good morning. breaking overnight. unstoppable. massive wildfires raging out of control across california. entire towns destroyed. at least nine people dead. a quarter million others forced to flee their homes and race to safety. >> fire was all around me. it was kind of frightening. i couldn't see except smoke and fire. >> highways melting under fierce flames. can they get a handle before flames pick up tomorrow? we are live on the frontlines.

and president trump arrives to commemorate end of world war i. calling macron insulting after he said europe might need an army to protect itself from the u.s. still, the two all smiles at a face-to-face meeting, this as the president appears to distance himself from his controversial pick for acting attorney general as questions swirl as to whether matt whitaker was hired to muzzle mueller. and tension. florida officials face a deadline in hours to turn in vote counts in a senate and governor's race, still being hotly contested, the margin is razor thin. charges of fraud and cheating from the candidates. even from the president, as georgia and arizona officials with the battles. all that, plus november. 60 million people under freeze watching this morning. some states seeing the first snowfall of the season. capital gaines.

what the fixer upper stars are saying about the possibility of a return to tv. it is beginning to look a lot like christmas after the search for the biggest and best. the rockefeller center christmas tree is ready. we'll unveil it when it arrives on the plaza today, saturday, november 10th, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with sheinelle jones and peter alexander and dylan dreyer. live from studio 1a. in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today." thank you for joining us. >> it is veterans day weekend. we want that start by thanking those who served and have served this country today. we are thinking about them on this holiday weekend. we are thinking about the folks in california as well. i'm from the san francisco bay area. i have been e-mailing friends up north and down south right now. terrified as neighborhoods are

going up in flames. the most destructive fire in california history already taking hold in northern california. sheinelle, today is the day to get ahead of it. 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts expected. >> it is devastating, a top story. entire towns have been evacuated. thousands of homes and other buildings already destroyed from the wildfires burning for the past 48 hours. at least nine people killed. officials warned that the death toll could get higher. nbc's kathy park is out in the middle of it. kathy, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, thank you. residents are waking up to thick smoke choking the region behind me with the fire still burning brightly at this hour. it charred more than 35,000 acres and no containment. in northern california, the massive wildfire there is historic, but for all the wrong reasons. this morning, california on

fire. blazing both ends of the state as crews work around the clock to fight back the flames. >> it feels like the garden of eden turned into the gates of hell. >> reporter: the wildfire showing little signs of slowing down, leaving neighborhoods in ruins as evacuees wait to see if they have a home to return to here. the fire now exploding in size within hours and jumping the 101 freeway. including clogged residents in the city of malibu. >> fire was all around me, it is kind of frightening. i couldn't see anything but thick smoke. >> reporter: plumes of dark smoke turned day into night. potential danger just over the horizon. >> if you are ready to go, go. if you are told to go, get out. >> reporter: north of the state's capital, a frantic exit

in butte county. drivers forced to abandon their cars with the camp fire turning deadly. claiming nine lives and burning 6,700 structures and decimating the small town of paradise making it the most destructive fire in california state history. you can see the flames have consumed this one home. over there, the propane tank exploded and you see how quickly it is flaring up. >> my son-in-law's parents lost their house. there's nothing left. except the chimney. >> reporter: the cause of the blaze is still unknown. on friday, the local utility reported an outage moments before the fire started. questions and chaos as the golden state smolders even from space. and several homes belonging to celebrities are threatened.

homes belonging to melissa alan oh, caitlyn jenner and kim kardashian west. president trump tweeted overnight about the wildfires on what he calls gross mismanagement of the forest. the president tweeting there is no reason for the deadly costly forest fires in california except forest management is poor and he threatened no more federal money. the president is in france celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ending of world war i. immediately on landing, he attacked the french president before meeting with him today. we have kelly o'donnell traveling with the president. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: the relationship, peter, between the president and macron has been notable for the public displays of affection. now they have real issues on trade to climate and national

security. they are here among 80 world leaders to mark the end of the world war i. 100 years ago. today it is presidents trump and macron who are center stage. all of the pomp of a ceremonial welcome for president trump at the palace in paris this morning. but president trump appeared tense. >> we want to help europe, but it has to be fair. >> reporter: that came hours after a breach in the bromance. the president knocked his closest friend, french president macron. he called him very insulting for suggesting in an interview that europe needs its own army to protect from outside powers including the u.s. here to commemorate the end of world war i, president trump packed political baggage from home. both praising and appearing to distance himself from the acting attorney general. >> i don't know matt whitaker.

he worked for jeff sessions. >> reporter: tweeting, i don't know matt whitaker except traveling with ag sessions. one month ago, he made it sound like they were friends. >> i can tell you, matt whitaker is a great guy. i mean, i know matt whitaker. >> reporter: this comes as whitaker is under scrutiny. he had been an outspoken critic of the mueller investigation that he now oversees. >> i can see a scenario where sessions is replaced. >> reporter: "the new york times" reports that he liked what he saw of whitaker on fox news. -- on cable news. whitaker did not get that job. and legal experts question whether he can serve now without senate confirmation. >> kelly, in other headline news overnight, "the wall street

reported some involvement with the hush money paid to critics. what are they saying? >> reporter: the journal reports that the case against michael cohen in new york, the former lawyer of the president, prosecutors prepared an indictment. they never used it. they outlined the alleged knowledge and involvement in hush money payments to two women that claim they had affairs with the president. the president denies that. the real question, peter, is, is this information useful to federal prosecutors as the special counsel investigation continues. could they find evidence of campaign finance violations? that we don't know. that is new reporting. peter. >> kelly o'donnell traveling with the president. kelly, thank you. the president is tweeting overnight accusing the democrats of stealing elections in arizona and florida. and georgia. some of the races for senate and governor in the states are still too close to call. no surprise, most of the

attention is in florida where it is déjà vu all over again. ron allen is following it this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, sheinelle. the officials here in broward county shortly and across the state of florida are scrambling to meet a noon deadline to come up with vote totals. may be thousands of votes not counted and more in dispute. that is the problem here. it is still unclear how many people went to the polls. late into the night, angry free speech about voting in florida. election officials overwhelmed by uncounted ballots. some partially filled out. >> this is invalid. this is invalid. >> reporter: signatures under scrutiny. in broward and palm beach counties which held the nation in suspense in 2000. in bush v gore. now rick scott watching his senate seat slip away.

the lead down to less than 15,000 votes. >> i will not sit idly by will unethical liberals try to steal this election from the great people of florida. >> reporter: the governor race tightening. ron desantis declared victory on election night. president trump without evidence alleging voter fraud. >> you notice the votes never go the other way? the votes don't seem to go the republican way. although i hear -- i don't know. you tell me. it is always the democrats. >> reporter: senator bill nelson pushing back. >> votes are not being found. they're being counted. >> reporter: just north of here, the race for georgia's governor in dispute. stacey abrams demanding every vote counted. hoping to force a run-off with brian kemp. required by law. if his winning percentage dips below 50%. and in arizona's tight senate race. flipping the lead from the republican to the democrat. exactly what democrats still

hope to see here in florida. >> we believe when every legal ballot is counted, we'll win this election. >> reporter: back here in florida, state officials are expected to determine later this afternoon whether the senate race and the governor's race are close enough to trigger recounts. there are lawsuits and legal challenges flying all directions. florida showing the nation that every vote does matter. sheinelle. >> that is true. ron allen, thank you. >> phil rucker is the bureau chief and political analyst for nbc news. phil, good morning. >> good morning. >> out of the gates in the midterms, the sense was the democrats did not have the rebuke for president trump they were looking for, but as the week rounds out, we are getting a better sense of what happened. the democrats gained more than 30 seats in the house. they won seven governorships. picked up 100 plus seats in

state legislatures. the president called it a victory. >> the blue wave has taken the week to come. by end of the week, these are victories for the democratic party. the joke in washington is it is not christmas, but hanukkah, where you get a new gift every day. there may be more gifts with the counts in arizona and florida. >> let's talk about the president. he fired attorney general jeff sessions and replaced with matthew whitaker. if we pull back, kelly alluded to this earlier, this is someone that towed the line with his comments, undercutting the russian investigation. i guess the question on everybody's mind is does the president put whitaker in to rein in robert mueller. >> our reporting is he did in part, he had been briefed whitaker and knew whitaker's criticism of the russia investigation. he felt like with whitaker in place, he could finally get control of the mueller investigation. >> let's be clear. whitaker has said there is no collusion and talked about

ways to undermine it, saying if you pull the funds, it would dry up in effect. i was there yesterday on the south lawn. i would say it is remarkable, but it is now routine. the president went off and attacked all sorts of folks. during the news conference, that gaggle as we describe it. he went after obama and hillary clinton and democrats in congress, three white house reporters and election officials in florida and arizona and the fbi and i'm leaving out some. if you think he is changing his tune, this is good evidence this is what it will look like the rest of the way. >> he was defiant. he seems threatened by the democratic house majority. they will use subpoena power to investigate him. his conduct in office, corruption in the administration, and that's a new change for president trump. i think he is feeling the heat. as every day goes by and more democrats win the elections, he feels it more. >> a final thought, he feels vulnerable now. you are reporting that there is

a sense inside that with democrats in charge, there is a vulnerability. >> that is right. he doesn't have control to move both houses at his whim. it is up to the democrats in the house at this point. >> first time a true check on his power. phil rucker, nice to see you. >> thank you. stunning information is emerging about california. the gunman responsible for the horrific attack inside the gunman responsible for the horrific attack inside that country western bar in thousand oaks, california. police say he posted on social media during the attack, and they're hoping what he wrote will give them a clue as to why he went on his deadly rampage. nbc's steve patterson is in thousand oaks with more this morning. steve, good morning. >> reporter: investigators say the suspect posted at least two messages on social media as you mentioned in the middle of that attack, and while families continue to struggle with what happened, investigators hope that it gets them a little bit closer to understanding why he took aim. between the sickening burst of

gunfire tearing through the borderline bar and grill, investigators say the shooter paused to post on social media at least twice during the attack writing that he was bored but sane, and that he knew his mental state would be debated for years. >> those social media posts are some of the things that we're looking at to try to figure out what motivated him to commit this heinous crime. >> the short social media manifest toe n manife manifesto now wiped from the web. illegally modified with an extended clip, 28-year-old ian long killed at least 12 people including ron helus who stormed the building during gunfire and 22-year-old cody coffman, his father jason racked with emotion after learning he'd just lost his son. coffman says cody was joyous and outgoing, had plans to join the military and loved his family. >> like i said, cody was the big

brother to the two boys and my best friend. i mean, we fished. we golfed. we did everything. >> this morning investigators still sorting through the shooter's history, military service and run-ins with the law while loved ones like jason struggle to make sense of saying good-bye. >> i love my son and i really wish that i could talk to him one more time. i wish i could say i love you, son. >> reporter: and this morning investigators say it will take at least about three or four more days for them to really nail down a time line on the hopes of determining a motive in this case. >> just heartbreaking. thank you. dylan is off today so dave fries fr price from our station in new york has the forecast. >> let's go to the midwest. let's start with what's going on as we roll through those states with our first significant snowfall of the season from duluth, minnesota, to hurley,

wisconsin, down to iowa. residents feeling the wrath of the first lake effect snow. on the roads, snow creating hazardous conditions for drivers. the conditions spreading to the northeast as we roll into today. all right, let's go to the maps, talk about what's going on. shall we? first, we're dealing with the snow and rain beginning to pull out. as we head to sections of northern new england, it's still going at a clip. as we take a look at the great lakes as well from superior to michigan to lake erie we're seeing lake effect snow. that's what we're going to deal with. we are going to see all of the snow begin to move on out. it's the lake effect snow and the gusty conditions that are going to be real problems as we roll on through the rest of the day. how much are we going to get? well, potentially we could get up to six inches in some locations like erie, pennsylvania, close to nine in jamestown, new york. that's a quick look at what's santa rosa is waking up to a

frost advisory. current temperatures right now at 29 degrees. napa also below freezing at 33 degrees. meanwhile, down near the south bay, 42 degrees. these chillier temperatures will warm up into the 70s but its the extreme fire danger that is expected to continue this weekend that really has us concerned not just for the northern california area but also down through southern california. a new red flag warning has been issued starting tonight through sunday afternoon. and that's a quick look at and that's a quick look at the weather, folks. nice to have you here. president trump lashing out at michelle obama after she slammed him in her new book. as the former first lady also opens up about her struggles with getting pregnant. later on this veterans day weekend, we'll introduce you to the 90-year-old world war ii vet who recently reunited with a long lost pen pal. we're back after this.

all right. we are back on saturday morning with the weekly download. >> the headlines dominated by the shooting in california. there were other stories we covered starting with the mid-term elections. >> a house and senate divided after a record number of americans cast votes in the mid-term elections. >> officially called control for the senate. >> the democrats will take control of the house. >> thanks to you tomorrow will be a new day in merkel. >> bad momentum fueled by rebuke of president trump in cities and suburbs. those gains did not extend to the senate where they padded their advantage. >> president trump lashed out during the post-midterm news n

conferen conference. >> combative. >> sit down. i didn't call you. sit down. >> lashing out at a tv correspondent who kept questioning him as he tried to move on. >> mr. president, are you worried about indictments coming in the investigation? >> you are a rude, terrible person. you shouldn't be working for cnn. >> i worked with jim. >> i'm not a fan of yours either. >> attorney general jeff sessions fired by president trump. >> it is the end of the slow motion fall for jeff sessions leaving office tonight. the man who was the first suchbu.s. senator to endorse and campaign for trump. a suspected terrorist stabbed people in australia. >> eventually police shot and killed the suspect. >> word emerged that amazon may split the new headquarters between two locations. >> "the wall street journal"

says it willow indicate in the borough of queens and crystal city area of arlington, virginia. >> one of the winners of the powerball jackpot stepped forward. >> 51-year-old lynn west won half of the largest powerball in history. splitting with a new york winner who has not come forward yet. her take is $343.9 million. some of the week's most shocking moments caught on camera. a russian jet buzzed a u.s. navy plane without radio contact. a high-speed chase in california ended with a splash and arrest. display wall fell in the russian museum damaging art work. apparently knocking over by visitors taking selfies. ♪ can you tell me how to get >> a lucky visit to "sesame

street" for "today" show mothers and their kids. >> calvin is so yummy. let's go back to wednesday. what does it feel like when you have the president of the united states insulting you in front of the country. there are so many people who said i would say this or that. what does it feel like? >> this was a moment where he was attacking jim acosta from another network. you can say anything about the questions or the way jim conducted himself. the bottom line, i was trying to cool the temperature to say mr. president, that is unfair. he is a diligent reporter. we are busting our alan butts o -- busting our butts out here. that's what we are there for, asking questions. asking him the tough questions. >> were you conscious of how you phrased what you said and what the content was of your

response? >> you have to just react. what comes out is what comes out. you anticipate how he answers this one. this one even caught me by take rafael good saturday morning to you. it is 5:56. here's a live look outside. a little bit smokey out there as we enter the fifth day of the

camp fire burning to our north. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our microclimate forecast and you were just telling me about the red flag warnings still in effect. >> that's correct. that's why we've continued with our microclimate weather alert because of the extreme fire danger expected to last through the weekend. we've got temperatures below freezing, 29 degrees. napa at 34 degrees right now down through the south bay, temperatures are still chilly at about 42 degrees. but its the relatively low humidity that we're extremely concerned about. that red flag warning is in the effect for the north bay mountains and east bay hills. >> we'll see you again at 7:00 for your bigger weather forecast. thanks. this has been a difficult week. at this hour its getting more dangerous in butte county. the camp fire is now considered

the most destructive in california history. 90,000 acres are burned and its only 5% contained. more than 6,000 homes are gone, hundreds of businesses as well. the death toll overnight has climbed to nine. many of those people were found dead in their cars trying to escape the fire. at this hour, more than 50,000 people remain evacuated. many families got separated. we spoke with one family who thought their mother was gone and finally reunited with her two days later at the second shelter they checked. >> she's here now so that's all that matters. >> area shelters are full. other cities are taking in victims and expect to house them through at least christmas. air quality is a big concern here in the bay area. this is a live look over san francisco as you can see a thick layer of smoke there. several schools and clubs have canceled their sporting events.

many school districts didn't just call off sporting events now, they're also considering calling some off into next week as well. continued exposure to the smoke can trigger real health issues. we take you south to los angeles county on today in the bay where the camp fire and woolsey fire have nearly 59,000 people evacuated this morning. we will have that plus all your top stories and weather, of course, coming up at 7:00. we hope you join us in the mean time. we'll send you back to the "today" show.

♪ ♪ our thanks to the u.s. army drill team on this saturday morning outside. tomorrow is veterans day.

we thank all of the members of the military past and present for the service. the drill team performed what they call the fan. it is awesome. in unison. let's start with the check of the headlines starting with the deadly wildfires raging acro across the state of california. at least nine are dead in the fires. the death toll could go higher. the camp fire has grown to 140 square miles and destroyed thousands of homes making it the most destructive fire ever. santa ana winds in the state are dying down today, but set to gust up to 60 miles an hour tomorrow. 22 million people are under red-flag warnings or fire watches. president trump in france this morning for weekend celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of world war i. in the interview, macron was

suggested that they need an army to defend itself. the faa launched an investigation in las vegas after an air traffic controller was incapacitated at the night shift for 40 minutes. the woman slurred her words and lost conscienceness. she was replaced by another controller and thankfully no safety issues have occurred. also this morning, former first lady michelle obama is speaking out about very personal topics for the first time. she is also taking aim at president trump. it is coming days before her memo memoir. we have kristen dahlgren with more. >> she is candid and critical and the president is not happy

about it. after michelle obama wrote that she could never forgive pru president trump for starting the birther movement and saying it is mean spirited. >> she got paid a lot of money to write a book. they insist you come up with controversial. i'll give it back. i'll never forgive him for what he did to the united states military. >> reporter: mrs. obama tells npr that her motto when they go low, we go high still stands. saying, quote, what is the alternative? are we all going to go low? will we be in the mud kicking and screaming and hating and wreaking havoc and fear? she has no plans to run against him in 2020. she said no, politics is nothing i would have chosen for myself. the first lady opening up about the difficulty getting pregnant

after a heartbreaking miscarria miscarriage. >> i felt like i failed because i did not know how common miscarriages were because we don't talk about them. we sit in our own pain thinking that somehow we're broken. >> reporter: mrs. obama admitting she and the former president sought marriage counselling. >> i know too many couples struggle and think there is something wrong with them. i want them to know michelle and b barack obama get help with our marriage when we need it. >> when asked about the state of the country today, mrs. obama urged people not to be discouraged pointing out there were harder times. the book goes on sale tuesday. she is kicking it off with a huge event in chicago joined by

oprah. let's get a look at the weather from dave price. >> it is cold out there from charlotte to the nation's capital. keep in mind, 250 million people today will see temperatures below average. we will be on the cool side. cool today as a high pressure system continues to roll on through. those high temperatures are going to be really rather chilly. 25 in minneapolis. 19 degrees below where we should be. look at philadelphia at 46 degrees. howling winds for many in the northeast. you will knock off the temperatures as you roll into sunday. it is still very cool. into next week, we see still this second dose of cold air coming down from canada. we are going to see temperatures which are still going to be very, very chilly for this time of year. it's time and we can sense the

a cold start in santa rosa, 29 degrees where there is currently a frost advisory in effect also napa. check out the 34 degree mark down through oakland, hayward in san jose. the air quality and the fire danger remains an extreme concern as we head toward this weekend. we're dealing with a red flag warning not just for portions of northern california but also down through southern california where a number of active wildfires are currently burning. winds are expected to pick up tonight. so maybe you break out the gloves? >> say it ain't so. >> i appreciate it. still to come, he just became old enough to vote and you he is mayor. we will introduce you to the 18-year-old who is set to run his small town. and jeff rossen shows us the tools the police officers are tools the police officers are using to save lives in an ♪

♪ ♪ -whoops -sorry! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. tide pods child guard pack helps keep your laundry pacs safe and your child safer. to close, twist until it clicks. tide pods child guard packaging.

seven days in the future, but i'to be exact.uture. and the car you put on hold at carmax.com is still being held for you, free of charge. in answer to all your other questions: yes, no... and that's still illegal. ♪ carmax music sting new listerine® ready! tabs™ aren't gum, mints, or marbles. seriously, what is this? if you guessed they're tabs that turn into liquid as you chew, so you can swish and clean your whole mouth instantly, then you were correct. and that was a really good guess. nice job. emreplenished,d,

fortified. emerge everyday with emergen-c. packed with b vitamins, electrolytes, antioxidants, plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good every day? emerge and see. seed to the oat, to the o to the good that you live. healthy hearts filled with good the good goes around and around and now try new maple cheerios

this morning on "rossen report" update, days after a mass shooting, we are reminded of the bravery of the first responders. >> they are doing so thanks to new technology. today's correspondent jeff rossen has more. >> guys, good morning. mass shootings are happening so often it feels we hardly go a couple weeks without one. it has been 20 years since the deadly shooting at columbine. it was that shooting that changed police protocol. police used to wait for the s.w.a.t. team. now police are trained to enter and stop the gunman right an y way -- away. we got a first hand look at the tool s officers are using to ge ready for the next one. >> reporter: this week, police rushed to the scene in thousand

oaks, california. gunman opening fire at the crowded country music bar. ron helus killed after the gunman shot him multiple times. >> he went in to save lives. >> reporter: this bar massacre just the latest in the string of mass shootings. in fact, according to the fbi, in 2017, more active shooters than any year ever recorded. 30 incidents. 138 people killed. now some police departments are using new technology to train officers for almost any scenario that could exist. come in the room here with me. it is state-of-the-art. look around. you can cue up any scenario on monitors and any direction the officer looks and they have no idea what is coming next. it is called the meggitt training system. officer luis gonzalez stepping in. a gunman threatening hostages.

>> put it down. come on. >> with the touch of a button, changing the scene. >> we will go ahead and go with the active shooter. >> a subject on the ground. >> active shooter popping out of the hallway. he takes the gunman down, but in his blind spot, another shooter. >> i got two shooters down. >> there are over 200 scenarios. simulating real-life danger. like shootings during traffic stops. >> traffic, shots fired. >> give me your driver's license and insurance information. >> you think this simulator helps you save lives? >> absolutely. >> the simulators rolling out nationwide. just as the nation mourns another tragedy. >> police say if you find

yourself in an active shooter situation, remember this. run, hide, fight. running away is always the first and best option. pay attention to all of the exits wherever you are in your office or stores and bars and restaurants. next option is to hide. if you must, fight. back to you. >> isn't it sad? >> the crushing thing is dropping off our kindergartner at school and she said daddy, we are learning how to hibernate. >> we are all in this together. coming up, a good one. incredible reunion 70 years in the making. world war ii reunion and pen pal back home who wrote him letters while he was at war. after these messages. ♪ ♪

♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ for serta's biggest sam's club mattress sale of the year. save $200 on all king mattresses or save $100 on all queens and fulls. from serta america's #1 mattress brand. be serta comfortable. this weekend only at sam's club. for the bake sale? hey guys, where are the cookies bake sale? need to bake in a hurry? use country crock buttery sticks with sunflower oil. there's no softening required, so baking is delicious and easy. ohh! cookies! uh-uh-uh. let's talk about thisd when we meet next week. edward jones came to manage a trillion dollars in assets under care by focusing our mind on whatever's on yours.

you know doc how can i get whiter, brighter teeth.. and the dentist really has to say let's take a step back and talk about protecting your enamel. it's important to look after your enamel because it's the foundation for white teeth. i believe dentists will recommend pronamel strong and bright because it's two fold. it strengthens your enamel, but then also it polishes away stains for whiter teeth. so it's really something that's a win-win for the patient and the dentist. discover lindt excellence with all your senses explore the finest cocoa

roasted blended and shaped to perfection revealing layers of rich flavor and aromas lindt excellence dark chocolate from the lindt master chocolatiers

this morning as we honor our military on this veterans day weekend, the incredible reunion one vet had with a pen pal from more than seven decades ago. >> nbc's kerry sanders shares their story. >> reporter: to understand what happened to mel downing, go back in time to when the harmonica playing 92-year-old was just a teenager serving in the u.s. navy. >> attacks. >> reporter: and fighting in the horrific world war ii battle of okinawa. every sailor or soldier who came home, they said there was one thing they looked forward to. mail call. letters from home. >> unless you receive letters from home, i keep saying this,

when you are 18 years old, just turned 18, you have this thing that your home means a lot. it does. >> reporter: on the home front, maintaining morale of the young men was a patriotic duty. here in massachusetts, a young 15-year-old girl by the name of shirley burns took that duty to heart. for every letter she sent mel, there was a response. which brings us to this old house in new england. surely found a long forgotten box in the attic. 65 letters from a war-time pen pal. with the help of the internet, shirley found mel living in florida and using what works so well seven plus decades ago. >> i wrote mel a note. >> reporter: she reached out in a letter. >> if this sounds familiar to you and you are that mel downing, please contact me. >> reporter: it didn't take long for the old navy man to deploy. >> going to see her after 72

years. >> reporter: and reunite with his one-time pen pal. each letter a moment in history. >> february 22nd, 1945. somewhere at sea. sheryl shirley, we had close calls. >> reporter: from 75 years ago. >> when i read those letters i wrote, i can -- it brings back where i was when i wrote it and under the circumstances. >> reporter: and mel and shirley say this is not a love story, but deeper. about a friendship at a time when the world was scared. when mel visited recently, he brought shirley one last letter. an update on his life. >> retired in 1989. >> reporter: old fashion communication when the time when world war ii vets will tell you tomorrow was never a sure thing. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, massachusetts.

>> how important is that? >> we salute you, mel. there are so many service mechani members right now. >> i talked to al roker about this because he has a journal now. i long for a time and hope it can come back. think about the time it takes to sit down and you don't have cell phones. you have the patience and put in the time to physically write a letter. >> you know what it feels like to get one. can we bring that back? can we slow things down? still to come, we have other things to share. big announcement from the

stoirlz ahead, the youngest royal stealing hearts. and the t this is not a bed. it's a revolution in sleep.

the new sleep number 360 smart beds are on sale now during sleep number's veterans day sale. it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. it even helps with this. so you wake up ready to put your pedal to the metal. and now, during our veterans day sale, the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1299 - save $400. plus, 36-month financing. ends monday. sleep number. proven, quality sleep. ♪ introducing the all-new corolla hatchback. toyota. let's go places. ever since darrell's family started using gain flings,

their laundry smells more amazing than ever. [darrell's wife] uh, honey, isn't that the dog's towel? [dog sfx] hey, mi towel, su towel. more gain scent plus oxi boost and febreze makes gain flings our best gain ever. gain. seriously good scent. heyi'm craving somethingkin! we're missing. the ceramides in cerave. they help restore my natural barrier, so i can lock in moisture... and keep us protected. we've got to have each other's backs... and fronts. cerave. what your skin craves.

the new capital one savor card. earn 4% cash back on dining and 4% on entertainment. now when you go out, you cash in. what's in your wallet? ♪ ♪ ♪ you... keep doing you. we'll take care of medicare part d. by helping you save up to five dollars on each prescription, and with free one-on-one pharmacy support, we've filled over 2 billion prescriptions and counting. stop by walgreens and save today. walgreens. trusted since 1901.

alto good saturday morning to you. it is 6:26. here's a live look outside in palo alto. smokey skies as we look over the 101 there. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our

microclimate forecast. you have a lot going on. >> there is a lot going on. we're dealing with poor air quality. there's still severe fire hazard concerns as we head in toward this weekend which is why we are under a microclimate weather alert and this is going to remain in place through the weekend simply because of the factors that can really play into all of this. right now the current temperatures in santa rosa below freezing at 29 degrees. napa 34, concord 38, livermore 36 degrees. as you head in toward the afternoon, you're going to notice its less windy for this afternoon, but that smoke advisory is in effect until monday. we're still dealing with extremely unhealthy conditions out there. just be mindful of that. i'll break down all the red flag warnings at 7:00. >> all right. thanks. this has been a difficult weekend at this hour. its getting even more dangerous in butte county. the camp fire is now considered the most destructive fire in california history.

90,000 acres are burned, its just 5% contained. more than 6,000 homes are gone. hundreds of businesses as well. the death toll has climbed to nine. many of those people were found in their cars trying to escape the flames. at this hour, more than 50,000 people remain evacuated, many families and friends got separated. we spoke with one family, they thought their mother was gone. they finally reunited with her at the second shelter they checked. >> she's here now, so that's all that matters, so. its the best birthday gift i got this year. >> area shelters are full. other cities are taking in people and are expected to house them through christmas. air quality say big concern for the bay area this weekend. this is a live look over san francisco. it looks like fog but that is smoke, a thick layer of smoke covering the city. several schools and clubs

canceled their sporting event because of it. one football game went on as planned last night. it seemed like the air had cleared a little bit for the game. many school districts didn't just call off sporting events, now they're calling some off for next week as well. continued exposure to the smoke can trigger health issues. it is 6:29, we take you south to los angeles county where the woolsey fire have nearly 300,000 people evacuated. we'll bring you the latest. coming up at 7:00, we hope you join us. we'll send you back to the "today" show.

. good morning. breaking over nienighovernight. unstoppable. massive wildfires rage out of control. more than 6,000 structures destroyed in one town alone. 250,000 people fleeing homes. some with only minutes to spare before the fire reached them. at least nine dead and officials fear that number will rise. we are live on the fire lines. fighting words. president trump taking on france's president after touching down in that country to commemorate ending world war i.

the two were all smiles hours later. this as the president is distancing himself for acting attorney general. and it is beginning to look a lot like xmchristmas. the rockefeller christmas tree is set to arrive here in a matter of moments. we are here to usher it in. today, saturday, november 10th, 2018. ♪ >> it's the rockefeller christmas tree. >> you see it there. the rockefeller christmas tree. finally arriving on the plaza. coming down 49th street right now with its police escort. ready to head to its new home. >> look who it is with it? dave price. dave, how is it? >> it is a treat. i will tell you. all 72-feet of the norway

spruce. it is three quarters of a century in the making from wallkill, new york. it weighs 12 tons and it is on a 115-foot flatbed truck. making the trip, which is about 80 miles or so, north of new york city. it is gorgeous. i don't know if you can see the string right now on the branches. they actually splint this tree. they almost put it in a cast so nothing breaks. can you imagine driving down the road and hanging a louie with a 72-foot tree on the back of your truck? >> it is massive. >> it really is. it is gorgeous. we found out, they actually picked this tree out about four years ago. it gives you an idea of everything that goes into bringing all this magic to the plaza. we will have more in a couple minutes. >> we have to get our thanksgiving plans together. dave, thanks so much. more on the tree coming up.

let's start with the news and the devastation out west from the raging wildfires burning throughout california. at least nine people have been killed already and the fires are not showing any sign of slowing down. nbc's kathy park is in west hills, california. kathy, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. here in southern california, thousands of residents are waking up to thick smoke choking the region. behind me is the active fire burning brightly at this hour. 35,000 acres charred. no containment. in northern california, a wildfire there has turned historic, but for all the wrong reasons. this morning, california on fire. blazing both ends of the state as crews work around the clock to fight back the flames. >> it feels like the garden of eden turned into the gates of hell. >> reporter: the fire showing little signs of slowing down. leaving neighborhoods in ruins as evacuees wait to see if they

will have a home to return to here. in southern california, the fire now spanning two counties. exploding in size within hours and jumping the 101 freeway. clogging and trapping residents, including those in the city of malibu. >> it was frightening. i could not see anything but smoke and fire. >> reporter: plumes of dark smoke turned day into night. danger just over the horizon. >> if you are ready to go, go. if you are told to go, get out. >> reporter: north of the state's capital, a frantic exit in butte county. drivers forced to abandon their cars. the camp fire claiming nine lives and burning 6,700 structures and decimating the small town of paradise. making it the most destructive fire in the history of the

state. you see the propane tank exploded and you see how quickly it is flaeis flaring up. >> my son-in-law's parents lost their house. >> reporter: the cause of the blaze is unknown. late friday, the local utility reported an outage moments before the wildfire ignited. questions, confusion and chaos as the golden state smolders from space. and several homes owned by celebrities are being threatened by the fire here in southern california. homes owned by alyssa milano and caitlyn jenner. >> thank you, kathy. president trump has declared a federal disaster in california, but yet to say anything publicly about the victims. he tweeted blaming the wildfires on what he calls gross mismanagement of the forests. president trump saying there is no reason for these massive

deadly forest fires in california except forest management is so poor. he would threaten no more federal money. the president is in france this morning celebrating the 100th anniversary of the end of world war i. he attacked the french president on twitter before meeting with him today. we have kelly o'donnell traveling with the president. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. a new development, bad weather and rain in paris means the president and first lady will not be able to take a helicopter to an american cemetery where they planned to pay respects to fallen u.s. soldiers from world war i. going in place is john kelly and his wife and the chairman of the joint chiefs. they will make a 90-minute drive to do that. also today, the president and french president macron calling each other friends, but there is new tension. all the pomp of a ceremonial

welcome for president trump at the palace in paris this morning. but president trump appeared tense. >> we want to help europe, but it has to be fair. >> reporter: that came hours after a breach in the bromance. the president knocked his closest european friend french president macron. he called macron very insulting for suggesting that europe needs its own army to protect itself from outside powers, including the united states. >> i do believe we need more europe. >> reporter: here to commemorate the end of world war i, president trump packed political package from home. praising and distancing himself from the controversial acting attorney general. >> i don't know matt whitaker. he worked for jeff sessions. >> reporter: and tweeting this morning, i did not know mr. whitaker except he traveled with ag sessions. no social contact. but just one month ago, the

president made it sound like they were friends. >> i can tell you matt whitaker is a great guy. i know. >> reporter: the president's sudden reluctance as whitaker's under scrutiny after the criticism of the mueller investigation which he now oversees. >> i see a scenario where jeff sessions is replaced. >> reporter: "the new york times" reporting that the president liked what he saw from whitaker on cable news and had his white house counsel interview him for a role as attack dog on his legal team. whitaker did not get that job. experts question if he can serve now without senate confirmation. signs they are working on the relationship as the president left the palace here. we see president and first lady melania trump embraced by emmanuel macron and his wife brigitte.

we understand the president is likely to interact with vladimir putin at a dinner tonight, but no former meeting is planned. peter. >> kelly o'donnell in paris. thank you. let's go to dave price on the plaza with another check of the weather. >> nice to see you. we have great weather for our friends visiting today. certainly on the chilly side. we dried out. a lot of the rain moving away from the northeast. we are dealing with cold weather and the possibility of some lake-effect snow as we head to lake superior and lake michigan and lake erie. snow in places like maine today. freeze warnings stretching as far as the gulf coasts. we are watching fire dangers. three major fires. camp fire in northern california. the fires in southern california and l.a. and ventura county. we are talking about upwards of 100,000 acres burned in malibu and san fernando valley and

topanga county. as we roll through tomorrow, below average temperatures continue for much of the and once again we are waking up to that thick blanket of smoke over the bay area but in addition to that we're also seeing below freezing areas especially for the north bay, even in through some of the interior valleys as well. santa rosa waking up to 29 degrees, napa 34 and that air quality concern will remain at least through the weekend into monday. a smoke advisory is in effect for the north bay all the way down to the south bay due to the smoke blowing from the camp fire near chico. that's a quick look at the weather. so nice to see everyone on the plaza. welcome to new york city.

if this guy doesn't look exactly like springsteen, i don't know who does. nice to see you. guys, back inside to you in the studio. >> he just made his day. >> the boss on the plaza. still to come, could one of the most loved reality tv coupling cocoupl couples come back to tv? couples come back to tv? and the ( ♪ )

ready to juvéderm it? correct age-related volume loss in cheeks with juvéderm voluma xc, add fullness to lips with juvéderm ultra xc and smooth moderate to severe lines around the nose and mouth with juvéderm xc. tell your doctor if you have a history of scarring or are taking medicines that decrease the body's immune response or that can prolong bleeding. common side effects include injection-site redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps, bumps, bruising, discoloration or itching. as with all fillers, there is a rare risk of unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which can cause vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs or scarring. ( ♪ ) juvéderm it. talk to your doctor about the juvéderm collection of fillers.

talk to your doctor ♪ ♪ i'm all for my neighborhood. i'm all for backing the community that's made me who i am. i'm all for my theatre, my barbershop and my friends. because the community doesn't just have small businesses, it is small businesses. and that's why american express founded small business saturday. so, this year let's all get up, get out and shop small on november 24th. i got croissant. small business saturday. a small way to make a big difference. replace one meal or snack a day with glucerna... made with carbsteady to help manage blood sugar... ...and end the day with a smile. glucerna®. everyday progress. glucerna®.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we are back on saturday morning with the story about a young mayor in a small town in oregon which has everyone talking. >> dave is in the orange room to explain. he has done more by the age 18 than most of us in our lives. >> ben simmons is 18 years old, as you mentioned, peter. he has been elected mayor of ocala, oregon. normally that doesn't make news, but the internet is abuzz.

this is a similar story to a fictio fictional character on nbc. the character had a notorious background story as the mayor of partridge, minnesota. >> i ran the place into the ground after two months and got impeached. worst part was my parents grounded me. >> there we go. now he used the town's budget to create a year-round winter sports complex and it was called -- ready? it was called ice town. all right. here we go. the irony here is a teenager named ben being elected mayor. here we go. rehearsals are done. take it from the top.

ben elected mayor in real life and was too good to resist. one person tweeting and his name is ben. perfect. another writing, ice town all over again. and yet another person says whatever you do, don't let him build a winter sports complex. forget what is on the wall. let's hope ben's time as mayor goes better. he has an impressive resume already. he is asked to go to the orange room to give instruction on how to use the touch screen. >> that's how it ended? you started at the end. it's okay. >> it's okay. we'll move on to "popstart." we'll talk about that as if nothing else happened. huge announcement from the fixer uppers, chip and joanna gaines. they are coming back to tv. they shared it last night. >> we signed a nondisclosure.

it said quote/unquote. you can tell your mother. mom, i wanted to make a quick announcement. we are coming back to television. you will see the kids grow up. you see us with a six-month delay like the rest of the world. we are excited to be back. >> how about that? we are waiting for details. it is safe to say they just made a lot of fans really happy. next up, a new glimpse at the youngest royal. 6 month old prince louie held by his mom kate. photos of the young royals are rare. this is the first time we have seen the young prince since july with his christening. and finally, backstreet is back. here we go. the iconic boy band announced they are planning the biggest

arena tour in years. they should be the backstreet men now. they have new music. they released a single called "chances" from the tenth studio album "dna." tickets go on sale wednesday. >> dave, thanks so much. still ahead, it is finally here. the rockefeller center christmas tree. we will get the story behind

we are back right now on the brisk saturday morning. weather feeling perfect for the arrival of the rockefeller center christmas tree. >> it is just a matter of weeks before the tree is decked out. first the crews have to put it up and string the lights. >> the 12-ton tree is less than 100 miles from home. the couple who said their fond

farewell after donating it could not be happier. the 72-foot norway spruce is about to be unduinducted into t christmas tree hall of fame. the tradition that dates back to 1931 when the first tree was decorated and displaced in rockefeller center. >> when the tree is lit, it doesn't matter the temperature. there say sense is a sense of w. >> this homestead is the home of the norway spruce. >> we call her shelby. >> every day this holiday season, 800,000 visitors will gather around shelby to make their own memories. now she has made her way to rockefeller center, she will be wrapped with five miles of l.e.d. lights and topped with a brand new star made of 3 million

swarovski crystals. >> it will be a beautiful long lasting memory. >> that's so nice. shelby is officially lit at the end of the month. the lights will stay on until 11:30 every night through january 7th. >> you can watch the 86th rockefeller center tree lighting ceremony at 8:00 on november 28th. >> we have surely and lyzette here with us. how does it feel to have shelby behind you? >> wonderful. >> your little girl is all grown up. you watch her arrive. what will the moment feel like? >> i'll cry. happy tears. she will get the jewels she deserves. >> it's amazing. >> ladies, thank you. that's good stuff. that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on "today," willie lights down with golden globe and emmy award winning star of

"the crown." claire foy. >> enjoy your day. my mom's pain from moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis was intense. i wondered if she could do the stuff she does for us, which is kind of, a lot. and if that pain could mean something worse? joint pain could mean joint damage. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop irreversible joint damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been some place where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. since enbrel, my mom's back to being my mom. visit enbrel.com and use the joint damage simulator

to see how joint damage could progress. ask about enbrel. enbrel. fda approved for over 19 years. seven days in the future, but i'to be exact.uture. and the car you put on hold at carmax.com is still being held for you, free of charge. in answer to all your other questions: yes, no... and that's still illegal. ♪ carmax music sting ♪ ♪ makeup now optional. new aveeno® maxglow™ infusion drops with kiwi to lock moisture.

and soy to even skin tone. unleash dewy, glowing skin from within. new aveeno® maxglow™. ♪ ♪ do i use a toothpaste that whitens my teeth, or one that's good for my teeth? now i don't have to choose. from crest 3d white, the whitening therapy collection with new spearmint and peppermint oil. it gently whitens, plus it has a fortifying formula to protect your enamel. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. for serta's biggest sam's club mattress sale of the year. save $200 on all king mattresses or save $100 on all queens and fulls.

from serta america's #1 mattress brand. be serta comfortable. this weekend only at sam's club. ...heals extremely dry skin in just 5 days. ♪ it's amazing what healed skin can do. the healing power of vaseline. emreplenished,d, fortified. emerge everyday with emergen-c. packed with b vitamins, electrolytes, antioxidants, plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good every day? emerge and see.

good morning. i'm kira klapper. coming up next on "today in the bay," the death toll climbs in the fire in butte county. we'll have the latest from the camp fire. we have a reporter in the fire zone. and a smoke advisory continues as a new red flag warning kicks in tonight. vianey arana is tracking wind concerns here in the bay area. plus local schools canceling classes and sporting events because of the poor air quality, except for one game, the only two teams who played under the lights. here is a live look out-

good morning to you. it is saturday, november 10th, at 7:00 a.m. on the dot. here's a live look outside, smokey skies covering sfo. another tough start to the day in the bay area. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at your microclimate forecast and you have a lot going