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in southern california. as more dangerous winds threaten to bring new destruction, crews racing to contain the historic fires, just as santa ana winds return with gusts up to 70 miles an hour, threatening the air assault on the flames and potentially spreading new infernos. we're on the front lines with the team hunting for hot spots. the death toll rising to 24. dozens of arrests, including looting charges. and investigators zeroing in on what sparked the largest blaze, palisades fire. is there a human cause? plus, defending homes with hoses, the disaster making california's dire housing crisis even worse. our team in the fire zone, al roker is tracking the winds. first major movement in months in the ceasefire deal in gaza. could an agreement be struck before president biden leaves office?

critical week for president trump and his nominees. confirmation hearings set to begin. first up, pete hegseth and the tough questions he faces about his experience and conduct. the rising risk of dementia and what you can do to minimize your risk. emotional reunion in california, dog back with his owner and the firefighter who saved his life. >> announcer: th is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening, i'm tom llamas in for lester on assignment overseas. tonight, there is new concern about the fire emergency and threat here in los angeles. that's because those santa ana winds that spread these fires so rapidly and destructively are once again forecast to ramp up. the situation so extreme, the national weather service says the setup is about as bad as it

gets. there is progress, we saw it firsthand. palisades fire, largest, is 14% contained, eaton is now 33% contained. brush fires sparking as far south as san diego in the marine corps air station at miramar. we take you to the front lines with the hot spot crews working the dry hills, knowing it could kick up any moment. the mission is urgent tonight. at least 24 are reported dead, many more missing. about 100,000 people here remain under evacuation orders. for many, the next big challenge is finding a temporary place to live with not much available and when it is, sometimes the prices have been raised sky high. first the latest on the firefight. fire crews working nonstop, waging an all-out battle from the air and the ground as they brace for the worst of the punishing santa ana winds.

the national weather service warning conditions to be as bad as it gets, pontial for hurricane-force winds the next 48 hours. 13 million are under red flag warnings, north of santa barbara to san diego county. more than 8,000 firefighters in the front lines, officials insist they're better prepared with more ground and air resources this time around. you can see a massive burn scar, no more smoke or fire but a danger. lines of firefighters with cutting tools like chainsaws and axes are clearing all the brush so there's no fuel for the winds to carry embers to. we were with cal fire as they worked to clear the brush before the dangerous winds hit the zones. you're worried because there's still brush here and it's so close to those homes. >> that's right. >> reporter: lined up on cliffs, scaling

canyons, on the lookout. >> to get out in front of something that most people wouldn't get in front of. >> reporter: over the weekend, california's national guard dropping flame retardant on hot spots in the palisades fire after flare-ups forced new evacuations in encino and brentwood, triggering this firenado. eaton and palisades fires are mostly uncontained with speculation on the origins running rampant. there's a newly formed task force to investigate the cause of the palisades fire. multiple law enforcement sources tell nbc news there's a possible human cause. >> they're identifying the cause and origin of all the fires, none have been ruled out of arson. >> reporter: the death toll has reached 24 and expected to rise, including 95-year-old curry of altadena. >> that was her refrigerator, this is where she would be.

>> reporter: her granddaughter looking for her remains in what was left of her home. >> mama dee, are you here? >> reporter: officials urging the residents to stay out of the evacuation zones. >> people want to see what's left of their house, we know that, but we have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors. >> reporter: law enforcement announcing more than 70 arrests, including looting and burglary charges, and the fbi says unauthorized drones over the fires are in double digits. as they search for the drone pilot that crashed into a canadian super scooper last week, grounding it for days. the los angeles unified school district reopened most campuses, giving the students a return to normalcy. >> i've been scared of coming here, but as long as the doors are open, i feel safe. >> reporter: schools damaged by the fires or inside the evacuation zones remain closed, with

tens of thousands pushed from their homes and forced to start over. one estimate says insured losses are at least $30 billion. >> i'm trying to keep it together, find us a place to live, temporary living for our family and my parents. >> reporter: she lost her family home, as did her parents. how tough is it? >> it is tough. millions of people are look at millions of places. we have to figure out one step at a time how to handle it. >> and with the winds bringing the possibility of new fires and destruction like this, some homeowners plan to take matters into their own hands again. gadi schwartz. tonight with their stories. >> reporter: for days, so many across los angeles faced off against apocalyptic wildfires, some homeowners defying the evacuation orders, choosing to protect their properties. >> we need a water drop.

>> need a water drop. >> reporter: sprinklers, hoses, generators and pumps, and facing more red flag warnings, angelenos are preparing for round two. in wealthy enclaves, rows of fire trucks and private firefighters are at the ready. we see one, two, three, four, five different water trucks, another three down the way. those in the evacuation zones who lived to tell the tale how theyey saved tir streets, said they did what they could with high pressure hoses. >> we were in our neighbor's backyards, lugging hoses around. >> reporter: in altadena, felipe saved three houses on his street with a garden hose. >> i caught on fire a couple of times. >> reporter: you caught on fire? >> yes. i would just spray myself with the garden hose. saved myself with the garden hose and continued to fight. >> reporter: fire officials say those who stay to fight the fire are putting their lives at risk. 66-year-old victor shaw died in the eaton fire,

his remains found holding a garden hose. owners along this row had fire hoses ready, some willing to risk their lives. >> another hot spot started up, so got the fire hoses again. put it down before the wind starts again. >> reporter: when the fire rolled in, clayton and his friends stood their ground, tapping into the hydrant and saving six homes. do you have firefighting experience? >> i do now. >> reporter: what do you think would have happened if you weren't here? >> house would have been gone in minutes. >> reporter: steve's home is still standing, but most of the surrounding community is gone. >> it's been difficult but getting through it. >> reporter: would you leave? >> i'm not leaving, no intentions until my neighbors are back. >> reporter: technically it's a misdemeanor not to evacuate during the chaos, but it's not always enforced. however firefighters

say bottom line every moment during a firefight is precious. if they have to be pulled off a fire line to save someone not supposed to be there, jeopardizes their lives and puts the community at risisk. tom. >> gadi schwartz in malibu. thanks for that. for those who have lost everything, another crisis has emerged, where to find a new place to live. morgan chesky. >> we're going to find something, i promise. i promise. >> reporter: a promise for a new home that they're fighting to keep amid a disaster that's ignited a city-wide housing crisis. the family of five, six including their pup apollo, one of dozens, after watching the flames approach and then engulf their beloved palisades home. >> we saw the footage our entire neighborhood burned down. >> reporter: more than 12,000 structures

destroyed and potentially more to come. the demand for the rental market is exploding overnight. >> call one, no, it's rented. call another one, no, it's rented. >> reporter: she's looked into 50 properties the last several days. people driving hours to find a home. >> yes. >> reporter: l.a. realtor says it's leading to price gouging. >> greedy landlords are spiking up prices, all to have a bidding war as well. >> reporter: a check on zillow for a property near the palisades three days after the fires began shows rent jumping $10,000. it's been removed but officials warn the price surges are growing. the governor declared a state of emergency, which means any price hike over 10% on essential goods including rental housing is illegal under california law. >> price gouging is sick, wrong and illegal. taking advantage of

victims and revictimizing them. >> reporter: if you see or are a victim of price gouging, report it immediately to local law enforcement or state authorities. >> we'll just keep looking. >> reporter: it's not just about getting a place to live, they've also got to get their kids back in the classroom after their schools burned to the ground. how are you staying sane? >> just taking it one step at a time. our friends have been amazing, our community across the country has been amazing. >> morgan joins us live from a palisades elementary school that once stood there. what is the plan for the students now? >> reporter: tonight, parents are giving credit to school officials. days after losing this entire school, have already made plans for the student body to be absorbed into another l.a. school where classes are hoping to resume this wednesday. tom. >> thanks for that. the next round of high winds is nearly

upon us. al roker is tracking it all. millions are under red flag warnings, tell us what it means. >> 13 million people from san luis obispo to campo, gusting winds up to 70 miles per hour, the humidity levels are dropping. dangerous situation. pyramid lake, san fernando, this is due to climate change. last 36 years, nine degrees warmer, 15% drier, 20% windier now. winds now are calm, but they're going to pick up to hurricane force, that's going to limit the ability to bring some air support in there. as you can see for tomorrow, there's a critical risk from santa clarita and los angeles to escondido. we'll continue to track and have the latest tomorrow morning. tom. >> al, thanks for that. now a turn to the middle east and growing potential for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. richard engel joins

us, it sounds like all sides are optimistic. >> reporter: a senior arab negotiator tells me it's the most progress they've seen in months, and it comes after intense effort from the prime minister of qatar and president-elect trump's personal envoy. according to two u.s. officials, 48 hours after this deal is signed, potentially this week, hamas would begin to release a large number of hostages and ultimately all would be set free and israel would end major combat operations in gaza after nearly 47,000 palestinians have been killed according to local officials. and israeli troops would pull out of major palestinian population centers. according to officials, some of the hostages are, quote, in bad shape. >> richard, thank you. back home to the confirmation hearings beginning this week for president-elect trump's cabinet nominees.

first, pete hegseth, his embattled pick for defense secretary. garrett haake. >> reporter: a visit by president-elect trump to california's devastated wildfire zone is under active discussion inside the trump transition, sources tell nbc news. as the trump team preps for 13 high stakes confirmation hearings this week for his cabinet picks. smooth confirmations are expected for marco rubio, pam bondi, and scott bessent, but there's embattled pentagon pick pete hegseth, the hearing could be make or break tomorrow. >> he can expect it to be tough but respectful, candid but fair. >> reporter: the former fox news host and decorated combat veteran is likely to be pressed about allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking, allegations he denies. if all democrats vote against him, he can only afford three republican defections.

what are you hoping to hear from him? >> he has a lot of questions that need to be answered. >> reporter: the vice president-elect is detailing an inauguration day blitz of executive orders on immigration. >> dozens coming from the trump administration, from us on day one that send a message to customs and border patrol, you're allowed to do your job again. and to illegal immigrants all over the world, you're not welcome into this country illegally. >> reporter: for potential january 6th pardons, vance said those who protested nonviolently should be pardoned and those who committed violence should not. tom. >> garrett, thank you. in 60 seconds, former north korean soldiers describe the brutality under which they served as the first north koreans fighting for russia are captured by ukraine. stay with us. with clearer skin and less itch. the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, helps heal your skin from within. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue

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while fighting for russia. >> reporter: the first north korean soldiers ukraine says it has captured alive, seen in the video questioned by the military with help from south korean intelligence. one telling interrogators he thought he was coming for training, not war. they're providing a glimpse into how they're fighting in kursk, u.s. sources say they're taking heavy losses. this man was a soldier until 2019, when he ran across the demilitarized zone. >> it's not easy to capture a north korean soldier. >> reporter: why? >> they starve themselves, they're trained like that. >> reporter: every recruit learns a song about saving their last bullet for themselves to avoid capture. interviews with several former north korean soldiers reveal one of the world's

largest standing armies lacks regular training in modern warfare. >> i think i fired three bullets. when i moved to special force, we do have more than 20 bullets. >> reporter: most months spent farming and construction. he swam to escape, and the main enemy for him was hunger. grass, potatoes and tree bark, he's said. you ate tree bark. no other food. president zelenskyy is making a offer to kim jong unto swap his soldiers for ukrainians in russia, the captives proof of the widening war, he says. nbc news, seoul. up next, troubling new numbers about cases of dementia. for peopd by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control,

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destruction in california, we have witnessed miracles, big and small. but none quite like the one you're about to see from liz kreutz and a dog named oreo. >> reporter: we met casey amidst the chaos of evacuations. >> boss is calling me, saying is everything okay in the palisades, i'm in the city, i don't know. >> reporter: the resident raced back, renting a bike trying to get to his two dogs, couldn't get past the road block. >> i rescued them off the street, they deserve better. >> reporter: i'm so sorry. >> how do i get to my house? >> reporter: a firefighter went in and rescued one, but oreo was missing. >> this is my daughter, but the behavioral dog, he ran out of the house. >> reporter: later that night, the palisades fire reduced his home to rubble, but his only concern, oreo. five days, he was missing. then casey got a call.

oreo spotted in the neighboring property. >> it's your daddy, hi! how was the fire? oh, honey. oh, honey. oh, my god. >> reporter: it's th happy ending casey prayed for. and there's one person he really wanted to thank. >> this guy saved your life! and you look like a ken doll. >> reporter: cal fire battalion chief. >> if that dog could talk, he would have a story to tell. he would have a national best-seller. >> reporter: had he not knocked down the door, both dogs would have been trapped inside. what do you want to say to brett? >> i met you in the middle of crisis, a firestorm. my dogs would have died if not for you. >> reporter: liz kreutz, los angeles. thanks for watching "nightly news," i'm tom llamas in los angeles. have a great night.

i guess what i'm looking for from you is, i mean, i know how the fire affected me, and there's always a constant fear that who's to say something like that won't happen again? that's fair. we committed to underground, 10,000 miles of electric line. you look back at where we were 10 years ago and we are in a completely different place today, and it's because of how we need to care for our communities and our customers. i hope that's true. [joe] that's my commitment. [ambient noise]