temperatures sizzled. what some are doing to beat the heat, and what some are expecting for tomorrow. and efforts to fight back against gang violence complete bay area news coverage starts right now. this is bay area news at 7. >> good evening. it's tuesday, august. this is bay area news at 7. >> a well fire is burning at this hour near mount diablo state park. cal fire tells us it is spread across 150 acres. the fire broke out at 4 p.m. in the foothills east of mount diablo south of clayton. take a live picture of the scene. it's a relatively remote and rugged area, mostly grassland and california oaks. however, there are some oaks and outbuildings in the area that could be threatened. at this point, no structures have burned, and there are no

evacuation orders in place, but still cal fire says the blaze is burning out of control right now. air tankers and helicopters are fighting the fire as well as 600 firefighters on the ground. now, there is one piece of good news for the fire crews fire crews are being stationed at their homes in danger. an evacuation center has been set up at a local school. so far, the cause is unknown. the national weather service has a heat advisory in effect in the bay area until 8 p.m. tonight. in please aboutton student

athletes took frequent breaks to cool down during this morning's football practice. heat records broken all across the bay area, including san rafael, which hit 100 degrees. san francisco and oakland reached 98 degrees and 102 degrees in san jose. that's yet another record. many communities around the bay area opened cooling centers today to help people try to beat the heat. we're live in fremont with how people there are handling the hot weather. jenna. >> reporter: gasia, the fremont main library here is one of many of those designated cooling centers in the bay area, and they were very important today, as the temperatures went well over a hundred here and triple digits many -- with the hot blast of summer heat, children and their parents were trying to keep cool. >> we're hitting over a hundred for the first time this summer, which is great. been waiting for it for a long time.

we get some hot weather. >> the park in fremont had record attendance. as the temperatures rose into the triple digits. >> drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. >> reporter: staff reminded swimmers about the dangers of dehydration. >> we have gator aids and juices and waters. >> reporter: today's one-day heat advisory is not long enough to prompt most local counties to open most emergency shelters, but cooling centers across the region were open. at the fremont senior center, they were playing a little island music, as people came inside to cool off. >> from the park lot, it is warm, and then you come in here. >> i think it's very hard, but it's very cool yet. i want to have my shawl on. it's so cool inside here. >> reporter: staff said they had more seniors visit for lunch or just to stay cool. >> on a hot day like today, we'll end up with more people. they don't want to cook at home

or heat up their house at all. >> reporter: and physicians say staying cool is critical for the elderly, people with chronic illness or the young, vulnerable to dehydration or heat stroke. >> it can be critical. people have severe illness and death associated with the heat stroke. >> doctors say anyone who has as much as of heat illness, such as confusion, a rapid heartbeat, headaches or vomiting should get medical help immediately. now, the temperatures are supposed to cool down tomorrow. but many of the cooling centers plan to be open again for people. reporting live in free month, jane that katabiana. a power outage prompted the fire department to open a cooling center. it went out at the marin tower senior housing complex. about 150 seniors took advantage of the cooling center. the power was restored by 4 p.m. an unofficial thermometer nearby put the temperature in valeo at 107 degrees. now today's heat is leading

to major systemwide delays on bart. officials say that some track side equipment overheated, causing trains to be operated manually. trains running at least 20 minutes behind schedule. bart officials plan to hold a news conference to discuss the problem within the hour. keep in mind, you can find more coverage of the bay area heat spell, along with fire updates by clicking the hot weather tab when you get to our home page, ktvu.com. one person is in critical condition tonight, and four others are also hospitalized after they were hit by an out of control suv in san francisco. it happened after 9:30 this morning on san bruno avenue. police say the five people were standing in the shade waiting for a bus when they were hit by a ford explorer. officers say the 24-year-old driver told them her vehicle suddenly lost power and she lost control. investigators have impounded the suv and say they will be checking it for mechanical problems. >> this could take several weeks to several months, depending on what they find of the vehicle and what type of

tests or analyses need to be done. >> the driver not hurt. police say she was extremely distraught and is cooperating with their investigation. a runaway gravel truck smashed into a house in santa barbara this morning killing a couple and their 7-year-old son. the chp says a double tractor- trailer carrying 26 tons of gravel lost its brakes on highway 154 just before 7 a.m. officers say the truck collided with 4 other vehicles, then a renaled down a driveway into the cottage on state street. the truck driver suffered minor facial injuries. a young woman from san francisco was listed among 14 people killed today when a small plane crashed in nepal. eighteen-year-old kendra fallon among four killed. she was a graduate of st. ignatius prep. the remains of the victims were brought back from the crash scene 50 miles away. the plane on its way to a

popular hiking area 25 minutes away in the himalayas when it encountered bad weather and crashed. valeo police investigating their city's eighth homicide of the year. investigators say that police received a and call about multiple gunshots at a home on woodrow avenue just before 6 a.m. when officers arrived, they found the body of 39-year-old cory dunn inside an attached garage. investigators have not released a suspect description, and they say the motive for the crime is not own. law enforcement leaders gathered in oakland today for a summit on gang violence. oakland leaders said they would help. >> the start of a two-day gang summit. the top law enforcement officials in the region are taking part. but the motivation to reduce gang violence may be less about who you know than what you know. >> i read a story about her in the oakland tritium. she just laid in her bed one night in east oakland. a bullet came through the wall and killed her. >> reporter: shanice one of the

54 homicide victims in oakland this year. the rate is nine less than last year. it's a good start, but not good enough for some. federal, state and local law enforcement officials are attending the summit. the idea is to share programs that have worked, and then work together using them. and despite the recent improvements in oakland, the government's gang violence prevention chief says oakland is still the most dangerous city in the state. >> oakland has the highest homicide rate among california's largest cities. >> community groups working on gang intervention play an important role as well. >> we follow or try to get in the middle of the retaliation, one of the most common things which we identify to stick with. you can count on pretty much the retaliation factor. >> he estimates that 80 to 90% of the homicides in oakland are motivated by retaliation. whatever the reason, the chief says he won't use it as a reason to stop trying. >> in a modern contemporary city, there is no excuse for

the amount of lives lost in the city. >> reporter: after hearing the chief speak, no one can reasonably question his heart. there is a question whether he or anyone else can stop the killing completely. in oakland, craig debro, ktvu, channel 2 action news. law enforcement officials say last week's drug bust in gilroy has broken up one of the largest mexican drug operations in the united states. the sacramento sheriff's department today laid out some of the 637 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine seized last thursday. they estimated the street value to be more than $200 million. eight mexican nationals are in custody. officers say it took more than a year of investigating to infiltrate the san francisco based gang. districts are looking at new ways to curb truancy. officials say a hundred students are true want on an average school day. the city says it will enforce a daytime curfew for norse. police plan to take true wants to centers where they'll be supervised and counseled.

the student and his or her legal guardian will be required to attend a hearing, and chronic offenders will fines. mayor gavin newsome delivered signs for merchants to post in their stores saying they support tarp, the truancy assessment and resource center. it's a drop-in facility that connects students and school counselors among others to help students stay in school. california lost out on $700 million in federal funding for schools. nine states did cash in today on $4 billion for the race to the top competition, but california was not one of them. san francisco unified wrote an application that district leaders say would have provided leaders millions at a time when the state budget crisis is causing a serious cash crunch. >> we're disappointing we weren't one of the states selected in this round. >> but the teachers' union says that race to the top wouldn't

have provided much money to help out the lowest-performing schools and would have required the district to take actions, such as firing principals and shutting down schools. massachusetts received the top score in the competition, along with $250 million. a state appeals court today ruled that san francisco supervisor mckayla aliota pier is not eligible to run for another four-year term. she already served almost 7 years. back in 2004 she was appointed to the seat vacated by gavin newsome when he went to the mayor's office. the charter limits supervisors to two successive four-year terms, but she argues that she has technically served only one four-year term and is eligible to run again. she is expected to ask the state supreme court to take up this case. there's been an apparently break-in at the home of  celebrity paris hilton. coming up on bay area news at 7, how the heiress herself played the role of journalist. >> housing sales in america seem to have hit a major league

stall. i'm consumer editor tom bakar. the story still ahead. and the hottest day of the year so far. temperatures in the triple digits, plenty of records. when will it cool off? >> droiiiid.

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putting you at the center of your own world wide web. introducing the new droid x. the next generation of does. happened at her home in a gated community in sherman oaks. the hotel heiress posted this photo on twitter showing officers arresting the man. she wrote the man was carrying two big knives, but police did not say whether he was armed. his name has not been released. a san francisco man pled not guilty today to charges that he forged more than 100 construction documents over some 20 years.

56-year-old jimmy jan entered pleads to 252 counts. homeowners said they would hire him to get permits for their project. they say, between 1990, and twin, he forged the signatures and stamps of engineers on more than 100 san francisco construction projects. jan is being hell on $10 million bail. the nation's staggering economy took another hit today, a sharp drop in home sales was reported by the national association of realtors. it said sales of preexisting homes were down 27% last month from just a month before. if you're hell -- >> consumer editor tom bakar has our story. >> reporter: the cost tinos have a beautiful home, a slice of heaven in heavenly moran. but, says daughter dana, it's been for sale says the fall of last year -- >> we'll have to wait again through this winter until the

springtime for it to be back on the market. >> reporter: the price for the home has already been cut twice. >> it's been really difficult, because they can't sell it for less, because then the money they have left over to live in the area, even up until santa rose is a won't be enough. >> reporter: there are homes for sale everywhere in marin, one of the most desirable places to live. >> inventory levels have skyrocketed to 12 and a half months' worth of inventory when 5 and a half to six months of inventory is more like what we would like to see. >> reporter: the highest level in more than a decade, though interest rates are at record lows. >> interest rates could be zero, and people will not buy homes if they don't have jobs. they will not buy homes if they don't feel that their jobs are stable and secure. >> reporter: besides sellers having to become more realistic about what their property is really worth, banks are going to have to be more realistic about who they're going to finance, and most importantly,

the country has just got to start creating jobs. otherwise the stall could last indefinitely. i'm consumer editor tom bakar, ktvu 2 news. the dow briefly dropped below the 10,000 mark today. it recovered slightly, but still fell some 134 points for the day. nasdaq lost almost 36. the state fire marshal ordered one-third of the gas stations in california to remove gas pump clips that may be hazardous. they are on the gas pump hands. they allow drivers to insert the nozzles and walk away. the fire marshal says if the nozzle falls out, it can spew gas. the stations have until october 15th to comply or they can have station employees pump the gas. a group of state attorneys general is calling on craig's list to stop carrying adult ads. they say the ads are rampant on that part of the site. california attorney general jerry brown is not one of the

17 signers. in a statement, san francisco based craig's list says it supports efforts to fight exploitation. in may of 2009, craig's list began screening each ad before it's published in the adult services section. a new ucla study indicates the percentage of californiaens without health care insurance is rising sharply. researchers say, with the bad economy and more californians losing their jobs, more and more are losing their health coverage. the study indicates that while all counties saw an increase in the percentage of uninsured last year, the bay area fared better than most. but still in 37 of california's 58 counties, at least one resident in four had no health insurance for some period last year. the signals that count down the seconds to make it easier for pedestrians to get across a busy street safely are in question. the question is how much time does a pedestrian need there or at any traffic light. new standards are changing things, and the changes could act motorists.

our mary nailer reports. >> reporter: the next time you hit a crosswalk button, you could be getting more time to cross the street. california is in the process of changing lights at crosswalks to follow new federal guidelines. >> if we had more time, it would be excellent, because you almost feel like your life is -- [ laughter ] -- at stake if you don't get across in the required length of time. >> most san jose intersections have been updated. the busy crosswalk between valley fair and santana road won't change until later this year. >> it would be nice if it is longer to get across, because for some of us we don't walk as fast. >> reporter: the new guidelines slow the walking speed. longer green lights for pedestrians mean lengthier red lights for drivers. >> i have to say i feel like red lights are already long enough as they are. >> reporter: transportation officials say drivers will see a 12% increase in waiting time at red lights, which cater to the slowest pedestrians. >> many times drivers are

sitting at red lights looking around, saying, "what am i waiting for?" if you look down the street, you see a pedestrian who finished crossing 10 or 15. >> maureen nailer reporting. we will update you on tonight's big story, a wildfire burning. meteorologist phil martin has the story for you. you can watch bay area news at 7 on your computer, streaming live on the internet at ktvu.com. [ male announcer when meg whitman arrived at ebay,

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eventually captured and died during a concentration camp.

in her diary, she wrote the tree gave her hope that the world be okay. officials say the sapling is now 6 inches tall and will be planted near the holocaust memorial. turning to weather, where bill martin is here to talk to us not only about today's intense heat, but what's in store for tomorrow. >> it was hot, record highs throughout the region. currently it's hot outside. take a peek and show you what we have. we have temperatures in the 90s and the low 100s in someplace. 94 in san jose. look at the records we had today significant, santa rosa, 106 degrees. san francisco downtown was 98 degrees. a number of records throughout the region. it will still be hot inland. these are the highs from today. highs tomorrow are going to come down a good 5, 10 degrees inland, and then, along the coast, they're going to come down as much as 20 degrees. the high pressure center has been with us the last two days,

intensifying today. it was the hottest day today, and now, with this familiar character, this low pressure as we've seen all summer, parking itself against the coast, a cool trend into the week. wednesday, cool. thursday, friday, cooler. interesting pat earn. this will be the main feature. we may even see some showers north of the bay area from the system. so tomorrow when you wake up, not 50s, but 60s, maybe 70s in some of the warmest locations. it will be warm overnight. daytime highs tomorrow, see the whites? those are in the hundreds. you'll be looking at lots of hundreds still inland, but much cooler coast side. there's your 60s. the fog will nudge in. as it does we'll look for temperatures to come down. it will still be hot in the inland location. a hundred degrees in fairfield, 100 in livermore, 101 in about i don't care. the forecast highs, a little cooler than today, and much cooler at the bay, immediate

bay at at the coastal sections, so temperatures definitely coming down. 84 in zambruuo. your five-day forecast is one of a cooling nature. today was the hottest day. the hottest day of the year, hottest day of the summer. tomorrow, cooler, but still very hot inland, and then cooler still as we head through time into next week. gasia? thank you bill. >> before we go this evening, we'd like to bring you the latest on a wildfire burning at the park. we have updated information. cal fire has increased the burn in the fire, now putting the number at 250 acres. the fires burning in the foothills in the east out of mount diablo, 8 miles south of clayton. the blaze is 5% contained. there are homes, trailers and ravrmgs in the area; but at this point, no evacuation. 600 to 700 firefighters along with air tankers and helicopters are on the scene. cal fire says the cause of the fire is still under

investigation. that is our report for tonight. i'm gasia. our coverage includes online at ktvu online and tonight's 10:00 news over on ktvu channel 2.