You know, that can quickly turn dangerous in a number of situations from elevated fire danger to potential for heat exhaustion. We have to make sure were looking out for each other and the current view of San Francisco, i like the one you had better earlier, a beautiful shot of the sunrise. Current temperatures right now in the 60s and the 70s already. In San Francisco, 71 degrees. To give you an idea how much warmer we are than yesterday, San Francisco is running ten degrees warmer compared to the past 24 hours. Palo alto 11. What are we monitoring for today . That excessive heat warning is in effect and inland valleys can see temperatures from 100 to 110. The potential for 115degree weather in through the interior valleys, even bay side temperatures will be 85 to 98 degrees. For San Francisco and the coast we could be climbing into the 80s there as well. And now were all still going to be looking out for the potential for an offshore wind event heading into monday. That will bring elevated fire danger and a fire weather watch is also going to be in effect. The north bay mountains and east bay hills. Ill talk more about that in my full forecast in just a few minutes. Because of this recordbreaking heat vianey was talking about this Labor Day Weekend, we are tracking the chance of rolling blackouts because of strain on the state power grid. That all has to do with the heat. But this coming week pg e is warning people they might lose power as the utility tries to prevent its equipment from failing and starting a wildfire. Today in the bays s report from the National Weather service of the creek fire plume as it explodes near schaefhaves. The weather conditions are promoting big plume development. Reporter professor Craig Clements is closely monitoring the conditions there. The creek fire may be burning several counties away near fresno but concerns starting monday here in the bay area. People should be ready for the Public Safety power shutoff events because as this forecast verifies and we do have strong winds, we should expect psps events. We are monitoring the possibility of a psps within our service area due to these conditions and we want our customers to have a plan. Reporter pg e has put customers in 17 counties on 48hour notice to prepare for the possibility of power shutoffs. The reason, to prevent pg e equipment from potentially starting a wildfire. Those outages could happen on tuesday or wednesday, all bay area counties except San Francisco could be impacted as of now. Pg e faced criticism for previous power shutoffs but the utility says people wont be in the dark as long this time around. In Alameda County fire crews are on patrol all weekend. Extra personnel, fire trucks, and even a dozer are on Rapid Response duty because of the heat. Sergio quintana, nbc bay area news. So take a look at this usage map from cal iso, the independent system operator. It shows just how much power the state used throughout the day yesterday. You can see the usage peaked around 5 30 last evening. Again, we are under a flex alert today from 3 00 p. M. To 9 00 p. M. People are urged to conserve energy between those hours even though they tend to be the hottest hours by using fewer appliances, fans instead of ac, and keeping lights off, things like that. Sergio mentioned the creek fire burning near fresno. It grew over just the course of a few hours yesterday and really surprised people. We have video showing firefighters from santa rosa getting ready to deploy on their way to support those crews east of fresno and merced. We have a look at where the creek fire is burning near shaver and Huntington Lake in the Sierra National forest south of yosemite. That area this weekend packed with people celebrating Labor Day Weekend. On the left of your screen is new time lapse video of the flames. More than 36,000 acres burned yesterday alone. The fire expanded so quickly about 150 people were trapped near mammoth pool reservoir. As of last night military helicopters flew in rescuing dozens of people. The Mission Remains ongoing. And this incredible video shows this car full of people from the bay area narrowly escaping the flames of that fire, the creek fire. They had to drive through the Sierra National forest to get out. That area, of course, popular with campers, rock packed this Holiday Weekend as i mentioned. Flames on both sides of the car. Fortunately, miraculously, they were able to get out safely. I want to take you south to san ber di bernardino county. These are images from our nbc station in los angeles. More than 3,000 homes are under mandatory evacuation order. The fire is burning east of san bernardino. Its already scorched more than 1,500 acres. And even further south in San Diego County the valley fire has triggered evacuation warnings and knocked out power to thousands of customers. The fire has burned at least 1,500 acres since it ignited around 3 00 yesterday afternoon. This is burning near alpine. Its in the mountains east of san diego. Closer to home firefighters are gaining ground on all those fires burning here. The lnu complex fire in the north bay is now 89 contained. The czu complex burning along the coast at 64 containment and the woodward fire burning at point reyes is now 85 contained. Thanks to all those heroes. Its not just the heat and the fires the bay area is dealing with. Air quality has been an issue the last several weeks. This is a look at the haze in the sky last night. It made for beautiful sunsets, but its a dangerous sight and a reminder to limit your time outdoors. Well, despite these scorching temperatures and record breaking spare the air streaks, people in the east bay, for one, are still trying to make the most of their Holiday Weekend and businesses are responding. More now from today in the bays ginger saab. Reporter stay indoors and come out as the sun goes down. That was this familys strategy to beat the scorching triple digit heat and things are only expected to get worse with temperatures that could cross 110 degrees. Try to get some ice cream, the line was too long. Oh, no. I think were just going to head back home. Reporter the family wasnt alone in deciding to head outdoors much later in the day. She forced me. Reporter this couple did the same to get a cool treat. They are the customers businesses on main street are trying to welcome back in the midst of covid and recent fires that took a big toll on businesses in the area. To help accommodate customers that might not want to come out during the midday heat, this restaurant is keeping their hours flexible and getting creative. We do cocktails, events from time to time. Live music generally brings people out. They have been stuck at home. Reporter they are relieved that people are still open to dining outdoors. I think people are still conscious of it. I think its because its so much better than it was a couple weeks ago. That people are now willing to downtown pleasanton. Be outside with this dangerous heat many, of course, turn to bay area beaches. Some popular beaches were closed because of coronavirus concerns which made those that were open more packed. In pacifica visitors were met with closed parking lots and very limited options of anything else to do in town. Many locals tell us they support the effort to keep tourists away. We dont want the covid, right. I dont want the covid. Im 70, 71. I dont want it. A short drive away in half moon bay, the complete opposite. Parking lots, both shoulders of the highway packed with cars. Despite the crowds most people were keeping that sixfoot distance and many had masks on. We will continue to follow the latest on this heat wave, the record breaking temperature, potential power shutoff. Our website is the best resource as things change rapidly. Just head over to nbcbayarea. Com. Now to our coronavirus coverage, Health Officials statewide are worried about a spike in cases this Holiday Weekend as people get out and mingle. You can see on this graph we saw something similar over the fourth of july. Take a look. The july 4th, 8,500 new cases added just that day alone then jumped to a little more than two weeks later on july 21st more than 12,000 cases. You can see thats one of our records for the most infections added in one day. We havent seen Something Like that since midaugust. In just the last 36 hours 5,000 new cases reported. If cases continue to climb, so, too, will our positivity rate, the number of californians testing positive for covid19. It was just 4. 8 yesterday. You can see thats the lowest its been since june. Some good news there. Governor gavin newsom says its important to keep this number low, though, as we get out this Holiday Weekend. In other news now a standoff between a Santa Clara Church and the county. At issue is reopening for church services. North Valley Baptist Church is facing more than 52,000 in fines from the county because it continues to hold indoor church services. Today another service is planned for 10 30 a. M. The pastor tells us he will continue to do so and tells us that all other precautions are being followed. However, video of some of the Services Show not everyone is wearing a mask nor staying six feet apart from members of other households. They say they are pursuing Legal Options against the county. The county plans to continue issuing more fines. At 7 11 on your sunday more, much more ahead on today in the bay. One east bay hot spot is causing concern. This one familiar place Health Officials do not want you to go to reporter people are getting stacks of unexpected letters and debit cards from the state Unemployment Office. Im consumer investigator chris chmura. We investigate next. Welcome back. Is this just a surreal look outside, a gorgeous look down the bay from coyote point in san mateo thanks to our boy norbert for getting this gorgeous shot. I think ive known norbert for like 13 years. Thanks for waking up with us. Vianey arana has your forecast in just a few minutes. Boy, the gorgeous looks. Nbc bay area responds to families getting mail and money that could be yours. Theyre getting dozens of envelopes from the state Unemployment Office addressed to people who dont live there. Some with jobless benefits money inside. Lets turn to investigator chris chmura. Reporter we dont know for sure whats happening here. What we do know these families in brentwood and oakland who reached out to us are not alone. Its the same story for marco and sandy. Opened the mailbox, theres eight of them. Reporter and poloma. Theres 83. I would guess 200 altogether. Reporter all at one address . Correct. Reporter people all over the state are getting piles of unsolicited and unexpected envelopes from the Employment Development department, edd. Had anybody in your house filed for unemployment . Was anybody actually expecting a letter . No. Were selfemployed. Reporter everyone said they got envelopes for multiple people they didnt know. In the case of marco in oakland theres no way his stack is for a previous tenant. We bought the house when it was built. Nobody else lived here before us. Reporter all the letters are labelled time sensitive or urgent. Some contain debit cards loaded with unemployment benefits. Six debit cards. Reporter likely hundreds of dollars or more on each one. We researched the names, some check out and appear real. Others are unclear. So whats happening here . Some crazy clerical error on the part of edd. Reporter or is it Something Else maybe . It might be fraud, i dont know. Reporter we found a loose yet common thread. Several people who got letters had recently advertised their homes for rent or sale. Scammers are known to use unattended mailboxes for fraud. They bill beinged the irs with the tax particular and sent 46 million in bogus tax refunds to a single address in georgia where the scammers picked up the mail and the checks. Are these stacks evidence of crooks pulling the same scam with edd . The agency told us its investigators are working with local, state, and federal partners in Law Enforcement on a fraud investigation. Edd declined our request for an interview. It said its developing methods to stop and prevent such claims from being paid and prosecuting unscoupe l unscrupulous offenders. The return address is a tennessee p. O. Box for bank of america which manages the states unemployment debit cards. Does boa alert the state . A spokesperson declined to comment. The hot potato nobody wanted to embrace, right . Reporter Assembly Member tom lackey and others are calling for an emergency edd audit. To think these are single incidence is laughable. These other options are failing, and the people deserve better. Reporter Governor Newsom deployed five new people to edd to address the letters, though its not clear what theyre doing. I shouldnt just have these in my house. And i believe more will come. We are just curious to know what to do. Reporter we asked edd. There are two steps to turn in a stack of letters and debit cards. First, call the agency fraud line 18002296297. Then mail the pile to edd, thats the address on your screen right now. Weve added it to our website, nbcbayarea. Com responds. Wow. All right, back now to our continuing coverage of the record breaking heat this weekend at oaklands lake merritt. A lot of concern over potential weekend. But yesterday what we saw was calm. Most people appeared to be social distancing. Got to get out with the pandemic and the restrictions. Like going outside is really the only thing to do. You cant go inside. So, yes, i think a lot of people are spending more time outside as a result. Well, the city, as weve been telling you since the beginning of covid, has cracked down on parking and vendors at lake merritt to help control the crowds. All right. Now its time for the longawaited checkin with vianey arana with a look at this microclimate weather alert. So much heat. Take it away, girl. I hope you have some sort of good news in there. You know, i wish i did. The only good news at least it will be sunny. People enjoy the sunshine. Unfortunately, today we are on tap for the hottest day of this heat wave. Lets get right to the forecast. 72 degrees already. Its not even 8 00 a. M. Yet. And in san jose, 69 degrees. Overall yesterday we managed to hit three new records in napa, gilroy and king city. Napa a high of 102 beating the previous record of 100. Gilroy, 106. Now the San Francisco airport yesterdays high was 93. One degree away from 94 in 2004. San jose a high of 98. That is nothing compared to what youre going to see today. I know it sounds crazy. Air quality, spare the air alert was extended until tomorrow. Right now were seeing unhealthy air quality from the east bay down to the south bay. The north bay were still seeing moderate conditions there. That can change as these wildfires around, especially the new one in fresno county, continues to develop which could mean more smoke. Keep your windows closed. That will be your best bet. What is bringing all this heat . This High Pressure, dry air mass is lowering our humidities. Efct cruz coastline, by the way, inland valleys 100 to 110. Just how hot will we be . Lets get right to the temperatures. Well be in the 80s in some areas and then by 11 00 a. M. , i like to tell people to do any Outdoor Activity and take your dog on a walk early. By 11 00 a. M. Concord, danville, livermore will be at 9597 degrees. Even down through the south bay, 92 in san jose. And check out what some of the models are showing us. Danville 112. Livermore 115. Antioch 111. Concord 113. Again, if this pans out, this could be potentially one of the hottest days weve seen ever for the month of september. Now this is not even just here. Southern california has been seeing record highs as well. The next story are the chances for increase into monday. For the east bay hills and the north bay mountains starting tomorrow evening through wednesday because of the foods for gusty conditions. 30plus miles an hour. Gusty winds brings extreme elevated fire danger. I would not be surprised if that turned into a danger starting tomorrow. Vianey, thank you for that breakdown. It is 7 22. Much more ahead on today in the bay. Coming up some good news. Paying back a promise made decades ago. How one act of kindness led to a Global Campaign to help the homeless next. Coronavirus has brought job loss and a lot of uncertainty which includes donations to charities that we lie on it. Today in the bays Garvin Thomas shares one mans journey that has the rest of the world sending help here to the bay area. Ill just show you what the finished classroom looks like. Reporter from a seat at his Kitchen Table in livermore Robert Freeman leads an organization that has improved the lives of thousands around the world. Thats what the old classroom looks like. Thats the new one. Reporter its the legacy, he says, of someone who decades ago improved his life. When i was a teenager junior year in high school my parents divorced. Mother went here, father went there. Mother said you liveit him. Father said you eed up falling the cracks. Reporter when robert started showing up to school disheveled and his grades began to drop, it was his chemistry teacher who put two and two together. And she figured it out and said youre going to sleep on my couch. And i still get choked up about that. Reporter robert promised her when he made it, hed repay the kindness. We have a lot to go over. Reporter he did just that in 2000, leaving his job as a tech e