Cooler weather in forecast

Happy Halloween! ... and with it, some scary developments.

A California wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week has been blamed on a boy playing with matches. Officials say they'll ask a prosecutor to consider the case, according to the AP. The boy admitted to sparking the fire on Oct. 21.

Meanwhile, the death toll of Tropical Storm Noel is now at 48 because of floods and mudslides in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The storm is moving slowly across Cuba and toward Florida. Here's a video.

There was a magnitude-5.6 earthquake reported in the San Francisco Bay area Tuesday (pictured), making it the biggest in almost 20 years. It was noticeable but didn't cause any serious damage or injuries. There was a magnitude-7.0 earthquake in the Pacific Ocean near the Marianas Islands, but Japan's weather agency says there's no threat of a tsunami.

Around here, today's predicted high has been bumped up a couple degrees from what was reported yesterday. It's now 81, which may end up being the warmest afternoon we see for a long while. The rest of the week still looks sunny, clear and pleasant through Tuesday, when the weather service predicts a 20 percent chance of showers and a high of 66. Read more.

-- John Powell Metz