tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight." as we come on the air in the west. the unimaginable destruction here in los angeles. multiple wildfires still burning out of control.

and we have just learned tonight of another major fire now burning. new evacuations now under way. and across the region tonight, thousands of homes now gone, a and the concerns about the winds in the hours to come. tonight, the devastating images of the widespread destruction across los angeles. mile after mile of scorched earth. the palisades fire the most destructive fire in l.a. history. more than 9,000 homes and structures now burned to the ground in this fire alone. santa ana winds up to 70 miles per hour fueling at least five major fires. tonight as several fires burn elsewhere, we're with the families as some return to where their homes once stood. they had not been back yet, their homes gone. and tonight we're hearing from the family of a man who died with a garden hose in his hand, trying to protect his home, and the well-known names who have lost their homes too. tonight actor billy crystal and his wife losing the home where they raised their children and

grandchildren. what they're saying tonight. our team back across the fire zone tonight and the new concern as we head into the evening. ginger zee on the santa ana winds and what's coming next. the other news this thursday night, the major winter storm moving from texas to the east coast. tonight, 20 states on alert for snow and ice. several states expected to get more snow than they're used to. tonight, america paying its final respects to former president jimmy carter. the remarkable scene inside the national cathedral, and you'll see it. the five living presidents on hand to honor jimmy carter. and president carter's grandson and the laughter in that cathedral, when he shared a story about his grandfather in that small home in plains, georgia. the struggle at first with his cell phone. and the bond between his grandparents, jimmy and rosalynn. there is breaking news as we come on the air in the west tonight. the supreme court has denied donald trump's request to halt his sentencing for tomorrow. so what happens now? and nearly a year after princess catherine revealed her battle with cancer, prince

william tonight sharing an image on her 43rd birthday. a special edition of "world news tonight" begins now. >> announcer: from abc news, this is abc "world news tonight" with david muir, reporting tonight from los angeles. >> david: good evening tonight from pacific palisades here in southern california, and tonight the new reality here. the staggering damage, the worst wildfires los angeles has ever seen. we have just learned tonight more than 9,000 homes and structures have burned to the ground, and tonight news of another fire now breaking out. the kenneth fire, mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the west hills area. tonight, two of the other fires still growing, still 0% contained. firefighters racing to put them out before powerful santa ana winds pick up again later this evening. 180,000 people already forced from their homes, 200,000 more ready to go. here in pacific palisades tonight, we were with families as they returned for the first

time today. they had not been back. i was with one father, their home gone. his two boys and his wife are okay, but they've lost everything, as you can see right here behind me tonight. this evening, our station here in los angeles, kabc and their helicopter above pacific palisades flying late today, widening out to show on camera what it looks like here, a war zone, mile after mile of scorched earth. across los angeles, more than 45 square miles have now burned. that's the size of 800 football fields, or about the size of the city of san francisco. at least seven lives now lost. we just learned tonight two of the lives lost here in pacific palisades. that number expected to rise across the region. the daniels up to $57 billion. overnight here, a new fire in hollywood. the sunset fire erupting in the hills just north of hollywood boulevard. quadrupling in just minutes. gridlock on narrow streets of hollywood as people raced to get away. firefighters knocking that fire down.

and today, the eaton fire is still destroying homes in pasadena. and reaching the foot of mount wilson and its critical communication infrastructure at the top. new images of the chaotic evacuation in the early hours of the palisades fire. people stuck in traffic, abandoning cars. a man helping his elderly father-in-law break through the smoke there. and driving on the pacific coast highway through malibu as the fire burned every structure along the way. here in pacific palisades, we were with those families late today as they returned to their homes. they had not been back yet. they did not know what they would find. we have also learned tonight of well-known names who have lost their homes. billy cryskrcrystal and his wif. what they are saying now. so many families have lost everything, but they remain grateful they still have their loved ones. >> reporter: the sun low in the sky over los angeles, reflecting a new reality for this city. shining through the heavy smoke,

as some of the most destructive wildfires in the history of los angeles rage on tonight. the devastation for miles. at one point, six major fires burning at once. firefighters racing to contain them. the first and largest fire, the palisades fire, and the horror it has now left behind. you could hear the crackling of the flames. the gusting winds. the fire devouring homes. garages, businesses collapsing to the ground. tonight, a first look here. a staggering scope of devastation. home after home, street after street, burned to the ground. there is nothing left in so many of these neighborhoods. across the los angeles area, at least five lives lost. nearly 180,000 under evacuation orders. more than 200,000 still without power tonight. and more than 45 square miles burned.

today, we saw first-hand what is left. and the sounds of the fire alarms ringing out. everywhere you go, you can hear sort of the alarms still going off, long after the fires here. and it's not just the neighborhoods where you see home after home, this used to be the grocery store right here. completely hollowed out. and then over my shoulder here, if you look right up, you can see nothing left by the tattered american flag there. covered in soot and torn, but still hanging. in this neighborhood, we are told about the first home that caught fire, and how it then spread. one neighbor alerting the others. this was the house here on the corner that began to burn and then they alerted everyone down the street to get out of their homes, because they knew it was just a matter of time before the flames jumped from house to house, which is exactly what it

did. not only on this block, but on every block you can see, the one off in the distance. the next block here, you can see. the fire ripped through here, as well. as far as the eye can see, really not a home left standing. the damage here is difficult to put into words. the cars here in the streets, incinerated, what's left of sort of the burned-out, charred metal frame here. just sitting on the street here. and if you look across the street, there's still some embers burning here, but you can see, right in this yard here, the washer and dryer sitting, that's just about all you can make out. and we met families returning to their homes for the first time. this husband and father of two alessandro vigilante had not been home yet.

have you seen your house yet? >> no. >> david: the father had raced to school to pick up his boys under evacuation orders. his wife staying behind to grab their most important documents. i'm sorry. he sees for the first time what is left. >> that's the entrance. and this was the living room. that's our tv. >> david: he tells me this used to be one of the boys' rooms. >> my wife was here and she just collected what she could -- >> david: yeah. >> and then left. >> david: what was she able to save? >> the documents. mainly the documents. and then she took a couple of stupid things, like, my son's perfume, of course he has a louis vuitton eau de toilette -- >> david: his cologne? >> yeah, his cologne, just something emotionally related, but nothing -- yeah. >> david: nothing else? >> no. >> david: taking what they could, and grateful to have their lives. aiden kahn returning to his home in the pacific palisades, making his way up sunset boulevard.

>> my bedroom right here. >> david: his apartment completely destroyed. >> here's our patio. here's the front entrance. the elevator's still there. >> david: but with the winds, there is still so much uncertainty. overnight, another major fire breaking out, this time in the hollywood hills. the sunset fire. >> this thing is blowing up before our eyes, it is a very sizable fire that is spreading rapidly. >> david: the gridlock, the panic to get out. helicopters dropping water from above. they were unable to do this the next before. this time, able to fight it from above. on the ground, crews battling it, too. trees in the streets bursting into flames. at the eaton fire in altadena, fire crews using saws to cut open garage doors for their fire hoses to reach the flames inside. this is what's left of the auditorium at the elliott arts

magnet academy middle school. the scorched row of chairs. tonight here, a new satellite image over that fire. showing nearly nothing was spared. and tonight, back at the palisades fire, we're learning of some familiar names who have lost their homes, as well. some well-known actors, including actor billy crystal. he and his wife janice telling abc news they have lived in their home since 1979, raising their children and grandchildren there. saying, quote, we pray for the safety of the firefighters and first responders. the pacific palisades is a resilient community of amazing people, and we know in time it will rise again. it is our home. and it was last night here, we saw orli israel, trying to use a fire hose to beat back the flames in his own backyard. the fire alarm going off. >> yeah, let's get out of here. we tried. we tried, bro. i'm sorry. >> david: his friend tanner shaft trying to help him. trying to save the home. >> we tried our best. >> david: both were forced to flee.

escaping through the front door. tonight, tanner returning to his friend's home. >> this is my first time back to the -- to the house from last night. this is orli's home. there is -- there is literally nothing left. >> david: while back at that home in pacific palisades, that once stood, the father alessandro telling me he is grateful that he has his family. they lost everything, but they have each other. and he also believes tonight that every one of his immediate neighbors were saved, too. >> i mean, i think it's impossible for people around the country to look at this and understand the scope of this devastation. everything is gone. >> yeah. >> david: but you've got your boys and you've got your wife. >> we figure out the rest. >> david: i'm glad you're here. >> thanks. >> david: and that you're okay. >> thank you so much.

>> david: thank you. that father, like so many people we have spoken with here, incredibly resilient. they've lost everything, but their strength here is really quite something. it is hard to truly grasp the staggering damage behind me here. kabc helicopter scott wright flying above and describing to me what he saw. >> david, the devastation is overwhelming. just moments ago, the smoke cleared, and we could see into this area of pacific palisades. and it really does look like a war zone. every single one of those homes that you see there is lost, completely burned down to the foundation. you will see the winds come out of the north to the south, and they blew the fire down towards the shoreline, and we lost all those homes along that stretch. it's heartwrenching to look at this. i've flown other fires over the last 40 years and we've never seen anything like this in southern california. we've lost thousands of homes here, in the pacific palisades, we've lost maybe 1,000 homes, as well, in the other fire burning out in the pasadena area. so, we're going to have a tough

week in front of us, david, as we continue to battle the winds and these two major fires that are burning. david? >> david: all right, kabc's scott reiff overhead tonight, scott, thank you. this evening 180,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders. matt gutman tonight with one family, and what they found in the ashes when they returned. this was extraordinary. and the serious questions tonight about the water, and about early decisions by authorities here. >> reporter: tonight, with spot fires still sparking blazes, the palisades fire is still uncontained. some families making their way home. we spotted two figures in the rubble of this apartment building. is this your safe? >> it is. wanted to get to it before the looters got to it. >> david: gail mcgowan had lived there for 22 years of her husband died. she was hoping one particular ring had survived the heat. >> i got to save something, look at everything else. this is my home right here. >> reporter: 22 years here. >> yeah.

>> reporter: on her way out, she grabbed her phone, nursing scrubs, and little else on her way out. so, documents, passport, things like that? >> nothing. >> reporter: are somewhere here? >> yeah, everything. everything. everything, everything. >> reporter: minutes later, the fire still flickering, mario heaving the safe off the building. he left to get a shopping cart and came back with cops on patrol. >> you have your i.d. with you, ma'am? >> you bet. >> reporter: the officers concerned about looters, making sure gail's i.d. matches the address of where they are. then, they crack the safe. >> oh, look! >> reporter: oh, yeah, way to go. are these your rings? >> my wedding rings. >> reporter: today, authorities announcing the arrest of 20 looters, and we asked the lapd about it. >> oh, it's huge, it's huge. you have million how many times all intact, rows and rows of them. and there is really no way to police this area effectively right now. >> reporter: at a news conference today, officials pressed on that and other issues. l.a. mayor karen bass facing criticism for the city's response to the disaster. >> when lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation

to look at what worked, what didn't work, and to correct or to hold accountable anybody, department, individual, et cetera, but my focus right now is on the lives and on the homes. >> reporter: david, you've been out here on the ground for two days now. and you know with all of these homes, the walls disintegrating, the safes laid bare in many cases. the concern about looting is so intense at this point that the national guard has been called out to help protect areas under mandatory evacuation orders. those areas also under mandatory curfew after dark. david? >> david: all right, matt gutman with us tonight. matt, thank you. tonight in altadena, the story of a man who was found dead still holding the hose, trying to save his home. what his family is now saying. and they have just revealed there are up to 5,000 structures, homes lost there too. abc's mola lenghi there tonight. >> reporter: new video tonight of the dramatic escape from the

eaton fire in altadena, california. >> altadena, gone. >> reporter: this driver surrounded by flames. drone video revealing the scope of the devastation. authorities bringing in cadaver dogs, saying they don't know the exact death toll. >> at one point, we'll be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas. some of them look like a bomb was dropped in them. >> reporter: the family of 66-year-old victor shaw says he died in a heroic attempt to defend his home. in altadena. >> i opened the front door and i just yelled in, victor, we got to get out, this is it, we have to get out, the fire's here. and i didn't hear him say anything. i heard him say nothing. so, i ran to the car and i just -- i just got out. i just got out. and i went down the street and there was a police car and i flagged him and i said, my brother's in the house, i need help. and he told me to get out. he said, go. >> reporter: later, finding his body out front.

a garden hose still in his hand. >> i can't imagine what he might have been thinking, how he might have been so frightened, and i couldn't be here. i couldn't be here to save him. i couldn't be here. that's what hurts the most. >> reporter: shaw lived in the family home for more than five decades, and had health issues that impacted his mobility. well, david, authorities say tonight they're expecting that death toll to ultimately increase. david? >> david: mola lenghi part of the team on the ground here in california tonight. mola, thank you. and across los angeles tonight, there is real concern now about the winds again this evening. chief meteorologist ginger zee is here. ginger, what do you see as we head into if night now? >> david, i see the winds are going to pick up, especially into early tomorrow morning you can see the smoke, the smoldering areas. the firefighters have been trying to get them out and they've got to before the winds kick up 30 to even 60 miles per hour, thanks to that high pressure system going to send

those santa ana winds offshore again. so red flag warnings until 6:00 p.m. tonight, in those affected areas. high wind warnings all the way down to the mexican border. and david, i've got to show you that low-pressure system that slid across the south and brought more than 8 inches to amarillo. most snow they've had in more than a decade. now little rock, nashville. dallas, of course was impacted. over into the midatlantic and northeast this weekend. david? >> david: so we're watching these winds into the night here in southern california, and of course this winter storm now moving right across the country. ginger zee with us here again tonight. ginger, thank you. when we come back tonight, there is breaking news at this hour involving president-elect donald trump. the supreme court with their late decision tonight when it comes to his sentencing tomorrow and what this now means in a moment. and five living presidents honoring former president jimmy carter today. the remarkable image in a moment here.

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playfully greeting barack obama who sat deep in conversation, at times chuckling with president-elect trump. trump briefly shaking hands with his first vice president mike pence. president clinton and secretary clinton were right there as well. there was laughter in the national cathedral has jimmy carter's son jason recalled how carter struggled to learn how to uses his cell phone at first. >> he said, what are you doing? i said, i'm not doing anything, you called me. he said, i didn't call you, i'm taking a picture. >> david: jason carter saying his grandfather was ready to reunite with rosalynn, his beloved wife of 77 years. their final resting place, plains, georgia. when we come back here on the broadcast tonight, prince william and the new and moving image of kate tonight, and right here at home, how you can help in california. can keep coming back. start to break away from uc with tremfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation.

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before we go tonight, i know so many of you at home have been asking how you can help. the red cross and salvation army hard at work on the ground here. you can go to redcross.org, or the salvationarmyusa.org as well. i'll be right back here from california tomorrow night. good night. parks in southern california, triggering new evacuations. on the third day of an inferno that seems to have no end in sight. >> and now, meteorologist sandhya patel. i'm tracking the conditions that is leading to high fire danger in southern california. i'll have the very latest coming up. >> i'm cornell bernard. a fire

tracking app found it here in the north bay. is seeing record downloads from users needing real time information about fires burning in l.a. >> it's a marathon to recover from something like this. >> the voice of experience. survivors of the north bay wildfire share advice for those who suddenly find themselves victims of the l.a. county wildfires. >> from abc seven live breaking news. >> california's record books are being rewritten by the wildfires in southern california. unrelenting flames, unimaginable losses. and it's not over yet. >> if you're told to evacuate, then get the hell out. >> good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm dan ashley and i'm j.r. >> stone for those of you who are live streaming us you've been watching live coverage from our sister station in los angeles on the wildfires. >> they are doing an amazing job. the newest fire is called the kenneth fire, burning in the west hills near calabasas on the border of