Everyone who goes to their prom remembers it for the rest of their lives. Students who attend the Miami Senior High School prom next Friday may have the added element of a huge celebrity to their prom night memories.

The buzz at Miami Senior High School is that pop superstar Justin Bieber will be attending the school’s prom next Friday. The rumors of the Biebs coming to the prom hit high gear after a picture of the singer and Yovanna Ventura, a Miami High senior, in Las Vegas and Los Angeles last week were posted to Instagram.

• WATCH : Cat Saves Boy From Dog Attack

Ventura has more than 250,000 followers on Instagram and when NBC 6’s Christina Hernandez tried to talk to her Wednesday, avoided the camera.

A source at the school told NBC 6 that he has been "approved to attend." The school’s principal and the school board say they have heard the rumors, but nothing is confirmed as of Wednesday evening.

• Former Telemundo Actress Charged After Striking Bouncer With Champagne Glass: Police

Still, the big question is will he or won’t he?

David Beckham’s plans for a Major League Soccer stadium in Miami may have to face the voters before all is said and done.

According to the Miami Herald, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said the city will require a voter referendum if Beckham plans to build in an area near the AmericanAirlines Center along Biscayne Boulevard.

At the same time, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the county may also seek voter approval through a referendum if Beckham’s group chooses a site in PortMiami, according to the Herald.

Beckham’s plans for a stadium seemed to be on a fast-track when he first announced his new MLS franchise in Miami. His group originally planned to have a stadium plan in place, possibly as early as the end of the summer.

However, if a vote is sought, the earliest it could take place is in August, with November a more likely date, according to the Herald.

Beckham has pledged to finance the stadium with private money, but did receive some tax help from the state in the recent legislative session. According to the Herald, the stadium is expected to hold 25,000 and cost around $250 million.

There have been talks the University of Miami could be interested in playing in the stadium if it’s large enough, but the Canes’ actual level of interest isn’t known. Previous reports have stated the stadium would need to hold at least 40,000 for UM to consider playing there.

The Dallas Zoo announced Tuesday the successful birth of a new Asian small-clawed otter pup who beat the odds to survive the first few months of her life.

Tasanee, a single otter pup, was born Jan. 25 but needed help from zookeepers to survive being a lone pup, according to the zoo.

Tasanee is the first female single pup to survive longer than 30 days.

Otters typically give birth to three or four pups at a time, and according to the zoo, the survival rate for single otter pups is extremely poor, "possibly due to their mother's insufficient milk production and lack of stimulation from littermates."

• GALLERY: Adorable Zoo Babies

With her birth, Tasanee's mother, Daphne, became the oldest female otter in the national Species Survival Plan's breeding population to give birth. Her dad, Jimmy, was born at the Dallas Zoo in 2006.

Tasanee weighed a little over 2 ounces at birth and was about the size of a C battery, according to the zoo. Now she's a healthy 2.3 pounds and was introduced to the otters' outdoor habitat last week.

Tasanee means "beautiful view" in Thai, and you can see her in the Betty Moroney Norsworthy Otter Outpost.

More: Dallas Zoo on Facebook: Otter Pup 'Tasanee' Beats the Odds

With Jose Fernandez likely missing the rest of the season, the Miami Marlins signed Randy Wolf to take over his rotation spot on Wednesday.

Fernandez is still weighing his options but Tommy John surgery remains the recommended and most likely course. That will keep the ace off the field for at least the next 12 months. Nobody can replace what he brings to the team but an arm is needed every five days regardless.

Wolf had been pitching in AAA for the Arizona Diamondbacks and had been doing a decent job thus far on the year. The veteran opted to exercise an out clause in his contract that allowed him to sign a major league deal. His contract with the Marlins is for the remainder of the year and he should see his first start next week.

The 37-year old has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles during his 14-year career. Overall Wolf has a respectable 4.20 E.R.A in his career and has averaged over 200 IP per season. That is something that the Marlins were likely seeking as they need a starter who can give the bullpen a rest every once in a while.

Wolf also brings veteran leadership and playoff experience to the locker room which continues to be two items that the Marlins actively look for. A young roster can turn to guys like Wolf and they often bring more to the table than just balls and strikes.

Anthony DeSclafani will pitch on Wednesday for the Marlins, and then likely be optioned back to the minor leagues with Wolf taking over the spot the next time it comes up in the rotation.

A year-old state law that allows elected officials to place their assets in a blind trust instead of reporting each investment publicly violates Florida's constitution, according to a legal challenge filed Wednesday with the state Supreme Court.

A former top aide to the late Gov. Reubin Askew filed an emergency petition with the high court that asks to court to rule on the issue before state candidates start qualifying for the ballot next month.

So far, Gov. Rick Scott, who was a wealthy businessman before getting elected in 2010, is the only state official who has chosen to place his finances in a blind trust.

Jim Apthorp, who was Askew's chief of staff, said the provision goes against the "Sunshine Amendment" that was adopted by the state's voters in 1976. The amendment pushed by the Democratic governor marked the first time elected officials were required to disclose their finances.

"I think we moved away from full disclosure," Apthorp said. "I think the very name of that trust tells you it is not public."

During his first-ever run for public office in 2010, Scott released three years of tax returns and a lengthy list of all his business holdings. But shortly after he took office, he received permission from the state's ethics commission to set up a blind trust to remove direct control over his finances in order to avoid potential conflicts.

A new ethics law passed last year by the Florida Legislature authorizes blind trusts, but says that public officials who set them up must disclose the initial assets placed in the account. Scott last summer disclosed what assets were included in the account as of 2011, but declined to reveal any information about more recent holdings.

The lawsuit calls on the Supreme Court to strike down the law and to block any candidates from qualifying for the ballot unless they file a full disclosure of all their finances. Financial disclosures are usually submitted during June qualifying.

Top legislative leaders who had pushed the state's new ethics law questioned the timing of the lawsuit.

"It raises the suspicion that this is not a serious or sincere constitutional challenge but a cynically-timed political ploy designed and timed to affect the outcome of this year's elections," said a joint statement from House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz.

Apthorp contended that he and others first discussed it last year with Askew, but that he became ill. Askew died in March.

Sandy D'Alemberte, a former American Bar Association president representing Apthorp in the challenge, insisted that the lawsuit wasn't an attack on Scott.

"The governor has some very good lawyers, and they gave him some very bad advice," D'Alemberte said.

Also supporting the legal challenge of the ethics law are the League of Women Voters and several news media organizations, including The Associated Press.

When Scott first sought office, he reported a net worth of $218 million. Last summer, he listed a net worth of nearly $84 million as of the end of 2012.

None of Scott's annual financial disclosures since becoming governor have included anything about the assets owned by his wife of 41 years, who contributed nearly $13 million out of her trust account to help her husband get elected.

Two employees tested negative for the MERS virus days after coming into contact with a Saudi resident infected with the second confirmed case in the U.S., a spokeswoman for an Orlando hospital said Wednesday.

One of the two employees tested after showing symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome was hospitalized Monday, said Katie Dagenais of Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. The other was discharged the same day. The hospitalized patient, identified only as a woman, was expected to be released sometime Wednesday, according to Dr. Antonio Crespo, the Infectious Diseases Specialist at Phillips.

Hospital officials were still awaiting test results from 18 other health care workers who are being monitored for potentially having the virus. The workers are based at Phillips and Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Kevin Sherin, health officer with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said Wednesday afternoon that all of the remaining health care workers have undergone at least some initial MERS testing, and those results have all been negative. However, he said they will continue to be subjected to more testing going forward.

Sherin added that doctors tracking the case in Orlando "believe that this infection is contained" and that there was "minimal risk to the community."

MERS is a respiratory illness that begins with flu-like fever and cough but can lead to shortness of breath, pneumonia and death.

The 44-year-old Saudi resident with whom the workers came into contact arrived at the emergency room at Phillips on May 8. Three days earlier, he had visited Orlando Regional Medical Center with a friend who went to the hospital for a test.

He remained in isolation at the hospital, officials said Wednesday. He has been fever-free for 24 hours and clinically is doing well, they said.

The remaining 18 health care workers that were in contact with the man will be monitored at home for fever, chills and muscle aches.

Despite an increase in cases, the virus' spread in the Middle East and beyond isn't a global health emergency, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

The White House also said Tuesday that President Barack Obama had been briefed on the MERS cases in the U.S. and that his team is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and officials in Florida.

The Poinsettia Fire burned homes and an apartment complex in Carlsbad as it spread Wednesday to more than 100 acres, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents north of San Diego.

City officials said Wednesday evening that eight structures, an eight-unit apartment complex and two commercial buildings were destroyed in the Poinsettia Fire, which sparked early Wednesday. 

As of 6:30 p.m., the fire was 10 percent contained, but officials said that was mostly on the eastern side. The flames were still making a determined -- albeit slower-- march west as winds began to die down. 

“I question whether or not six fires haven’t been set by somebody. That’s just my thought,” said County Supervisor Bill Horn. “But I’ve never seen anything like this in 20 years.”

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for homes from west of El Fuerte Road, south of Palomar Airport Road, north of Aviara Parkway and west to the coast. AlertSanDiego reports it has notified 15,000 homes, businesses and cell phones to evacuate in the city of Carlsbad.

A local emergency has been declared in the County of San Diego due to at least five wildland fires burning, including those in Carlsbad, Fallbrook and Camp Pendleton.

• See Map of Fires Burning in San Diego County

An NBC 7 News crew captured video of two homes along Black Rail Road near Sapphire that burned to the ground.

On Skimmer Court in the Aviara area, NBC 7 caught up with a homeowner who was watching fire crews hose down what was left of his 1960s Weir Brothers custom-built adobe home.

Greg Skaska lived in the home for more than 30 years and said when he realized the fire was threatening the house, he had no time to grab any personal things.

“No time. We had to leave. But it’s OK. I'm alive," he said.

Another home at 1570 Martingale Court off Sapphire Drive caught fire while homes on the right and left of the house went untouched.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” a neighbor, Kevin, told NBC 7. “I feel so terrible for these homeowners.”

Carlsbad Fire Chief Michael Davis said 23,000 phone calls had gone out to warn residents about the fire, a combination of mandatory evacuation orders, information and other calls.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler said the fire is not something crews normally see in June, July, in August, not in May.

“Not only were firefighters trying to engage the fire but doing their best to get people out of their homes effectively and safely,” Schuler said.

The Windsor at Aviara Apartments, located near Ambrosia and Poinsettia lanes, caught fire later in the afternoon.

NBC 7 News crews arrived on scene just as Sound-Elkin -- a veterinary ultrasound practice -- erupted in flames. Helicopters had to do water drops on the structure because firefighters were having a hard time attacking the fire from the ground.

• Watch: Brush Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate

Carlsbad police officers said the Poinsettia Fire sparked around 10:40 a.m. at Alicante and Poinsettia Lane and moved quickly.

Within an hour a line of flames was burning toward El Camino Real near Poinsettia Lane and Jasper Way.

Residents from the Cassia Heights apartments were evacuated. Other homeowners stopped to talk with NBC 7 News crews, describing how they had time to grab just a few things – documents, photos and pets – before fleeing the area.

Two men who identified themselves as Ryan and Adam were going door to door in the area east of Blackrail Road to knock on doors and help people evacuate.

One homeowner was panicked as the palm trees in her backyard were engulfed in flames, they said.

“I ran back inside and went back up to her and said ‘We need to leave right now,’” Adam said. “We were able to get her daughters and dogs out in time.”

Calavera Hills Community Center, at 2997 Glasgow, is being opened as a shelter location. Pets are welcome.

Poinsettia Elementary was evacuated to Carrillo Elementary School at 2875 Poinsettia Lane, San Marcos. Aviara Oaks Elementary and Middle schools were evacuated to the Sunrise Retirement Community on Manzanita Street, Carlsbad.

Carlsbad schools superintendent Suzanne Lovely said police and firefighters have helped move students to safety.

“We were able to safely evacuate three of our schools that were in the path of the fire,” Lovely said.

All schools will be closed Thursday and Friday and will resume on Monday, school officials said. According to the city, all Carlsbad Parks and Recreation facilities -- except the Carlsbad Senior Center -- will also be closed Thursday

Westfield Plaza Camino Real is serving as a temporary evacuation point for people and animals according to police.

Westfield Plaza Camino Real is unable to accept any additional large animals such as horses and livestock. Residents with large animals needing to evacuate should call San Diego County Animal Services for assistance: 619-236-2341.

• Camp Pendleton Fire Prompts Base Evacuations

Park Hyatt Aviara, located just a few miles from where the fire sparked, was under mandatory evacuated. Guests and staff were under mandatory evacuations, a staff member told NBC 7.

Earlier in the day, La Costa Resort said its number one priority is keep guests calm.

LEGOLAND California posted a message to its Facebook page saying the park had to evacuate rides because of power outages caused by fires.

Callaway Golf and Titlelist Golf were evacuated as well, according to employees who spoke with an NBC 7 crew.

The Carlsbad Premium Outlets also closed. 

Interstate 5 southbound and northbound offramps were closed at Palomar Airport Road.

• Bernardo Fire "Unbelievably" Close to Homes

Diane Wood, a Carlsbad resident, said she is about two to three miles from the fire.

“It’s rather threatening. Everyone is coming out of their businesses and looking as the smoke is approaching their area,” she said. “It’s pretty scary."

San Diego Gas & Electric said it has shut off power to some customers in San Diego County for public safety purposes.

About 3,000 SDG&E customers were out of service due to the fire. Crews are working to restore power as soon as it is safe to do so, the utility said in a statement.

For the latest information on where outages are occurring, visit SDG&E’s outage map.

• Bernardo Fire: "The Battle Isn't Over"

Due to the fast-burning fire burning in the Carlsbad, several transmission lines tripped offline.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Flyers at Miami International Airport were cautioned over the risk of MERS Wednesday following news of the first confirmed case of the disease in Florida earlier this week.

The gate to each terminal at MIA was decorated with signs warning travelers of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

"It’s a bit frightening, definitely," said Jeff Buchanan, who was flying to New York.

"It’s pretty scary," said Marta Balas who along with her husband and three kids was heading back to Toronto Wednesday.

• Camels Confirmed As Source of MERS Virus

The new case of MERS was confirmed by officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health Monday. The Florida patient is a healthcare provider who lives and works in Saudi Arabia and began feeling sick on a flight to London. The patient then traveled on to Boston and Atlanta before arriving in Orlando on May 1, the CDC said.

The patient, who was visiting family in Orlando, was hospitalized last week and remains isolated in the hospital and still has a fever but is in good spirits, hospital officials said Tuesday.

Two hospital workers were showing symptoms, but they later tested negative for MERS, officials said. The hospital is still awaiting test results on another 18 healthcare workers.

MERS belongs to the coronavirus family that includes the common cold and a syndrome known as SARS, which caused some 800 deaths globally in 2003. Saudi Arabia has been at the center of a Middle East outbreak of MERS that began two years ago. The virus has spread among health care workers, most notably at four facilities in that country last spring.

Overall, at least 400 people have had the respiratory illness, and more than 100 people have died. All had ties to the Middle East region or to people who traveled there.

The first MERS case in the U.S. was documented in Indiana

The symptoms of MERS include coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Doctors say it spreads by human-to-human contact.

Joise Newman, a nurse from Phoenix who was traveling through MIA Wednesday, said she’s not scared of the virus.
 
"Just make sure you're washing your hands and stay away from coughing all over the place," Newman said.

Officials said the risk is relatively low for the Florida case but they are doing everything possible to find people who may have had contact with the patient. They are tracking down the 500 or so passengers who may have been on the three flights in the U.S. out of an abundance of caution.

Friends and family members are holding a prayer vigil Wednesday night for a young woman who fell into a coma after falling off a South Florida bridge during a run.

Police said 22-year-old Cristina Gomez was found lying in a pool of blood by two people under a bridge at the 15000 block of Southwest 104th Street Monday night. Gomez was treated on scene and transported to Kendall Regional Trauma Center for her injuries.

• Investigation: Corrections Officer Alleges Sexual Assault

"Thank you for your prayers because we need them," aunt Ana Obregon-Marquez posted on Facebook. "My niece is a kind hearted young lady with a big heart, and the most amazing smile. She is my first niece and beloved by all of us who know her. I will keep you posted on her progress."

Several others have sent prayers and supportive statements on Facebook, including FIU fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.

"The gentlemen of Lambda Chi Alpha wish Cristina Gomez who is sister of Alpha Xi Delta, a close friend to our brothers, and a Big Sister to one of our own; a full recovery," reads the Facebook post.

• Strangers Pay Restaurant Bill for Students With Autism

"She has been a role model to many and an exceptional woman to the FIU Community. We have faith and hope that you will recover and most importantly Lambda Chi and all of FIU give the love that will get you through this."

The vigil will be held at 7 p.m. on the bridge under which Gomez was found.

A group of students at Felix Varela Senior High School’s veterinary science program are working against the clock trying to help a group of dogs that have become near and dear to their hearts.

"Every single one of these dogs is precious to one of the students," said veterinary assisting teacher Alexandria Draper

For years magnet students like Mary Roy have cared for abandoned, injured, and neglected animals at the student run-rescue. Students work with the animals nearly every day and have all developed their personal favorites from Mary Roy’s “Dandelion” to Kayla Cerezo’s “Benny.”

"He's beautiful--and a lot of people have looked at him, but they're kind of scared because he's so big; but they don't know he's gentle," said Cerezo, a junior at Felix Varela Senior High School.

This summer though the veterinary wing will undergo renovations that will improve the program. The fixes will include new flooring and a new air conditioning unit. But, it also means the nearly 80 dogs still at the facility have to move out because they can’t live in a construction site.

"Unfortunately though the building is going to have no air-conditioning during the summer, so it's not going to be a safe environment for the dogs to live in, nor for the students to care for the dogs," said Ms. Draper.

"Honestly you get attached. You work with them. You learn how they are, who they are," said a teary eyed Cerezo.

As a result, current and former students are working against the clock. They are sharing their dog “tails” on social media through a Facebook page, “Urgent Felix Varela Dogs.”

While many folks have taken home puppies, students and faculty say the older dogs make great companions.

"Most of them are 100% house trained, they've also passed the puppy tear everything stage," said Yleana Escobar, lead magnet teacher.

In fact, many of the dogs respond to common commands and have passed the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Test, which means they come over when called, and will sit politely for petting. Forever homes are the priority, but long-term foster homes would help too.

"Someone that will be there for them to love them and care for them," Cerezo said, describing the kind of families she hopes the dogs will end up with.

Since the dogs are considered family, teachers said they will not be turned over to any shelter that would euthanize them, even if it means paying for boarding them. There is an adoption fee for taking home one of the dogs.

The construction is slated to begin on June 6th which means the dogs should be in their new homes by June 5th.

For more information you can visit the school's website at www.varelahighschool.org or call Ms. Escobar at 305-283-7118.

The simple life. It’s something everyone would love to enjoy, but believe they can’t because of work, school, and other normal life events. A family from Delray Beach has a message for everyone wanting the simple life, it’s out there and can be yours.

For the Travaglino family, adventure is an everyday occurrence. They are on the highway almost every day. They travel the country pulling their camper with each day a new adventure. It all started four years ago when Chris and Kim quit their jobs, sold 93 percent of their belongings, pulled the kids from school and hit the road to never look back while looking for the simple life.

“I said to Chris, ‘We’re going to live in a camper and tour the country,’” said Kim Travaglino. “He said, ‘You are nuts.’ I said, no, no we’re going to do it. And for three years I sold everything out from under him.”

The family gave up living in a 2,000 square foot home in Delray Beach for 450 square feet of a home on wheels.

“We are finally living,” Kim said. “When we were in our house and keeping up with the Joneses, trying to get the next best thing; we weren’t actually living.”

The camper is decked out with a full-sized couch, a plasma television, and gaming consoles for the kids. The family operates some parts of their lives like any other, though they start a little later, usually around 9 a.m.

After breakfast, the kids hit the books and the iPads for what Kim calls Road School. From spelling to history, the kids are exposed to different elements while traveling. Kim and Chris said they believe the kids get a better education on the road.

When NBC 6’s Keith Jones caught up with the family in Las Vegas, they had just come from Antelope Canyon, Arizona where they learned how wind and water formed the caves and hollows. In Vegas, the family was planning a trip to the Neon Lights Graveyard where the kids would learn Vegas history.

That trip was sidetracked a little to visit the Pinball Hall of Fame for a little bit of fun. After a quick lunch, they got back in the truck and headed back to the RV Park where the kids have their own chores just like in a normal home.

The monthly expenses can be as much as $4,000 a month, or as little as $600. Some might assume that Chris and Kim are financially well-off to live such a mobile lifestyle, but that’s not the case.

The couple pared everything down to the bare essentials, paid off all their debt, saved money, paid cash for the truck and camper and pull in some income while on the road.

“We started with a magazine, website, and we’ve since built a membership club,” Kim said. “We hose annual rallies. We host a radio show. We still have a magazine. I’ve written four books.”

The company is called Full Time Families. The company’s website caters to other full-time families who need support and offers advice to those who are thinking about living on the road. While being a family on the go is liberating, it does come with some challenges.

“We are a full-time family,” Kim said. “There are no babysitters to send them to on the road. No schools. We are together 24/7.”

The full-time family and constant movement forced Christ into new roles.

“Refrigerators, toilets, and sinks and so on need to be taken care of,” Chris said. “And it can get very costly if you don’t know how to handle things yourself.”

Chris and Kim found out on their journey that they are not alone in pursuing a simple life. Road families are a tightly knit group that travel together, have meals together, and share experiences that bring them closer.

“As soon as we started meeting other families and the kindred spirits and having time to really build a relationship with people, it’s definitely the best part of being on the road,” said Kim.

If you can safely take photos of severe weather in your area, tweet them to @NBC or send them to isee@nbc6.com.

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down along NW 14th Street in Doral Thursday afternoon.

The tornado damged signs and trees in the area and was first reported by the control tower at Miami International Airport. The initial report of a tornado touchdown was confirmed by trained spotters.

The Weather Service had just issued a tornado warning for Miami-Dade county until 3 p.m. when the reported touchdown happened. The weather service also reported a second possible tornado near Hialeah, but no touchdown was ever confirmed.

The tornado warnings were canceled a little after 3:15 p.m.

While the severe weather was moving near the airport, the FAA issued a ground stop due to weather, meaning no flights were allowed in or out for a time Thursday afternoon.

As of 11 p.m., there were 37 cancelled departures and 25 canceled arrivals along with 52 delayed departures and 98 delayed arrivals. The airport also reported 49 flights were also diverted to other area airports.

Flights began to move in and out of the airport again around 4 p.m.

Fort Lauderdale International Airport also saw problems, mainly coming from flooding in and out of the airport. FLL reported 74 arrival delays, 84 departure delays, and a total of 11 cancellations.

In addition to the tornadoes inland, several waterspouts were reported just off the coast as some of the storms pushed out over the open waters.

As the storms pushed through the area, thousands of Miami-Dade County residents lost power. The storms knocked out power to more than 5,000 homes in Miami-Dade County and more than 280 in Broward County as of 4:15 p.m.

• NBC 6's Interactive Weather Radar

By 10 p.m., FPL had reduced the numbers to 900 in Miami-Dade County and 148 Broward County.

Isolated storms are in the forecast for part of Friday, but the wet weather should move out of the area by the weekend.

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Workers continued a massive cleanup after streets flooded, two people were hospitalized and a strip club was evacuated when an early-morning crude oil pipeline break sent a geyser of black goo spurting into the air Thursday.

Streets were closed in Atwater Village near Glendale northeast of downtown Los Angeles after approximately 10,000 gallons of crude oil -- enough to fill a backyard swimming pool -- spilled over a half-mile area. An above-ground 20-inch pipeline broke around 12:15 a.m. Thursday near 5175 W. San Fernando Rd.

• Watch: Raw Video of Oil Geyser

Health officials said the asphalt in the area was as hot as 126 degrees. A health advisory was issued as rising temperatures and the oil spill combined to create extreme odors, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.

"Cleanup of this spill is progressing, but individuals may experience discomfort from odors from the residual crude," said Jonathan E. Fielding, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. "Sensitive individuals, including children, seniors, and people with chronic disease such as heart or lung disease, should exercise caution, and limit their outdoor activities as long as odors persist."

• Link: Oil Map

The odors could result in mild, temporary health impacts, such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, dizziness, or upset stomach, Fielding said.

Oil shot 15 to 20 feet upward and onto a nearby business, The Gentlemen’s Club, coating the windows. The Gentlemen's Club, which according to its website features "full nude exotic dancers," was evacuated, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two workers from a nearby industrial plant for Baxter, a healthcare company, were sickened by the fumes and transported to the hospital.

Aerial video showed pools of oil across several blocks and on top of the adult entertainment club.

"This oil comes from the Bakersfield area, this is a pumping transfer station and pumping transfer station then transfers the oil to a storage facility in Long Beach," Batallion Chief David Spence said.

LAFD reported that oil was knee-high in some areas.

• Watch: Air Tanker Drop Over Brush Fire

The pipeline, which trasports oil from Bakersfield to Texas, was remotely shut off within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving, but oil continued to spew for an additional 45 minutes, according to the LAFD.

The spill happened in a predominantly industrial area. Four workers from Baxter were evaluated for general illness and respiratory concerns and two of them were taken to the hospital.

A total of five commercial businesses have been affected, according to LAFD. Oil did not go inside any of the businesses.

• Download: NBCLA News App

Several blocks near San Fernando Road and West Broadway have been cordoned off as fire crews and clean up officials work to clear the area. Clean up could take at least 24 hours.

Most of the oil on the street has been vaccumed up and crews will now use absorbent diapers to sop up the oil, according to LAFD Chief Jaime Moore. Moore said that crews will then pressure wash everything using a soapy soluion to remove any remaining oil on the asphalt.

San Fernando Road between Brazil Street and Electronics Place is currently closed and businesses on Brazil Street are expected to be inaccessible while crews clean up the spill.

The Department of Transportation is assisting with traffic.

• Read: Sunbather Hit by County Truck at Venice Beach

The LAFD had initially reported that it was a 50,000-gallon oil spill, but that number was reduced to 10,000 gallons a few hours later.

Kate Larsen contributed to this report.

The Miami Marlins ended their five game losing streak with a solid 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.

Anthony DeSclafani, who was making his major league debut, went six strong innings to earn his first career win. The prospect was pitching in what used to be Jose Fernandez's rotation spot and he did as well as anyone could expect.

DeSclafani struck out seven, walked one and allowed two earned runs in the quality start. One run came in the fifth and another in the sixth when it is possible that he was running out of steam. DeSclafani was acquired in the blockbuster 2012 trade with the Toronto Blue Jays along with Jeff Mathis, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino.

After DeSclafani exited, the Marlins brought in another new addition with Randy Wolf taking the mound. Wolf was signed earlier in the day and is expected to join the rotation next week. Needing to get his work in, the veteran pitched the last three innings of this one. In those innings, Wolf allowed one run on three hits and was credited with a save. It was the first save of his long career as only nine of his 377 appearances have come out of the bullpen.

The offense put on a show as if the game was being played in Marlins Park, where it has thrived this season. Miami had 17 hits and hit three home runs, all from names that don't often populate that section of the box score. Ed Lucas hit his first of the year before Reed Johnson added his second of the series as well as the season. Lastly, Jeff Mathis tagged his second of the year, and it was of the three-run variety.

Giancarlo Stanton did not hit one out but he was 3-3 with his 12th double of the year and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Every starter including DeSclafani had at least one hit for Miami and seven of the nine starters had multi-hit days.

On Thursday, the Marlins will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound to take on the San Francisco Giants.

When a couple of roommates living in an upstate college town found more than $40,000 in a secondhand couch they bought from a thrift store, they decided to track down the money’s rightful owner instead of keeping it for themselves, according to a student news blog.

The New Paltz roommates, Reese Werkhoven, Cally Guasti and Lara Russo, picked up the couch at a Salvation Army for $20. They didn't have it for long before Werkhoven found an envelope stuffed with $20 bills under a dingy arm rest, reports the Little Rebellion, a student-run news blog at SUNY New Paltz.

“I almost peed,” he said. “The most money I’d ever found in a couch was like 50 cents.”

The cash added up to $700, and the roommates started looking for more, tearing through the fold-out and sticking their hands in every crevice. They pulled out envelope after envelope filled with cash, the total eventually adding up to more than $40,000.

Werkhoven, a SUNY New Paltz student, and Guasti and Russo, both recent college grads, began to talk about what they’d do with the money. They planned to pay off student loans and take a trip. Werkhoven told the Little Rebellion he wanted to buy his mom a new car.

But when Russo found a woman’s name on one of the envelopes, they told the blog, they stopped making plans.

“We all agreed that we had to bring the money back to whoever it belonged to,” Russo said. “It’s their money – we didn’t earn it.”

Werkhoven’s mom found the woman’s name and number in a phone book the next day, so they gave her a call. Werkhoven told the woman he thought he had bought her couch from the Salvation Army.

“Oh, I left a lot of money in that couch,” she told him.

The students took the money over the elderly woman’s house, and there she told them that she started stashing money from her husband in the fold-out more than 30 years ago. After he died, she kept hiding away money and slept on the fold-out.

When she had to go to rehabilitation after a back surgery, the woman told them, her daughter and son-in-law gave the couch to the Salvation Army not knowing what was hidden in between the cushions, and replaced it with a full-size bed.

“When we handed the money back to the woman, she told us that she felt like her husband was present in the room with us,” Guasti told the Little Rebellion.

The woman then gave the three roommates $1,000 to split as a reward for returning the money.

Miami Heat fans hoping to get a seat the Eastern Conference Finals hit ticket outlets in droves Thursday afternoon when tickets went on sale at 2 p.m.

Individual game tickets for the home games were on sale, but because some people get the first crack at playoff tickets, only a few thousand for each game were available.

Most of the available tickets were in the upper bowl of the arena, with some scattered in the lower bowl.

TIcket prices, at least the face price on the ticket, ranged from $93.35 to $248.55 when they went on sale Thursday.

"I also play basketball in Germany, so it's a dream to watch the Heat here live," said Heat fan Christian Sengner. "When we get tickets."

• Complete Miami Heat Playoffs Coverage

The Heat will play the winner of the Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards series, which the Pacers currently lead 3-2. Game 6 of the Pacers/Wizards series is scheduled for Thursday night.

If Indiana wins, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals would be on Sunday in Indianapolis. If the Pacers lose and the series goes to Game 7, the earliest the Eastern Conference Finals will start is Tuesday, May 20.

The Heat punched their ticket to the conference finals with a 96-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 Wednesday night.

For Heat fans, it's not about who Miami plays in the Conference Finals, it's about the entire White Hot Heat experience.

"It's really energetic and fun and all the fans are on the edge of their seat," said 13-year-old Nigel Yarde.

"I am a LeBron fan. I love him. He's a great player," said Idalia Arias. "They're going to win it all again. Again. He's the best. He plays with a lot of passion and that's what we want."

Fans can purchase remaining tickets online at Heat.com, Ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. Tickets will also be available starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the AmericanAirlines Arena ticket office.

Wildfires continued to rage throughout San Diego County Thursday morning, leaving tens of thousands of residents unsure of when, and whether, they might be able to return home.

At least nine fires have ravaged more than 9,000 acres, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee in communities throughout North County. Local officials say the blazes, which prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency, are the worst they've seen in years.

"I’ve never seen anything like this in 20 years," San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn said. 

• MAP: Wildfires Burn Across San Diego County

By Thursday, six separate fires remained, and crews turned their attention to containing what officials described as the "top priority" blaze: an 800-acre fire burning in San Marcos that has already destroyed at least three structures and forced 21,000 from their homes. That blaze, named the Cocos Fire, was just 5 percent contained Thursday morning.

In all, the concurrent fires had consumed or damaged more than a dozen structures and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. Firefighters readied for another day of battling the blazes, as the National Weather Service warned of hot and dry conditions that could further stoke the flames.

• RAW: Dramatic Video of San Marcos Fire | RAW: Super Tanker Drops Fire Retardant

"It’s one of those things where you see it on the news, you see it on TV and movies and it's weird to look at your own house and be like it's no longer my home," said Adam Gilmore, whose family home in Carlsbad was gutted by the Poinsettia Fire. "That kind of brings this weird feeling. It's not really sadness it's not really depression, it’s just this weird feeling that this is the end."

While some evacuation orders were lifted Thursday, life for many residents remained on hold. Officials urged people stay off the road in affected areas to make way for emergency vehicles. All schools in San Diego and many in more than 20 nearby cities are closed Thursday, forcing 130,000 children and teens to stay home. Cal State at San Marcos would remain closed Thursday, too. All three MiraCosta College campuses will be closed on Thursday, May 15. Final examinations on all sites were postponed.

• VIDEO: Carlsbad Homeowner: It’s OK, I’m Alive
• VIDEO: ‘That’s No Longer My Home’ 

All flights in and out of Palomar Airport are cancelled for Thursday including United Express. The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction at Palomar Airport overnight.

In San Marcos, the erratic Cocos Fire destroyed at least three homes and forced the evacuation of Cal State and 21,000 homes, as flames spread down the hillside behind the campus. The school canceled this weekend's commencement ceremonies due to the blazes, too.

Complete List of School Closures | List of Areas Under Evacuation

That fire was the biggest immediate concern for firefighting crews late Wednesday, officials said, and they planned rare overnight air drops in an effort to best it. But despite those efforts, the "erratic" fire continued on its southbound path, spreading to 700 acres.

Further west, the Poinsettia Fire was scorching a twisting path through Carlsbad and its canyons, after it destroyed four homes and two commercial buildings and damaged others. In all, 22 dwelling units were destroyed, Chief Mike Davis said Thursday.

Greg Skaska lived in the home for more than 30 years and said when he realized the fire was threatening the house, he had no time to grab any personal things.

“No time. We had to leave. But it’s OK. I'm alive," he said.

That fire was 60 percent contained by Thursday morning.  "saved hundreds of homes."

“We’ve had many devastating events similar to this and we’ve had tragic events in this community and one thing I know to be true about this community is that it always comes together,”

By far the region's largest fire, the Tomahawk Fire, scorched thousands of acres on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. That fast-moving brush fire prompted evacuations, but military aircraft were making inroads in battling it.

Hundreds also fled the Highway Fire, as it scorched hundreds of acres in the Bonsall and Fallbrook area of North County.

Fallbrook resident Sam Curreri told NBC 7 he was worried about leaving his home behind. "You've got mementos in there, you've got pictures, you've got clothes. I may only walk out of here with what I've got on, right?" he said.

In Oceanside, dry brush and heavy vegetation were feeding another wildfire that first broke out in the San Luis Rey River riverbed Wednesday. Residents and an elementary school were urged to evacuated voluntarily, as Oceanside officers went door to door to dozens of homes.

Researchers are tracking a great white shark that has slowly been making its way toward South Florida waters.

The shark, named Katharine by nonprofit shark research group OCEARCH, was last tracked by satellite Wednesday around noon in waters just east of Boynton Beach. OCEARCH tweeted that Katharine was swimming south toward Fort Lauderdale.

.@tevansnews Katharine is currently offshore of #BoyntonBeach, swimming south toward #FortLauderdale. #GoSharkGo

— OCEARCH (@OCEARCH) May 15, 2014

OCEARCH has been following Katharine since August, when she was tagged in Cape Cod, Mass. Katharine is just over 14-feet long and weighs about 2,300 pounds. She's traveled a total of 3,685 miles since she was tagged.

To follow Katharine's progress, click here or follow her on Twitter @Katharine_Shark.

@brookerbean Thanks. South Florida really knows how to make a #sharkgirl feel welcome. #sharkworld #Florida

— Katharine The Shark (@Shark_Katharine) May 15, 2014

More Animal Stories:

• WATCH: Cat Saves Boy From Dog Attack
• Rehabilitated Green Sea Turtle Returns to Wild
• Dallas Zoo's New Otter Pup Beats the Odds

The family of a Southern California toddler rescued by his pet cat from a vicious dog attack said on NBC's "Today" show that they were surprised by the feline's heroic actions.

“It was pretty amazing to see just a cat take on a dog and so selflessly just put herself out there and not worry about if she was going to get bit or injured herself," said Roger Triantafilo, father of 4-year-old Jeremy. "I think that dog did not know what hit him.”

Jeremy was playing on his bicycle in his driveway in Bakersfield Tuesday when the next door neighbor’s dog sneaked up behind him and began biting his leg, home security camera footage posted to YouTube shows.

• WATCH: Family Cat Saves Boy From Dog Attack

The family’s cat, Tara, rushed the dog twice and chased it away.

“It’s honestly just a blur,” Jeremy's mother Erica Triantafilo said on "Today" Thursday of the attack by the 8-month-old labrador-chow mix. “I just remember hearing [Jeremy] and the next thing I know, I see my cat flying out of nowhere, onto this dog."

Jeremy suffered two deep cuts on his leg and received 10 stitches, his parents said. During Thursday's interview, he slept in his mom's arms while Tara played next to him.

“He’s just bouncing back from this. He tells us it feels better, and he’s ready to get out there and run around and play with other kids again,” Erica Triantafilo said.

Roger Triantafilo said he didn’t realize the cat’s role in his son’s rescue until he checked the home surveillance video.

“I was like, ‘Well, you know, I’m going to check the tape and see if we got anything, and see if it even caught what happened," he said. The video went viral Wednesday and had more than five million views on YouTube by Thursday.

The owners of the dog that attacked Jeremy voluntarily brought it to the Bakersfield Animal Care Center where it will be quarantined then euthanized.

The Triantafilos said they never expected that Tara, the stray cat they adopted six years ago, would become their son's savior.

“Every once in a while she puts our dog back into her place, but for the most part, she’s just the most mellow cat you’ve ever met,” Erica Triantafilo said. “All our boys love her and pick on her occasionally. She just loves them right back anyway.”