on the broadcast tonight, the air war against exploding and now deadly wildfire in colorado. tonight, news of progress in the assault. what now? as the obama administration prepares to intervene in syria, richard engel looks at the state of play. hillary's return to the national stage after four years above the fray. the former secretary of state returns to the political arena and the possible 2016 opponent is there as well. and to the rescue. with storm season raging, it's this elite unit's job to save people in danger. and tonight, lester holt finds out what it takes. plus, our friday making a difference report. "nightly news" begins now.

>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening, i'm natalie morales in for brian. he'll be back on monday. it has been a fierce firefight over the last four days in colorado as a black forest fire near colorado springs turned deadly, claiming its first victims. hundreds of homes destroyed and nearly 40,000 had to flee from the raging inferno. at this hour, firefighters continue to go house to house, saving what they can. and finally today, their efforts to contain the flames are paying off. nbc's miguel almaguer is once again there for us tonight. >> reporter: after exploding out of control this week, today firefighters held their ground. the burn zone, 24 square miles. but where there is no fire, there is progress. >> we made tremendous ground, especially when it came to the structure protection. i saw a lot of resources in there.

i heard them on the radio last night. they were really hopping. >> reporter: thousands of homes have been saved, but we know two lives have been lost. authorities believe the couple was trying to escape when they were overcome by flames. >> my heart and i know the heart of this community, goes out to the family and friends they leave behind. >> reporter: the most destructive fire in state history has damaged or destroyed at least 400 homes. >> oh, jesus. >> heather and katie dubois took picture of their house burning as they fled. >> take it as a challenge and move on. you just have to move on. >> reporter: today, we found their barn still standing. >> we had ten horses, six dogs, three cats, two rats, two pigs, four birds and they all got out. >> reporter: of the 38,000 people told to evacuate, some refused to leave. >> it would have burned to the ground.

>> reporter: dale melke made his flamingo, but he stayed behind, using buckets of rainwater to save his home. >> i believe god protected me and took care of me, kept me safe. >> reporter: these are anxious times for dan brennen, who isn't sure if his house isn't still standing. >> well, you're a refugee. how do you describe a crisis you never expected? >> reporter: the black forest fire still a threat. tonight storms bring optimism. firefighters hope the brunt of the damage is behind them. though the rain was brief and intermittent today, the forecast this weekend should bring favorable conditions for firefighters. the cause of this fire has not been determined. a criminal investigation, though, is under way. natalie? >> miguel almaguer in colorado springs, thank you, miguel. the massive storm system that spread across several states from the public is being blamed for four deaths, widespread flooding and power

outages. hundreds of thousands left without power after heavy rains and strong winds slammed the east coast. on the west coast, a rare tornado touched down in oregon, damaging buildings and homes. we turn to the other major story we're following tonight, the obama administration's decision to send arms to the rebels in syria. the syrian government dismissed u.s. claims that it used chemical weapons as lies, and one of syria's key military allies vowed to continue supporting the regime. we have more tonight from nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel who is in neighboring turkey. >> reporter: in aleppo, some of the heaviest fighting in weeks. in a war the u.n. said killed at least 93,000 people so far. the white house says it was the regime's killing of 150 by chemical weapons that crossed a red line. the u.s. now promises the rebels military support, but today gave few details. >> i can't give you a specific

timeline or an itemized list of what that assistance is and when it will get there. >> reporter: u.s. military sources tell nbc news the assistance will come gradually. they rule out sending u.s. troops and for now, imposing a no-fly zone and no heavy weapons that could take out aircraft. but that's just what rebel commander says the opposition urgently needs. >> nobody told me when i'm going to receive the first shipment. i hope to receive it today, not tomorrow, because i needed it yesterday. >> reporter: he says syria is being destroyed, a third of the country he claims in ruins. 300,000 in regime jails, millions driven from their homes, assad has been weakened. there are frequent military defections, with scores more today, including several generals crossing into turkey. but after months of gains, the rebels are now losing ground to

a shiite alliance of assad forces, iran's revolutionary guards, iraqi militias, and crack units from hezbollah. today their leader, hasan nasrallah said hezbollah would fight whenever and wherever it pleased. just last month, they devastated the town of qusar and drove the rebels out. general adriz told us hezbollah's next target is aleppo, a city the size of chicago. critics say washington is doing too little too late. rebels say there is still time, but not much, and unless something is done soon, there might not be any rebels left to support. natalie? >> nbc's richard engel in turkey, thank you, richard. investigators on the scene at the terrifying deck collapse at a popular sports bar near miami. they are trying to figure out what caused the structure to give way last night. officials say about 100 people were on the outdoor deck at the

time watch miami heat play the san antonio spurs in game four of the nba finals when the deck suddenly collapsed sending them into the water. two remain in serious condition. a somber scene in newtown, connecticut, today. the 26-second moment of silence at a ceremony marking six months since the shooting at sandy hook elementary school that claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 adults. the event was organized by the group mayors against guns, and they read the names of 6,000 people killed by gun violence since newtown. lots of folks who could become presidential candidates put themselves out there today and yesterday, testing the waters at two big conferences. among the most prominent was hillary clinton. nbc's andrea mitchell has been watching all of this and trying to read between the lines. >> reporter: you can call it a trial run for possible 2016 candidates this week.

in chicago, hillary clinton back on stage in a roll-out calculated to keep her options open. >> when women participate in politics, the effects ripple out across society. >> reporter: plus a video unveiling her new focus, infants and preschool children. >> too small to fail is all about giving parents, families, businesses, and communities the tools we need to help all our children succeed. so please join us for the future of our kids and the future of our country. >> reporter: taking selfies today with chelsea on twitter, and this tease on the twitter account, wife, mom, lawyer, float fuss, senator, secretary of state, glass ceiling cracker, tbd. is tbd a hint about becoming the first woman president? clinton's recent polls have slipped after benghazi and other state department investigations. and potential republican

competitors were also seeking the spotlight today. in washington, marco rubio. >> if america is so bad, then why are people always trying to get in? >> reporter: and jeb bush. >> you'll be happy to know i won't spend much time rehashing the results of last november. >> reporter: already he is getting campaign style attention for a comment he made today about immigration. and joining them at a nonprofit today chris christie, who could end up running against hillary. of all the possible candidates, christie has been the best at fueling 2016 speculation. >> you think i would come on this show to announce a presidential run? >> say what you want, but we all know in 2016 -- ♪ baby you were born to run >> reporter: the question is, have they already started running? andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. and now to a story that is getting attention around the nation. fast food workers going on strike to demand better wages. as the economy slowly recovers, many of the new jobs are concentrated in low-wage areas like fast food restaurants.

nbc news reporting on poverty in america, supported by the ford foundation and in tonight's "in plain sight" report, you may be surprised to learn who some of these folks are and what it takes for them to feed their families. we get our report from nbc's kevin tibbles in chicago. ♪ we serve it up with a smile >> reporter: for many, this is the face of the fast food industry, happy young kids flipping burgers after school. but these days that person taking your order for minimum wage is much more likely to be older. >> we can't afford to live on what we make. >> reporter: people like 56-year-old interior designer amy crawford, who now works behind the counter for $8.75 an hour. >> i would have described myself as very comfortably middle class. >> reporter: and now? >> and now i'm getting by. >> reporter: crawford says she has been seeking a job in her field over a year, dipping into

retirement savings to pay the rent, and relying on food stamps. >> these folks use food stamps at 2 1/2 times the rate of the rest of the u.s. workforce. >> reporter: according to the census bureau, fast food workers make a median annual salary of about $18,000 a year. and that's if they can get full-time hours. >> $8.56. >> reporter: that's how much 44 tyree johnson makes an hour. he says he is doubly constrained because the number of hours he is scheduled to work are limited. >> i'm putting together resumes for important jobs like computers, you know, telemarketing, you name it. >> i am encouraging everybody to fight. >> reporter: johnson and crawford part of a growing national movement, demanding better wages and working conditions. since early april, there have been protests by fast food workers in seven cities. in a statement, the national restaurant association says the restaurant industry provides 13 million jobs and has been one of the most consistent job

producers during a difficult and sluggish economy, adding the industry is one of the best paths to achieving the american dream. amy crawford says she never thought about the struggles fast food workers face until she became one. >> we don't know who that person is. because most of us live our lives unaware that we're unaware. >> reporter: unaware that worker may be struggling to put food on his or her own table. kevin tibbles, nbc, chicago. still ahead tonight, as storm season rages, lester holt goes inside the elite coast guard team that tackles some of the most dangerous rescue missions on the water. and later, how an extraordinary army of volunteers is making a difference by making sure a lot of kids enjoy the prom they thought they would never have.

we're back tonight with a rare look inside one of the most elite units of the u.s. military. the coast guard swimmers who get dropped into treacherous waters to save those in life-threatening situations. as they get ready for another busy season, lester holt spent some time with them on a training emotion in north carolina. >> easy back. >> reporter: it was a disastrous end to attempt to sail around hurricane sandy. a failed engine and generator left the "hms bounty" sinking off the north carolina coast. by the time coast guard

helicopters arrived, the crew had abandoned ship, lowered into waves up to 20 feet high, coast guard rescue swimmers battled their way to the survivors. >> sometimes we got hit by a couple big waves. one time we got masks knocked off. >> reporter: of the 16 people on board, 14 pound alive. now nearly 8 months later, with a new storm system under way, we join randy habba and other veterans of the "bounty" rescue on a training mission outside north carolina's outer banks. >> hurricane season right. we expect the tempo to pick up. >> i think the tempo will pick up just because it's warm season, and also there is more boaters out there, more people on the water. >> reporter: of the crew of four, only the rescue swimmer goes into the water, literally dropping into the thick of danger. they are considered the elite of the coast guard. their slogan? so that others may live. >> get your feet up! do you understand? >> reporter: but, first, they have to live through 18 weeks of

some of the military's toughest training. >> let's go! >> reporter: where the enemy is the sea and fear. drills push trainees to the edge of mental and physical exhaustion, because that's what they will face against an angry ocean. >> somebody who is just panicking. maybe they can swim, but they don't know what to do. >> reporter: most trainees don't make it through. out of a class of 18, josh and adam are the only ones left. >> it's like they try to get into your head. are we going down to a class of one? >> my responsibility is to get him through here, and his responsibility is get me through here. >> reporter: at a training facility, opened just before the "bounty" sinking, darkness, waves, rain, even the rotor blast of a hovering helicopter are simulated as trainees learn to rescue survivors in all kinds of conditions. as i experienced firsthand, even a simulated sinking at sea can be terrifying.

their grueling training ensures that when the time comes for real, these rescuers will be the calm in the storm. lester holt, nbc news, elizabeth city, north carolina. we're back in a moment with a big sendoff to a long-time member of the nbc news family. we'll take a look back at his storied career.

we're saying so long to a beloved colleague here tonight. robert bazell, who has been the chief science correspondent at nbc news for almost four decades. bob is leaving us to begin a new chapter in his career. >> reporter: in his 38 years with nbc news, robert bazell has been on the front lines and at the forefront of science and health reporting. >> others get an infection. >> reporter: in the early 1980s, he was among the first journalist to report on a new illness, even before it was

called aids. >> the scientists say this probably means they're dealing with some new deadly sexually transmitted disease. >> reporter: he chronicled the development of the shuttle program. >> what are your thoughts about the future of nasa now? >> reporter: and helped guide us through that tragic day when the challenger exploded in 1986. he tracked medical mystery, including fears that bird flu might spread worldwide. >> and if that happens, it will become a major global health threat. >> reporter: a special interest gene research on illnesses from breast cancer to alzheimer's. >> the research also solves a great mystery in biology. >> reporter: in iraq, bob brought home the heavy toll of the conflict. >> soldiers and marines are rushed in. >> reporter: and he documented the suffering after the earthquake in haiti. >> supplies are starting to come in, but there are still huge shortages. >> reporter: helping us understand the world took him to some of the most fascinating places on earth. >> these steam vents are throughout the country.

occur because water seeps into the earth and hits the molten rock which is right beneath the surface. >> reporter: bob reported it all with insight, credibility, and skepticism when called for. >> show me why that is the case? >> reporter: setting the standard for science journalism. and bob has been much more than a colleague to many of us here at nbc news. he is a friend and has never hesitated to lend a hand when health become personal. later this summer, bob will join the faculty of yale university, becoming an adjunct professor in the department of molecular, cellular and developmental biology. we thank him, and we wish bob and his family all the best. and coming up next tonight, making a difference with a night to remember for a lot of high school seniors when prom just didn't seem possible.

our final story tonight comes to us from the rockaway section of queens here in new york city, hard hit after hurricane sandy, including one school so badly damaged that it's hardly been a normal school year for the students who go there, and a challenging time for the senior class, who didn't think prom would be possible. that was until an army of volunteers stepped in to make a

difference and gave them a night to remember. we get the story tonight from nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: all dressed up and dapper. he is finishing his senior year of high school exactly the way he is supposed to. >> which hand do i put it on? >> reporter: figuring out how to put a corsage on his prom date. >> forgive me. i'm learning, i'm learning. >> reporter: seven months ago, foley and his classmates couldn't imagine anything normal about their last year of high school. >> you don't this really know what you have until you lose it. the storm came from both sides and they met in the middle. >> reporter: a few miles away, christy's house was also badly damaged. >> within minutes, the water burst through the door, the windows, everywhere, and it came up to right about here. >> reporter: their school, channelview school for research was flooded lost power, forcing them to relocate for months. with all to fix, spending money on nonessentials wasn't

happening. prom seemed like a luxury. noel knew it was a job for her charity, operation profit. >> you want to take one more in? >> we're a prom organization. we can't build houses, unfortunately, but we can give a prom to these students who might not have been able to afford going. >> what about this one? >> this one is pretty. >> $200 for a dress, $150 for a ticket, limo prices. there is so much money involved. >> reporter: they raised more than $11,000, providing donated dresses. the tuxes. >> i'll go with the pink. >> reporter: you'll go with the pink paisley? >> reporter: and the prom itself. operation prom and men's warehouse paid for everything. >> it's just the beginning. >> reporter: and the start of a future that even a hurricane couldn't wash away. katy tur, nbc news, new york. and that's our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i'm natalie morales.

brian will be back on monday. for all of us at nbc news, have a great weekend and good night. good evening. thanks for being with us on this friday. i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. six months later, the heart ache is excruciating annan bearable. newtown went silent today as the 20 children and six educators massacred in december were remembered. as the fight over gun control rages on in washington, d.c., a group of parents is asking bay area business and tech leaders to step in and offer innovative solutions to prevent shootings. stephanie truong has more on the progress being made. >> that's right.

good evening, jessica. those parents a part of sandy hook promise, a non-profit launched by people in many new 2001 encouraging people to come up with ideas how to improve mental health, school safety, gun safety. it seems it's working. we spoke with a man who says his company has been working on safety for the last ten years. it's till now he's seeing real movement. >> coded steel. >> a gun that can only be used by its owner. it was technology featured in last year's bond movies "sky fall," a little bit of friction not far from reality. >> each person has a unique biometric signature. >> safe gun technology ink has this is prototype fingerprint reading device. >> currently i'm the only authorized user of the gun. >> this shows what happens when an unauthorized person tries to shoot. safe gun's board chairman charlie miller said h