live from studio 3-c in rockefeller center, this is "news4 new york." welcome back. >> we would like to get you caught up on a story we've been following all day long. a deadly plane crash on long island. one person is dead, another person survived. you can imagine what ran through witness' minds as they watched all of this unfold. this is in bethpage. checkey has the latest. >> reporter: good news for lirr commuters. service is fully restored here. crews worked throughout the day

to fix damage done to the tracks after the plane crashed down earlier today. the aircraft was flying from westhampton beach to morristown, new jersey when officials say it experienced engine trouble. the crash killed the pilot and injured a passenger. witnesses say they saw the plane in distress. >> especially when they pulled the person out, there was still someone outside, but there was no way to get the other person out. >> reporter: the crash caused service to be suspended for most of the day, but it is now back up to full service. the crash is under investigation by the faa and ntsb. the ntsb is wrapping up its preliminary investigatioio of a plane crash in new jersey. officials expect to remove the cessna from the scene by tomorrow.

the 50-year-old pilot was killed when this plane went down in west caldwell yesterday. investigators are looking at the fuel system as a possible cause. this heat is not going away. hey, steve. >> yeah, it will be a very warm and humid week across the tristate area. tomorrow, we're back in the 90s. today, we were in the 90s. yesterday we were in the 90s. so that means tomorrow could be the first official heat wave of the summer. at least in the city. so with that said, 93 the high today in midtown. 93 in morristown. 93 in bridgewater. a little cooler for coastal areas because of the southerly winds bringing in slightly cooler ocean air. right now, it's very warm outside. 82 degrees in the city. most of our suburbs are in the 70s, except morristown coming in at 68.

tomorrow morning, mid 70s. once again, back into the 90s. can't rule out a spot storm here or there as we head into the afternoon now. when do we cool down? we'll talk about it coming up. >> thank you. track the heat in the days ahead with our weather app. sit in the apple app store now. nerves are rattled as more than 100 large wildfires are threatening homes in at least eight states tonight. every ederal firefighter in the country is on call standing by to fight the planes. >> reporter: a small resort town surrounded by fire and residents are traumatized. >> it was heartbreaking. i mean, i'm standing in my backyard. i'm looking at this whole hillside, and people that we know and love, i'm getting phone

calls from people saying, can you see if my house is on fire? >> reporter: the battle to protect homes in washington is fierce. the national guard called in to make water drops after thousands were forced to evacuate. but so far, only 50 to 100 homes and buildings are believed to have been destroyed. >> hard to see this. >> reporter: all that's left of this house is its chimney and foundation and families like this one trying to find what's most important to this one. >> trying to look for my mom's wedding band. >> reporter: the fire has burned a local economy to its core where building after building of one of the nation's largest food cooperatives is in ruins. here along the fire lines, they are gaining some progress. when the fire went through, it moved through too fast. but today, they are gaining ground. across the west, over 100 large fires are burning out of control, triggering a level five alert for firefighters across the country, the highest alert possible. meaning all federal and some

state firefighters are on call, bringing up more resources like this state of the art 747 super tanker, now standing by in colorado. in oregon, dozens of homes are gone, and families are reeling from their loss. >> it hurts, you know? you wouldn't think it hurts so much but it does. >> reporter: idaho is experiencing massive firestorms burning over 250,000 acres. and california has dozens of fire. but for many, the damage to homes and livelihood is already done. >> that was gaddi sh schwartz reporting. watch the "today" show tomorrow morning for the latest. a 2-year-old girl has been identified as one of the victims of a deadly accident in yorktown. police say the toddler was a passenger in the suv that went airborne and landed in front of oncoming traffic. this was yesterday. two brooklyn residents were also killed in this crash.

one other person remains in critical condition tonight. the first human case of west nile this season is being reported by the city's health department. a brooklyn man was hospitalized with viral meningitis. queens is said to have a high mosquito population and in light of this case, many neighborhood also be sprayed tomorrow night through tuesday. new york city taxi cubs are fed up with companies like uber and lift. they rallied in lower manhattan this morning. cabbies want the taxi and limousine commission to regulate ride services the same way it does the taxi companies. drivers say there's a double standard that creates unfair competition. >> if they come, let them have the same policy. >> last month, the city and uber

agreed to a four-month study on the impact of uber cars in traffic. connecticut drivers expect long lines at the dmv on tuesday. the department of motor vehicles is reopening after a week-long mayor computer upgrade. the dmv asked commissioners to ask drivers to be patient. >> you always need your patience at the dmv. i would go and spend all day there if i could. still ahead on "news4 new york," hazardous equipment at new york city play grounds. why the neighborhood you lived in would determine how quickly these things get repaired. what the i.t. discovered, up next.

broken swings, jungle gyms and cracked black top. is new york city falling behind on fixing public parks? >> it could put you and your kid's safety at risk. >> reporter: the i-team obtained a list of thousands of city parks work orders.

in it, we found it often takes months, even more than a year to fix serious play ground problems. how about 477 days and counting to fix cracks in the pavement that could twist an ankle? just try and follow a 5-year-old, darting and dancing across brooklyn's play grounds. his little feet are hard to keep up with, but look closer at the ground he's playing on. >> i got it. >> reporter: cracks, crevices, and puckers in the pavement zigzag this park, and the city has known about the trip hazards. there was a work order to fix them for more than 477 days. >> if they know about them, shame on them for not taking care of them. >> reporter: the trip hazards are on a list of work orders that have taken four months or more to close, even know they

were labeled "ia," immediate attention. also, sharp metal at the tops offenses. earlier this year, scott stringer issued a claims stat report showing a 53% increase over the last decade in play ground related lawsuits against new york city. the claims, often over trip hazards and broken jungle gyms, cost over $20 million in settlements and judgments. >> it's clear there's a problem with the parks department maintaining our play grounds. >> reporter: do you think this data represents a problem? >> i think it represents a problem in the sense that we need to tighten up our internal processes. >> reporter: the deputy parks commissioner told us the work order backlog may look worse than it is because of data entry delays. often repairs are made but no one enters them.

cavanaugh says the cracked black top in brooklyn and sharp fences in queens were fixed within 30 days. the images the i-team took he says may be new problems. >> you can make repairs on fencing and come back a month later and have to make the same repair. there's not a lot to do to restore black stop. >> reporter: jeffrey croft runs nyc park advocates. he's concerned neighbor play grounds may be getting less attention than the city's marquee parks, just two of the 3200 work orders analyzed by the i-team involve central park. central park is maintained by a nonprofit funded largely by wealthy donors. >> there's a huge disparity. the public, for the most part, they put up with things.

it's the saddest thing to see grass growing up through concrete. >> reporter: the parks department says the hickman play ground with the cracks is scheduled for a full renovation starting this coming week. also city hall says in the last 12 months, 35 parks in low income neighborhoods have been renovated. but in his mayoral campaign, bill de blasio supported a much more ambitious plan, to require the operator of parks to contribute 20% of their budgets to fix up parks in poor neighborhoods. city hall is no longer expressing support for that idea. if you have something that you think the i-team should look into, give us a call at the number on your screen. still much more ahead tonight. >> she's been telling you to watch the closing doors for years. but now the voice of the four, five, and six trains could soon be silent.

and steve is coming up next with a very hot forecast for the start of your workweek. stay tuned.

do you remember these shots out of seaside heights of superstorm sandy's wrath? tonight, the owners of the pier have received the okay to rebuild nearly three years later. the 226 x 226 foot section of the pier will be built. this is the spot why the jet star roller coaster plunged into the ocean when sandy hit. we all remember that shot. >> so we've all heard of those subway announcements, stand clear of the closing door. ever wonder who the voice is? >> she's a long-time worker here

at the peacock network. here's the face of that familiar voice. >> hi there, from the plaza. this is the best of "today." >> people ask me why they know my voice. they think they know me from television. >> reporter: she's not on tv with the crowds. so you may know jessica eddinger from the radio. >> i am the "today" show radio anchor. in 30 million cars across the u.s. and canada. >> reporter: or a more familiar place, underground. >> i love being the voice of the four, five, and six trains. it's been very weird. >> the next stop is, 86th street pr. >> that was me. >> reporter: now, 15 years after

she lent the nta her voice -- >> they had me record the next stop is, once. and i recorded all the names of the stops. >> reporter: her announcement days could be numbered. >> transfer is available o the four and five trains. >> reporter: as they consider shorter messages like this. >> to local to the bronx. rep fter: to save time. >> my kids are 9. they've heard me. lit be okay if it goes away. >> reporter: new yorkers are just as stunned to meet the face behind the voice. >> reallyo >> it's amazing that her pretty voice matches her pretty face. >> reporter: as her pals at nbc -- did you know she's the ol ice of the six train? >> next stop is, grand central. >> oh, my gosh. >> and it's still using your voice. >> i know, right? >> come on. >> reporter: a gift even her colleagues didn't know she gave.

andrew sift, "news4 new york." >> she needs a better agent. [ laughter ] >> i've heard that voice so many times, i didn't recognize it. >> it's cool. >> very cool. all right, stevie, what you got for us? >> i definitely have some hot weather over the next couple of days. it was hot today, it was hot yesterday. and tomorrow the trend continues. we're back in the 90sntomorrow. but first, let's talk about the tropics. very quiet so far this season, these in the atlantic. but there is a cluster of thunderstorms that may become a tropical system over the next couple of days. this is the system right here, located a few hundred miles southwest of the cape verde islands. now, some computer models are taking this system and pushing itoo towards the lesser antilles over the next couple of days and if it becomes a tropical system, its name will be danny. thht's something we'll watch over the next few. otherwise, we could have the first heat wave o the summer,

at least in new york city this season. tomorrow, we could be in the 90s once again. we're forecasting a high of 93 degrees. that will make 90 degree days three in a row. inul the middle of the week, not as hot but still very humid. so even though we're in the middle 80s, it will feel more like the 90s when you factor in the humidity and come the e d of the week, a cool front approaches. we'll see some thunderstorms and as we head into next weekend. right now, it's so warm outside. 81 right now in queens. 82 central prk. everybody else for the most part in the 70s. generally clear on the satellite image. a big bubble of high pressure sitting on top of us. as a result, it is very hot andd humid. but this high wtll start to weaken over the next couple of days. as a result, it won't be as ot come the middle of the week, but

we'll continue to see a southerly flow. heading to t he beach tomorrow, temperatures will be in the upper 80s. mid to upper 80s in long island. and watch out for those rip currents once again tomorrow. we have a moderate chance of seeing those rip currents. otherwise, mainly sunny, 93 degrees. can't rule out a hower here or there. 87 on wednesday, and thursday. come the middle of the week, mid 80s, but so humid lit feel like the low 90s. that's he forecast. stay cool. back to you. >> thanks so much. we're coming back, but here's bruce with a look at what's ahead. coming up, we're going to talk some baseball. yankees and mets in first plac crdo we have anything to complain about. >> august 17th, the mets are in first by 4 1/2. the yankees slow down that big blue train the toronto blue jays. carlos beltran, a big three-run home run.

>> dare i say subway series? we're also talking jets football coming up on "sports final.".we'l l see you then.

it was a runaway at the weekend box office with "straight out of compton" taking the top spot. >> what up? i got something to say. >> the film tells the story of the rap group mwa and its members, include

ing ice cube and dr. dre. it earned more than $56 million in its debut weekend. "mission impossible" was second and "the man from uncle" rounded out the top three with $13.5 million in its first week. >> all right. that's it for news 4 new york, anoday in new york" starts at 4:30. >> she'll be wearing a different dress. >> bruce, take it away. >> thank you very much, a snd hello again, everyone. welcome to the show. what a wildoueek for the yankees and mets. though nothing ln'e the week for the jets. we'll talk about all that in the next half hour. and there's a new man of the hour in professional golf.nwith that, let's get the tonight's "sports final" he dlines. sunburned. carlos beltran loses a balluln the sun, and it sparke a big inning for the blue jays.

the yankees lose 3-1. their lead in the a.l. east is down to half a game. it's the pirates that roll to an 8-1 victory at citi field and sweep away the mets thanks to sloppy play. they still rule the division by 4 1/2 games over the nationals. seize the day. jason day captures his first career major at the pga championship in whistling straits. his total of 20 under par is the lo cwest score in the history of the majors. so the weekend is over and the yankees andets are still in first place. while the nfl preseason is off and running, this town is buzzing with baseball, with an eye on october. and joining me right now to break it all down is dan of mlb network who pitched for six teams during a 18-year big league career. he's now a terrific analyst for mlb tonight. nice to have you finally.

>> big weekend. new york baseball, right? >> i think the big word with the yankees is, they showed some resolve. >> the biggest hit of the year, friday night, the beltran three-run homer. if they lost that game going into the friday game, they're losing 3-1. i think the blue jays win the next two. the biggest hit so far of the year, that beltran home run. >> so the yankees in first place, they could have been 3 1/2 back. they might have been seven games back by the end of this week if according to you. >> no question about it. but i think you take a look at the standings right now, bruce, it's a two-team race. one of these teams are going to have to win the division. i'm not sure either one is going to look at this wild card. the talk of baseball of the adeshe. but i think the yankees