Boy Scout pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing his troop leader, who he claimed had raped him over many years. 

In a tense and emotional courtroom in Newton, New Jersey, Clark Fredericks admitted to killing former Boy Scout leader and Sussex sheriff's officer Dennis Pegg three years ago. 

"From the time I was 8 years old until I was 12, I was sexually assaulted and raped by Dennis Pegg," said Fredericks. 

He said he never told anyone about the rapes even as, he claimed, Pegg also raped his best friend Jeff. Jeff committed suicide in 1983, Fredericks said. 

Fredericks graduated high school, still keeping the secret from his parents. 

"Dennis Pegg controlled me by torturing and killing animals in front of me, saying he would do the same to me if I told anyone about our secret," he said.

Fredericks said he felt that Pegg, as a cop, was untouchable.

But in 2012, he watched the sexual abuse trial of Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky and then his conviction on June 11. "The next day, June 12, my shell cracked," he said.

Fredericks said he got drunk, snorted cocaine, and with friend Bob Reynolds -- who police arrested as an accomplice -- went to Pegg's Stillwater home with a hunting knife Pegg had given him back in scouting. 

"I started stabbing Dennis," Fredericks said in court. "I said, 'How does it feel raping little kids now. It's not so fun raping little kids now, is it?' At the end I slit his throat." 

Family and friends of Fredericks wept almost nonstop as he spoke. And then as he got up to leave, applause broke out in the courtroom, something the prosecutors said he'd never seen before.

One of those crying and applauding was Rose Funari, who said her own brother a victim of Pegg.

"If someone was to hurt my child, I'll be honest with you, there would be no judge, no jury," she said.

Family and friends said past accusations by others against Pegg were ignored. Prosecutor Francis Koch said there was simply was not sufficient evidence. Either way, the prosecutor would not justify an eye for an eye. 

Despite the savage nature of the killing, even the prosecutor agreed to accept the claim of passion provocation, which means a maximum of 5 to 10 years when he is sentenced in August. 

"Passion provocation could not be disapproved beyond a reasonable doubt," said Koch. 

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, so get Dad out on the golf course or let him nap on the couch in peace, but when his stomach rumbles don’t make him stand guard at the grill – take the man out! He deserves to dine in style and we’ve got a list of local joints serving up meals fit for a king.

JDRN @ Tower 23 (Pacific Beach)
Remember when Pops used to make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a kid? Well serve him the grown up version this holiday at this PB eatery. New Chef Danilo “DJ” Tangalin has recreated the dish with and innovative take on foie gras, peanuts, berry jam and biscuits. We can attest that this PB&J will have Dad celebrating.

Arterra (Del Mar)
New menu and music will have Father raising a glass to you if you treat him for lunch or dinner at Arterra. And in that tumbler? Choose something for the man of the house from the spectacular new Bourbon program. You’ll find over 15 premium, handcrafted varieties, plus infused cocktails and bourbon flights of small batch, single-barrel, grain, age and distillery options.

AVANT (Rancho Bernardo Inn)
Let Dad work up an appetite with a round on the greens, and then meet him in AVANT for wine country-style cuisine created by new Chef de Cuisine, Matt Sramek. You’ll find local craft beers and menu options for the man of the hour like Ahi Tuna Sashimi with a citrus ponzu and wasabi crème fraiche, and the Grass-Fed Dry-Aged Bone-In Rib with marbled potatoes, foraged mushrooms and dolce gorgonzola.

Tabletop Commons (Hillcrest)
Is your Daddy-o into playing games as a family? Then this 21+ board game bar is for you and yours. Beat dad (or let him win) for a Father’s Day game night with over 150 board and card game selections. Chow down on Sunday Brunch menu bites, too, including Chicken and Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls and Bacon Sriracha Eggs Benedict!

Cusp (La Jolla)
Chef Donald Lockhart’s seasonal menu is bound to please for a special Father’s Day meal. Dad can fill up on the Bolognese Pappardelle (pappardelle noodles in a pork sausage Bolognese grana Padano) or the Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks with creme morel kale and cipollini onions. Don’t forget a drink: the bartenders here use fresh-squeezed juice and house-infused liquors. Pair the great eats with an unbeatable La Jolla view and Dad will be one happy man.

Draft (Mission Beach)
Just in time to celebrate dad, Draft on South Mission Beach has mixed up new libations to toast your forbearer with fantastic flavors. The “Off the Market,” a tangy, yet smooth creation made with Templeton Rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, honey and Black Market Hefeweizen. We also recommend the spicy Paloma’s Travel this Sunday: a cocktail mixed with tequila, fresh lime, agave, egg white, fresh Serrano pepper, grapefruit bitters and Illusive Traveler Grapefruit Ale.
 

A fire at a vacant home in San Marcos proved difficult to fight Tuesday morning due to some electrical wiring issues, officials said.

The blaze began around 3:50 a.m. at a home on Nordahl and Rock Springs roads in the North County. As flames engulfed the house, heavy smoke poured out, filling the air and making its way toward neighboring homes.

The fire burned for a couple of hours and was challenging for firefighters due to a live electrical wire connecting the home to nearby power lines.

Crews called the electrical company to assist in getting the wire cut so they could move forward with tackling the blaze.

Officials said the home’s materials and structure – an old, wooden frame, metal roof and basement – made it especially difficult for firefighters to battle the flames and search for people inside.

Fortunately, no one was living in the home, as it was undergoing remodeling at the time of the fire.

A neighbor who lives a few houses down the street told NBC 7 he woke up to smoke drifting into his home from the house that was on fire and engines lining his neighborhood.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No one was harmed.
 

Men who have more dietary trans fat in their meals may have worse memory, according to a newly released study by the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said they would begin to phase the acid, which they previously called unsafe, out of foods.

Dietary trans fatty acids (dTFA), which are used in foods to improve taste, texture and durability, were linked by researchers to worse memory in men aged 45 and younger.

The study looked at 1,018 men and women who completed a dietary survey and a memory test. Men that consumed trans fat aged 45 and younger saw their performance drop 0.76 words for every additional gram of trans fat consumed.

“Trans fats were most strongly linked to worse memory in men during their high productivity years,” said Beatrice A. Golomb, MD, PhD, lead author and professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine said in a statement. “Trans fat consumption has previously shown adverse associations to behavior and mood—other pillars of brain function. However, to our knowledge a relation to memory or cognition had not been shown.”

Men with the highest observed trans fat levels in the study recalled an expected 12 fewer words, compared to men that consumed no trans fats.

The results were consistent when adjusting for age, exercise, ethnicity and mood.

The acids have previously been linked to negative effects on general health and are no longer recognized as safe by the FDA.

“As I tell patients, while trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people,” said Golomb.

Alexis K. Bui of UC San Diego was a co-author of the study.

Officials are warning those heading out to the trails this summer to take the necessary safety precautions a day after a 24-year-old man died while hiking near Julian, east of San Diego.

The hiker, a 24-year-old man, fainted from possible heat exhaustion while hiking in the Cleveland National Forest’s Cedar Creek area, San Diego County Sheriff’s officials (SDSO) said.

The hikers had plenty of water, officials said, but the man was soon unconscious and a rescue helicopter airlifted the man, trying to revive him. He died before he could reach the hospital, Sheriff’s officials said.

With a heat advisory in effect in parts of San Diego and Riverside and an excessive heat warning in effect across the Imperial Valley and parts of Riverside, many hikers heading to the trails may want to be careful.

Peter Ruth registers hikers coming and going at the Cleveland National Forest and says weather like this is where they start seeing problems.

“Yesterday, we had a gal, we had to send ice down just to get her back up here,” Ruth said.

The Sheriff department’s helicopter ASTREA makes rescues in the area frequently during the summer, said Sgt. Fred Duey.

“They don’t understand their limitations and unfortunately it’s too late when they do,” Ruth said. 

Simple tips can help hikers stay safe in the weather:

• Never go hiking alone
• Bring ample food, water and sunscreen in addition to a flashlight, map, GPS, first aid kit and multipurpose took or knife and a whistle.
• Bring a fully-charged phone in case you need to call for help.
• Wear proper clothing, boots, sunglasses, hats, globes and a helmet
• Tell someone you are going hiking, the destination you will be at and when you expect to return
• Know your limitations
• Chose a trail that matches your level of physical fitness
• Pick an area where you know you will not get lost

Someone tried to smuggle drugs by way of a surfboard fashioned with a propeller.

A surfboard loaded with 20 pounds of crystal methamphetamine was spotted along a Tijuana beach on Tuesday night, Tijuana police said.

The surfboard was spotted by beachgoers in the area of Playas de Tijuana at about 7:30 p.m. People noticed the surfboard had strange plastic wrapped around it and notified authorities.

Responding investigators examined the board and dismantled it to find a double bottom, with 22 clear plastic containers filled with drugs secured with tape.

The board also had a metal pipe and a small propeller connected to a turbine powered by eight batteries.

Investigators believe water entered the compartment and caused the power to go off, and the surfboard eventually washed up on shore.

There was no word Wednesday afternoon from Tijuana police about arrests.

A Chula Vista man was sentenced on Wednesday afternoon to 20 years to life in prison for intentionally running over his estranged wife with a pickup.

Cesar Castillo had earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder using a dangerous weapon, hit and run leading to death and violating a restraining order.

He also will not be allowed to see his three children for the next 10 years, per a restraining order granted by the judge.

Before the sentence was imposed, Castillo apologized to his wife's family, saying he was unstable at the time, and asked if he could talk to them at a later date.

"Hopefully, deep down one day, you can forgive me," he said.

More than a dozen of his wife's family and friends were inside the courtroom for Castillo's sentencing, many of whom gave statements before the sentence will be imposed.

"Cesar, you robbed these three babies," one of the victim's friends said, referring to the couple's three daughters. "You robbed her. You robbed herself. And for what? She loved you."

Castillo's ex-wife Leonor was killed the day after Thanksgiving while her daughters were waiting at their grandparents' house to decorate the Christmas tree with their mother

The girls, ages 3, 8 and 10, now live with their grandparents who are retired.

Police said Castillo fled to Mexico, but surrendered to authorities three days later at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The burger chain that put "supersize" into the American vernacular is slimming down: For the first time in more than 40 years, and perhaps ever, McDonald's says the number of U.S. restaurants it has will shrink.

McDonald's plans to close more restaurants in the U.S. than it opens this year, according to the world's biggest hamburger chain. That hasn't happened since at least 1970, according to an Associated Press review of McDonald's regulatory filings.

Becca Hary, a McDonald's spokeswoman, declined to provide a specific figure but said the reduction would be "minimal" compared with its total of about 14,300 U.S. locations.

Still, the contraction is symbolic of troubles under the Golden Arches and how it's trying to regroup.

The company enjoyed rapid expansion for much of its history by offering consistent food at affordable prices. It even thrived during the recession, when its Dollar Menu drew in people trying to save money and new products like McCafe coffee drove up sales.

But since then, chains like Chipotle that market themselves as serving better food and ingredients have chipped away at McDonald's dominance. A new breed of "better burger" chains such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries is taking away customers, too.

McDonald's past success led to "a natural overconfidence," said John Gordon, a restaurant industry analyst with Pacific Management Consulting Group.

"McDonald's is such an internally focused organization, it's a situation where you don't have a fresh perspective coming in," Gordon said.

McDonald's executives have also conceded that an overly complicated menu led to inaccurate orders and longer wait times, and that they failed to keep pace with changing tastes.

CUTTING THE FAT

In April, McDonald's said it would close about 700 underperforming locations around the world this year, including in the U.S. CEO Steve Easterbrook, who stepped into the role on March 1, also later laid out plans to restructure the company to remove layers of bureaucracy and move more nimbly.

In any given year, some underperforming McDonald's restaurants will close. But previously, the number of closings has been outweighed by new restaurants that open.

The U.S. store closings will be a mix of franchised and company-owned locations, Hary said. She noted that the closings are part of a strategic review intended to set the stage for the future growth. The company did not provide a list of locations expected to close.

McDonald's Corp. has not reported an annual reduction in U.S. locations since at least 1970, according to archived filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For 1969, McDonald's did not include a U.S. store count in its annual report.

The company declined to comment on the last time it reduced its U.S. store base. But given the rapid expansion that characterized its early years, it's likely McDonald's hadn't pulled back since Ray Kroc founded the company in 1955.

SATURATION POINT OR ROOM TO RUN?

Closing weak stores isn't unusual for companies trying to turn around their fortunes. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz shuttered hundreds of U.S. cafes after returning to head the company in 2008. Since then, the coffee chain has enjoyed healthy sales growth and expanded its footprint.

Mike Donahue, who served as McDonald's chief communications officer before leaving in 2006, said McDonald's hasn't necessarily reached its limit in the U.S.

"The only thing that stops growth is relevancy to the customer," said Donahue, who has since co-founded Lyfe Kitchen, a chain that positions itself as serving more wholesome food.

Even though it's closing locations, McDonald's easily remains the country's biggest hamburger chain. It still has more than twice as many restaurants as No. 2 Burger King, according to the industry tracker Technomic.

Among all fast-food chains, Subway has the most locations in the country with about 27,000 stores, though they do far less business than the typical McDonald's.

And McDonald's is still growing globally. It plans to add about 300 restaurants to its worldwide total of more than 36,000.

Donahue said that people were saying decades ago that McDonald's had reached its saturation point in the U.S. But within the company, he said there was always confidence that there was room to expand.

Even when McDonald's closed underperforming stores in the past, he said it would open new restaurants in better locations. The closings this year appear to be a way to strengthen its base of stores, he said.

"What they're doing is pruning the tree," he said. 

The Treasury Department is redesigning the $10 bill to feature a woman — just who has yet to be determined — for the first time in over a century.

The new note is expected to be unveiled later this year, but it will not go into circulation until 2020 — the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew told reporters on Wednesday that he will select a notable woman who had played a major role in American history and whose actions fit with the theme of democracy. The currency cannot feature a living person.

"America's currency is a way for our nation to make a statement about who we are and what we stand for. Our paper bills-and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict-have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values," Lew said in a statement. "We have only made changes to the faces on our currency a few times since bills were first put into circulation, and I'm proud that the new 10 will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman."

The last women to appear on U.S. currency was Martha Washington, who was on the one dollar silver certificate from 1891-1896. Pocahontas was on the $20 national currency note from 1865-1869 but she was part of a group photo.

Advocates have been pushing to get a female face on a $20 bill by 2020 and the idea gained traction earlier this year thanks in part to Women On 20s, a grass-roots campaign advocating the redesign.

The group held two rounds of online voting to let the public choose from among 15 American women of historical significance. Abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, received the most votes, 118,328, and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt came in second place with 111,227. Rosa Parks received 64,173 votes while Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, got 58,703 votes, the group said.

On May 12, the group presented a petition to President Barack Obama informing him of the results of the election and encouraging him to instruct Lew to make the change.

However, Lew said plans for a redesigned $10 bill have been in the works for some time as the Treasury aimed to upgrade security features on the note. He called the timing of the announcement, in relation to the Women On 20s campaign, a "happy coincidence."

The Treasury Department is asking for the public to share ideas, symbols and design for the new $10 bill on social media using the hashtag #TheNew10 or by visiting thenew10.treasury.gov. Over the summer, Lew and other administration officials will conduct roundtables, town halls, and other meetings to gather input.

The current $10 bills featuring Alexander Hamilton will remain in circulation for years to come and Hamilton won't be completely replaced by the new note, Lew said. The nation's first Treasury Secretary will be featured on some of the new bills.

The $10 note was selected for redesign based on a number of factors and with guidance from the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee, an interagency group established to monitor and communicate counterfeit deterrence issues and dedicated to maintaining and ensuring the integrity of U.S. currency. In addition to featuring a woman, the new note will include a touch feature that increases accessibility for the visually impaired.

A fire that started in a dumpster overnight in an alleyway in Hillcrest spread to a nearby duplex in minutes, forcing a resident out of his home.

The dumpster went up in flames around 3 a.m. in the 3600 block of 5th Avenue. It then spread to nearby trashcans, with flames melting the plastic before creeping onto a corner duplex and getting dangerously close to power lines.

Firefighters were able to knock out the blaze quickly, but the damage was already done to the home. The resident was displaced but unharmed, officials said.

No one else was injured either.

Now, officials are looking into what caused the fire – and whether it may have been a case of arson. The investigation is ongoing.
 

Whether you came to Chicago or watched from home, we have complete coverage of today's Blackhawks parade and rally.

Check below for the as-it-happened updates and news on the events:

Brian Williams will not return to the anchor desk at "NBC Nightly News," the network announced Thursday, more than four months after he was suspended for misrepresenting his experiences as a journalist.

Lester Holt, who has anchored the show since Williams was suspended back in February, will take over that position permanently, the network said.

Williams will take on a new role anchoring breaking news for MSNBC, the network said.

"Lester has done outstanding work for NBC News over the last 10 years, and he's performed remarkably well over the last few months under very tough circumstances," NBC News chairman Andy Lack said in a statement Thursday. "He's an exceptional anchor who goes straight to the heart of every story and is always able to find its most direct connection to the everyday lives of our audience."

Holt called the new permanent role "an enormous honor" in his own statement.

"The respect and admiration I have for the Nightly News team has only grown deeper over the last several months that we've been together," he said. "I'm very proud and grateful to be part of such an unflappable and dedicated team of professionals as we move forward together."

NBC suspended Williams for six months on Feb. 10 after he admitted to erring when he said on-air that he had been in a helicopter hit by enemy fire during the Iraq War, when in fact his helicopter had not been hit.

The network subsequently ordered an internal investigation into his reporting and the way he described his experiences, most often in talk show appearances.

The review found Williams made a number of inaccurate statements about his own role and experiences covering events in the field. The statements did not for the most part occur on NBC News platforms in the immediate aftermath of news events, but usually years later.

“I’m sorry. I said things that weren’t true. I let down my NBC colleagues and our viewers, and I’m determined to earn back their trust," Williams said in a statement Thursday. "I will greatly miss working with the team on Nightly News, but I know the broadcast will be in excellent hands with Lester Holt as anchor. I will support him 100% as he has always supported me. I am grateful for the chance to return to covering the news. My new role will allow me to focus on important issues and events in our country and around the world, and I look forward to it.”

This TV station is owned by parent company NBCUniversal.

Eroded cliffs are creating a new problem for Ocean Beach neighbors who say homeless individuals are turning a newly formed cave into their makeshift shelter.

Two people currently living in the cave-like structure, formed by erosion, told NBC 7 Wednesday that they felt safe despite what geologists warn.

“It’s going to collapse and kill somebody,” said a Sunset Cliffs neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.

Neighbors worry a cave off the cliffs near Orchard Avenue and Cable Street has become a haven for the homeless. They are being blamed for break-ins throughout the area, according to the neighbor.

But the two men who live in the cave said they have nowhere else to go.

“A lot of us are just really respectful of the area. We don't want to cause any problems so we're not going to leave any messes,” said one of the men, who did not give his name.

Geologist Pat Abbott said the sand erodes easily in that area, and the concrete used to armor it isn't enough to stop it. With the ocean beating against the rock, the cliff will eventually erode, he warned.

The city said they will revisit the site Thursday and recommend appropriate action for closing access to this cave, as neighbors struggle to find a solution to a problem they say won't go away.

“We just have to be accepting of, you know, the kind of people that come through and try and give them alternative things to do or places to go, food to eat, to sleep, so they aren't moving into our bushes or our cliffs," said Sunset Cliffs resident Adam Smith.

Lifeguards said they don’t typically patrol this area overnight. They’re mainly concerned with what happens on the water. But they said if they do see people inhabiting the cave, they will issue citations.

The body pulled from the ocean floor near San Clemente Island this week belongs to a San Diego man who has been missing since October, the Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed Wednesday.

Coronado resident Lee Racicot, a 60-year-old civilian Navy employee, was reported missing on Oct. 8, 2014, when he didn’t show up to work at the island. Officials believe he had gone fishing off the coast the night before.

For more than two days, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters and ships combed the area, but they could not find him.

But on Sunday, a recreational diver saw a man’s body about 100 feet below the water’s surface. Recovery crews were able to pull the body out Monday morning, allowing the coroner’s office to identify it as Racicot’s.

His cause of death has not been determined.

Before his disappearance, Racicot lived on his boat at the Coronado Yacht Club, according to his friends.

“He loved the water. He loved to fish. He loved to go lobstering. He loved to do all of those kind of things,” longtime friend Marylee Goyan told NBC7 in October.

San Clemente Island is a Navy bombing range. Nearly all military and civilian personnel do not live on the island but stay there while working.

Racicot was an employee for Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island (NALFSCI). He helped organize recreational activities for personnel, Navy spokesman Jon Nylander said.
 

With exactly two weeks to go before new, statewide water restrictions kick in, some San Diego County residents are rushing to get rid of their lawns. Others are saying, “No way.”

After 35 years of a lush yard, Carlsbad residents Marie and Greg Montoya said it need to go for multiple reasons. Chief among them are Carlsbad city water restrictions.

"Obviously only allowing to water twice a week is not enough to keep the grass green,” said Marie. “So if it's, if you're not allowed to have it green, why have it."

So since the allocation wasn’t cutting it, landscapers arrived Wednesday to cut the lawn out of the ground. What were 6,000-square-feet of water-reliant grass will now get a new purpose.

The choice didn’t come without some hesitation. “We raised our kids here. They rolled down the hill, and all the Easter egg hunts…” said Marie.

However, a skyrocketing water bill and worsening drought soon made up the Montoyas’ minds.

Landscaper Paul Ramirez told NBC 7 Wednesday he’s seen more and more people making the same decision.

"I'm busier and busier every day with new customers taking away their lawns and replacing it with drought-tolerant plants and succulents,” he said.

But some, like Rancho Santa Fe resident Jan Feldman, are not giving up their green yards. Feldman said years ago, her family got rid of their green grass and put in plants that require less water.

"No, I'm not going to ruin... I love my plants. And I'll just have to pay for them,” she said.

While conserving water is important to her, Feldman said she will find other ways to do it.

The Santa Fe Irrigation District, which provides water to Feldman and her neighbors, is one of four San Diego County districts in the highest tier of water conservation.

The Santa Fe, Valley Center, Rainbow Municipal and Fallbrook Public Utility districts must save 36 percent of their water, starting on July 1, according to mandates set by the State Water Resources Control Board.

See the chart below to find out how much each district in San Diego County must save in the months to come.

A fire burning near Big Bear in the San Bernardino National Forest continues to swell, forcing evacuations and confounding firefighters' efforts to contain it.

The blaze in the area of Jenks Lake in the Barton Flats was approximately 7,500 acres in size as of noon on Thursday -- growing five times in four hours -- and remained 5 percent contained, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. It was burning timber and grass and prompted more than 150 people to be evacuated.

"When you have fires that burn in timber, the way this one's doing here, it creates its own weather," said Chon Bribiescas, with the U.S. Forest Service. "Because it's heavy timber ... there's a lot of heat. It kind of does what it wants to do"

It was reported just before 4 p.m. Wednesday, and is burning east of Camp de Benneville Pines south of Jenks Lake Road. Resources deployed include 11 engines, five air tankers, five helicopters and an air attack plane

An extra 300 firefighters have been called in to battle the fire, bringing the total headcount up to 400 firefighters. Bribiescas said winds gusted up to 35 mph.

Jenks Lake Road and the San Gorgonio Wilderness are closed. No structures have been damaged so far, though several are at risk.

Twenty to 25 residences were evacuated on Rainbow Lane in the Onyx Summit area by Thursday morning, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Campground evacuations include 120 people from Camp de Benneville Pines, one person from Camp Ta Ta Pochon, 24 people from Camp Alpine Meadows, 23 people from Camp Edwards, and 10 people from Camp Tulakes. Children from the camps were bused to Citrus Valley High School in Redlands to be reunited with their parents.

Evauations also were ordered along Highway 38, east of Angelus Oaks to Onyx Summit. The road was closed Thursday morning between Angelus Oaks and Lake Williams.

Strong wind gusts are expected Thursday in the mountain community east of Los Angeles.

"This will definitely impact the firefight up in Big Bear," NBC4 forecaster Crystal Egger said.

Authorities say travelers heading up to Big Bear should use state highway 330 to highway 18, and to stay off highway 38 as that is the main route being used by firefighters.

Wildfire activity in California is nearly double the average for this time of year after a dry and warm winter, according to CalFire. The state fire agency responded to more than 1,100 wildfires that charred more than 4,200 acres between the start of the year and May.

Conditions are much drier than normal across the state, raising the risk of rapidly spreading fires.

A 24-year-old uniformed NYPD officer assigned to transit foot patrol in Coney Island shot and killed a man who attacked him with an 11-inch hunting knife when the cop tried to arrest him for attacking a 78-year-old woman on a street below an elevated subway station Thursday, police said.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the 58-year-old suspect attacked the elderly woman below the Ocean Parkway Q train station around 1:30 p.m., not long after the woman, a stranger to the suspect, had tried to intervene in a separate dispute the suspect had had with a shop owner in a nearby store.

The suspect wrestled the woman to the ground, and she suffered bruises in the altercation, authorities said. The 24-year-old police officer, who heard the commotion while on the subway platform, descended to the street and tried to arrest the suspect, but the man pulled out the hunting knife and stabbed the officer in the neck, Bratton said. 

The officer, Fillippo Gugliara, fired two shots, striking the suspect in the torso. The suspect, whose identity is being withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at the scene; his knife was recovered.

Authorities said the injured officer, who has been with the department since January 2013, received a few stitches to his neck wound; additional testing showed no internal injuries and he is expected to be OK. Bratton said he would be held at the hospital overnight.

Mayor de Blasio, who also met with the officer and the officer's family, said the cop was in good spirits and was proud of his actions. De Blasio said the city was proud of his bravery as well. 

A man suspected of supporting ISIS-related activities was arrested as FBI agents raided a home in New Jersey early Thursday, accused of conspiring with at least one of the other men arrested in the area this week in the same investigation, law enforcement officials said.

The Fort Lee man, Samuel Rahamin Topaz, 21, appeared in federal court in Newark Thursday on material support for terror charges. He is being held without bail.

His attorney, Borse Martinoski, declined to comment. 

The arrest is the fourth person allegedly linked to ISIS this week in the tri-state area. Outside his Center Avenue apartment Thursday, his brother Eyal Topaz told NBC 4 New York that the FBI took his brother's phones and computers, and "they just took him and left." 

The investigation into Topaz, a U.S. citizen, began when a friend reported to the FBI that he may try to travel overseas, according to the criminal complaint. 

Topaz watched ISIS videos with co-conspirators and held meetings with other suspects, including one near the World Trade Center site, the complaint stated.

There were dozens of phone calls and text messages between Topaz and his alleged co-conspirators, including the Queens college student arrested Saturday in the same case. Text messages showed Topaz was planning to travel to Iraq or Syria by way of Jordan; one allegedly said: "I'm saving my money for it, bro, trust me, I got it." 

A Facebook page showed photos of Topaz dressed as a jihadist fighter, according to the complaint. 

The FBI said Topaz also met regularly with two others who have not been charged -- dual citizens of the U.S. and Jordan, ages 20 and 23. The younger one left the U.S. on May 5 for Jordan and presumably attempted to travel on to Syria, the FBI said. 

Under questioning, Topaz said he sympathized with ISIS and watched videos, and admitted speaking with three others about wanting to join ISIS, the complaint stated. 

In his most recent public Facebook post dated April 25, Topaz said he was planning to delete his social media accounts until "I leave the country," though he didn't specify why he planned to leave. 

On another Facebook post showing him dressed as an apparent ISIS fighter, he wrote: "Which assassin am I, or am I all of them?" 

His older Facebook posts appear to be a mix of long-winded rants, reflections on Islam and his conversion to the religion, selfies and videos of himself singing -- including covers of Frank Ocean and Stevie Wonder. He mentions in one 2013 post he was preparing to audition for NBC's "The Voice." There are frequent status posts describing how "lonely" or "bored" he feels.

On Saturday, 20-year-old Queens college student Munther Omar Saleh and a 17-year-old were arrested near the Whitestone Bridge.

Saleh is accused of allegedly scouting possible targets for an ISIS-inspired attack. Court documents say Saleh also charged law enforcement officers with a knife when he saw them conducting surveillance of him and another alleged conspirator Saturday. No one was hurt.

The 17-year-old faces state charges in Queens.

The charges against Saleh accuse him of trying to acquire knowledge and materials to build a bomb and carry out some kind of attack here; the charges against Topaz make no allegation that he intended to carry out any kind of attack in the U.S. 

FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Frankel said Thursday: "Topaz conspired to provide services and personnel to ISIL. Topaz discussed his desire to travel to Syria to join ISIL. Fortunately, this threat did not materialize due to the indefatigable efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. I ask the citizens of New Jersey to assist us in this task by remaining vigilant and contacting the FBI or the police if they see or hear anything suspicious.”

On Wednesday, 21-year-old Fareed Mumuni was charged with attempting to murder an FBI agent after he allegedly tried to repeatedly stab the agent -- and others -- who entered his home to conduct a search warrant in connection with the ongoing ISIS investigation involving Saleh.

No serious injuries were reported, and Mumuni was also accused of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and trying to assist the terror group in carrying out an attack in the New York area. Saleh allegedly gave authorities Mumuni's name while cooperating with officials after his arrest.

Mumuni allegedly discussed building pressure cooker bombs and using guns to target landmarks and kill police officers.

Relatives and lawyers for Saleh and Mumuni have said they deny the charges.