it is out of control. a wildfire burning near yosemite forces more people out of their homes as more bay area crews head in to help. we have new numbers from overnight. my mom raised me to be strong. >> just weeks after her disappearance sparks an amber alert across six states, hannah anderson is speaking out in an nbc exclusive. we'll let you know why she now doesn't consider herself a victim. a late night house fire leads to an unexpected discovery at the bay area. what firefighters found that could have the people who live here facing some serious charges. right now let's take it live outside for a look spanning over the city by the bay. that is a beautiful looking san

francisco illuminated in this early morning dawn on this thursday, august 22nd. this is "today in the bay." it is 4:31. good morning everybody. always happy to have you along for the right. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm marla tellez in for laura garcia-cannon. hope you had a good time off. >> always good. >> good to have you back. let's get a look at the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. we are going to see major improvement in our local weather. if you're sick of the humidity, we have great news for you. thunder is moving up to the north. temperatures today are going to be nice and comfortable even in the warmest cities across the bay. let me show you what we're working with right off the bat this morning. temperatures right now in the 50s across the bay area. 58 in concord, 59 in oakland and 61 degrees, expecting to drop by a few degrees as we get closer

to sunrise which is the coolest point of the day. i'll take you through your weekend forecast. after all, it's friday eve around here. first i want to take a look at your morning drive. it's been a rough week in the traffic department. let's see what's happening with mike. >> right now i have my toes crossed, fingers crossed, everything at my disposal. coming off the overcrossing there is flashing lights. there is construction approaching the bay bridge. the overcrossing has all lanes open. a look from emeryville. you can see the flashing lights across the middle. that is west 580 toward the maze or three the maze. we still have your typical overnight closure going on there. sometimes it picks up before 4:00 and 5:00. it looks like we'll have it done through at least 5:00. back to you. 4:32. happening now, the out-of-control wildfire burning near yosemite has spread to 2500

square miles. high winds push the flames across containment lines. authorities are warning residents in nearby communities to be ready to evacuate. meantime more fire crews from the bay area are on their way to help. we'll have a live report from christie smith coming up at 5:00. the rim fire is one of several wildfires raging across the west right now. now we're learning the nation's top agency that deals with all the flames is running out of money to fight them. the u.s. forest service has spent $967 million so far this year and has just $50 million left. that's typically just enough to pay for just a few days of fighting fires. so the u.s. forest service is diverting $600 million from timber, recreation and other areas to help fill the gap. new this morning, firefighters battling a house fire in hayward making an unexpected discovery. that surprise coming in the form

of hundreds of marijuana plants. crews were called out to reports of a garage fire on lori way after 10:30 last night. when they went inside the house, fire officials say they found what appears to be a marijuana grow operation. they say they found the plants some four to five feet tall in several areas of the house including three bedrooms and the garage. >> there's multiple plants in each room of this three-bedroom house. i would guesstimate that there's probably over 200 plants. >> that's amazing. so i never knew anything like that was going on here in the neighborhood. >> nobody was home at the time of that fire, and the exact cause right now remains under investigation this morning. but officials say it appears to have started outside near an electrical meter. 4:34. the man charged in the disappearance of sierra lamar is expected back in court today. 21-year-old anti lynn garcia torres will be in a san jose courtroom this afternoon.

his hearing was postponed last month after prosecutors said evidence was still being delivered to his attorneys. he's charged with murder and kidnapping of 15-year-old sierra lamar of morgan hill. he's also facing three additional counts of carjacking and attempted kidnapping of three women from two morgan hill grocery store parking lots in 2009. for the first time southern california teenager hannah anderson is now speaking out about her kidnapping that led to an amber alert across six states. she'll be speaking on the "today" show this morning. she was captured in southern california earlier this month and rescued eventually in idaho after her abductor, james dimaggio, was gunned down by police. the bodies of her mother and brother were both found in dimaggio's burned home. anderson says her mother is the reason she feels she's able to see herself now as a survivor. >> in the beginning i was a victim, but now knowing everyone out there is helping me, i consider myself a survivor

instead. my mom raised me to be strong. >> you can catch that full interview this morning on the "today" show starting at 7:00. union city police are looking for a man they say exposed himself in front of a mother and her three daughters inside a busy burger king last month. police released this sketch of the suspect. officials say he is a white man in his mid 50s, approximately six feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. he was last seen wearing a tan hat with a chin strap as you see here and eyeglasses. police say he may be involved in other similar incidents in the bay area. after months of negotiations, it looks like santa clara county 911 dispatchers are on the verge of a spike. dispatchers along with other county workers holding a news conference at noon on west heng street. they're addressing the public about staff shortages which they say is endangering public safety

and putting the county at risk when it comes to health care reform. this point alone more than 2,000 hours of overtime has been spread out over 56 dispatchers. that means each dispatcher is working five weeks in a single month. last time around the city of san jose contract including a pay cut and higher employee costs for benefits. we have admired the new bay bridge from afar for years. the question is are we ready to drive it? the new span is scheduled to open in less than two weeks. to avoid confusion for drivers, the agency just released animation of what the trip across the newbridge will look. here is a look at that. some drivers say they will be taking it slow. >> i will be very kay shows. >> just because it might be late scary. people might not be familiar

with it. you never know what could happen. it might be really hectic. i think i might b.a.r.t. my first few days. >> caltrans is warning drivers not to pull over on the new shoulders of the bridge to take photos. those are for emergencies only. you can see the full test drive on our website, just logon to nbcbayarea.com. >> a little reminder and heads up before the newbridge opens, the current one will be shut down for five full days. the bridge will be closing at 8:00 p.m. on wednesday and stay closed through the labor day weekend. the new span will open up by 5:00 a.m. on tuesday, september 3rd. plenty of special guests will be on hand for the opening of that new eastern span of the bay bridge the day after labor day. governor jerry brown will not be one of them. he's said in the past he was looking forward to attending that big opening and all the celebration surrounding it. but after some problems including those broken bolts surfaced, the opening turned into a smaller ribbon cutting ceremony. now governor brown is expected

to be in michigan attending a family reunion over the labor day holiday. the mountain view public library is set to welcome authentic pieces of world history today. crew also start installing these two pieces of the berlin wall in front of the public library on franklin sleep. the slabs are moving from an office park owned by a frankfurt native who bought the pieces after the wall fell in 1989. the city is expected to place them in front of the public library. i've seen those up close and personal. very cool. >> they're huge, aren't they? >> yeah. ten feet tall. that's times two of me. >> maybe three or four. 4:39 right now. let's check in with christina loren to see what's happening outside. good morning. >> good morning to you. happy thursday. so close to the weekend now. we are going to get spoiled this weekend. the envy of the nation. what's happening is all that monsoonal moisture is moving north, headed out of here.

that means our fire threat has diminished overnight. we still have some lightning strikes just to our east, especially over the spine of the sierra nevada just like yesterday. most of the thunder and lightning will be well north of the bay area today. the chance will continue to decrease as we head throughout the next couple days. no red flag warnings. our first time this week waking up with no fire danger in the north bay when it comes to lightning strikes. of course, we still want to be on our best behavior because it's very dry out there. we've got plenty of fuel around the bay area. we've had very mild fire season for the past three years. 60 degrees in livermore. 59 in oakland. 63 degrees to kickoff the day in sunnyvale. at noon today temperatures are still going to be rather comfortable, even in livermore and antioch. warmest cities will be in the upper 70s to low 80s at noon. rounding out the day in the upper 80s. 84 in concord. temperatures nice and comfortable even in san

francisco, not too cool, not too hot at 63 degrees. i'll have your full forecast and show you those weekend numbers in just a few moments. first i want to look at your drive with mike inouye. >> looking to oakland right now. the coliseum past o.co looks just fine. you see the taillights, just a few of them, very light traffic through the nimitz. farther north on the maps you see it coming toward the coliseum out of downtown, we have the construction zone, every morning between 4:30 and 5:00 as they start to move crews around, we'll see the speeds slow down as they merge back into traffic and clear those lanes. it is late slow there. on the peninsula side, we have no slowing on the sensors, but southbound 101 approaching sierra point parkway heading toward candlestick. reports of a couple cars going 100 miles per hour and a crash off the roadway. they're investigating because some folks were seen walking along the shoulder. they may have actually walked

away from the crash. there's maybe another truck on the side. activity on the shoulder. no slowing past that scene. there's the san mateo bridge, registering slow on our sensors. very light traffic. no problems. >> no one going 100 miles per hour there. >> no. >> it is 4:42. still ahead syria's government response to allegations of using chemical weapons. what authorities are saying as reports on the death toll grow larger. >> i'm in the front office. he just went outside and started shooting. ooh, can i run? >> a terrified school clerk in georgia being called a hero. we'll let you know what she did when she came face to face with a gunman at that elementary school. always a good idea to check the i.d. badge. the new trick thieves are pulling off to swipe your belongings. [ female announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu at breakfast.

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good morning to you. welcome back. a live look at the south bay. that is san jose off in the distance. this shot reminds me of the land of oz. follow the yellow brick road. >> go see the wizard. >> it's 4:45. >> this morning syria's information minister denying allegations ha the government is behind the gassing and killing of hundreds of civilians.

the official calling the rebel's claims absurd, illogical and fabricated. death tolls vary, but one number claiming as high as 1,400. if that is confirmed, it would be the world's worst chemical attack in decades. the united nations secretary general right now calling for a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation into these allegations. former egyptian president hosni mubarak is expected to be released from prison today. the release order follow's mubarak's appeal on corruption charges. the 85-year-old will be placed under house arrest as he awaits a retrial for allegedly taking part in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that forced him from power. the new development could also fuel anger against the military-backed government after it removed his successor last month. u.s. treasury secretary jacob lieu will be in mountain

view to discuss the state of the u.s. economy, expected to address how the obama administration plans to accelerate growth, create more jobs and strengthen the middle class. he will be speaking at 1:00 this afternoon onshore line drive. for your news before the bell we turn things over to courtney reagan live at cnbc world headquarters. good morning, courtney. >> good morning to you. futures are higher after stocks fell wednesday after minutes from last month's fed meeting showed the central bank is ready to start pulling back on stimulus measures last year. they won't say when it will happen. we'll get data on new filings for unemployment claims. the dow dropped 105 yesterday closing below 15,000 to 14,897. that is a two-month low. the dow has had its worst six-day losing streak since may of last year. the nasdaq also slipped 13

points to 3,599. u.p.s. will start cutting health benefits for working spouses and thousands of employees next year partly due to higher costs from obama care. the change impacts 15,000 spouses who can get health coverage through their own jobs and not those of union employees who make up the bulk of u.p.s.'s workforce. still it could be a trend that we see continue which is worrisome for many families. >> courtney, thanks so much. 4:48. a trend in the bay area, warm temperatures. but i like that, keeps the skin moist. makes you feel healthy and want to get outside. more of the same? >> a man who appreciates his vitamin d. more of the same, but not too hot. 60 degrees in livermore to start the day. 23458 concord. good morning san francisco, you're starting at 59 degrees, heading towards a comfortable day in the city by the bay. temperatures about everywhere will feel very seasonable for

this time of year. the good muse is all the lightning and fire danger pressed well north of the bay area. for us today it will be a comfortable day. you'll notice the decrease in humidity. as we head through the next few days, the jet stream stays well to the north. the cool onshore flow carrying in that gore joj marine influence. as we head throughout the day today, we're expecting 87 in livermore, 86 in fairfield, 84 in concord. meanwhile a comfortable day in oakland, 76 along the east shore, 73 in fremont and 78 degrees in san jose. 84 meanwhile for gilroy, one of the warmest spots across the bay, hitting the mid 80s for today. as we get into the next few days, temperatures will climb a touch and we'll drop back off as we get to the all-important weekend. then temperatures level off for next week getting closer and closer to the official start of fall, september 21st, 26 days away at this point. lots of sunshine headed our way.

it's going to feel more like the bay area, guys, as we head throughout the next few days and all the way through next week getting a little break from that humidity. back to you. this morning we're hearing the tense moments from a 911 call at a georgia school where a gunman opened fire earlier this week. >> i'm in the front office. he just went outside and started shooting. ooh, can i run? >> can you get somewhere safe? >> yes. i got to go. he's going to see me running and come back. >> that's the voice of antoinette tuff, she came face-to-face with the shooter michael brandon hill. within minutes hill telling tuff he should have gone to the mental hospital instead of doing this, being shooting at the school. then he asked tuff to get on the intercom and tell the kids he's sore richlt she talked to the gunman trying to keep him cool and calm. >> it's going to be all right,

sweetheart. i just want you to know that i love you, though. okay. and i'm proud of you. that's a good thing that you've given up. we all go through something in life. >> she stayed on the 911 call for nearly 30 minutes and did a phenomenal job keeping the situation under control. finally convincing hill to lay his weapon down and surrender to police. fortunately nobody was injured. 4:51. oakland police are calling it an old crime with a new twist. this morning the department is warning everyone in the bay area to be on the lookout for fake utility workers. richard cameron and allan carden says a man dressed as a pg&e worker came to their home in the upscale crocker highlands neighborhood. the man said he was there to check the easement in the back yard for a neighborhood project. the homeowners say he was nice and professional. while he was in the back yard with them, another man was inside the home stealing $5,000 to $10,000 in jewelry and cash. they didn't realize they had

been robbed until the men were gone. >> we've lived here 45 years and always felt very secure, but now i don't know it will take if we ever get that back. >> talk about feeling violated. one suspect was wearing a hard hat and gloves while the other was wearing a tan fisher man-style hat. police say don't let anyone into your home without the proper identification. >> always have to be aware, shady and crafty criminals out there. a lot of dumb ones, but there are smart ones out there, too. >> lesson learned. >> the beard for sale. it might be true. we'll tell you why former giant closer brian wilson might be willing to part ways with that famous facial hair. >> as you're looking over here, flashing lights. folks still have the right lane closed as you're leaving the maze for 580 eastbound. other crews are causing more slow down on this through the tri-valley. we'll show you what's going on coming up.

just as i have a dream, my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. i have a dream today. >> still just incredibly inspiring, gives you chills, doesn't it? a monumental anniversary next week marking a critical moment in the civil rights movement. it's been nearly 50 years since

martin luther king, junior's march on washington, d.c. and that famous "i have a dream" speech. three days before dr. king made that historic speech, he appeared on nbc's "meet the press." >> well, i think that we must face the fact that in reality you cannot economic and political equality without having some form of social equality. >> this weekend nbc bay area will be re-airing that interview unedited in its entirety. watch our "meet the press" special edition "remembering the dream" on sunday morning at 7:30. you'll also find pretty amazing content on our website including historic videos and photos from that march as well as events commemorating the 50th anniversary on our website. go to nbcbayarea.com. >> what a great way to start it off sunday. >> brilliant. work getting up for. >> let's take a look at the roads. is it a brilliant commute out

there? >> a little shiny, clear on the roadways. looking at 880 through fremont. shine your lights there, pretty brilliant. we'll look at the map as well. for the south bay, no problems. we have one event at the sap center. we have a construction zone typical slowing toward the dublin interchange. might be more as you head toward foothill road on the other side of 680, but not a major problem. >> 4:57 right now. still ahead on "today in the bay," a family man and a loving father. we'll tell you what we're learning about the man gunned down in a triple shooting in a san jose restaurant. >> we'll get the latest on the fire burning out of control near yosemite including the strike force from the bay area heading out to help.

breaking her silence, kidnap

survivor hannah anderson speaks out about her ordeal and what led up to it. we'll have a preview of her exclusive conversation with nbc. the rim fire continues to grow near yosemite national park. more than 16,000 acres burned. more bay area firefighters going to help. i'm christie smith. an update coming up. i'm meteorologist christina loren. our fire danger has decreased substantially overnight. we're not going to see that humidity. dry pattern returns. that means the bay area will feel like the bay area today. i've got the weekend forecast. you're so close. that's coming up. changing conditions for two freeways coming off the maze, plus a new crash as you head through the tri-valley coming up. ript now, mike, a live look at the bay bridge, actually clear out there today. i'll take the liberty of calling this feel-good thursday because it's friday eve. it's thursday, august 22nd. this is "today in the bay." from nbc