is anthony captioning sponsored by cbs >> mason: burned to the ground. deadly wildfires wipe out entire california neighborhoods. >> their whole life is gone. >> mason: and the flames are still spreading out of control. >control. also tonight, a las vegas hotel worker's frantic alert before the massacre. >> call the police. someone is firing a gun up here. someone is firing a rifle on the 32nd floor down the hallway. >> mason: 10 suspects are arrested in an l.s.u. hazing death. the boy scouts open their ranks to girls. and highest honors today for military heroes. >> reporter: why do you love coffee so much? >> because she brought my daddy

home. this is the "cbs evening news." >> mason: good evening. i'm anthony mason. dry and powerful winds are kickinguf agaiing up again in nn california, creating blowtorch conditions. the state is a multifront war zone. a growing number of out-of-control fires, 22 at latest count have, burned more than 170,000 acres. since sunday, at least 21 people have been killed. nearly 400 have been reported missing. more than 3500 homes and businesses are wiped out. carter evans begins our coverage. >> reporter: amid yet another day of burning homes and towering flames, cal fire chief did not mince words: >> this is a serious, critical, catastrophic event. >> reporter: this just-released dash cam video is from a sonoma county patrol car,

a deputy driving through the flames. that hellish view is also what california highway patrol paramedic whitney lowe saw from the sky. he air lifted 44 people to safety, but one man refused to leave his elderly parents. >> that's when it became real. these are people who think they're never going to see their family again. i have five kids and a wife so that's the same decision i would have made. but i hope i never have to make that decision. >> reporter: they all got out safely. out on the front lines of one of the worst wildfires california has ever seen-- this is not a backfire, is it? >> no, this is just ahead of the fire creeping down on this hillside right now. >> reporter: cal fire battalion chief jonathan cox. >> we have firefighters working since sunday night when the fire broke out, and there's a real sense of and were mission with these firefighters. >> reporter: with each day comes a greater awareness of just how massive and how extraordinary the destruction

is-- entire neighborhoods, obliterated. this was nina court in santa rosa, row after row of beautiful homes, full of life. this is the same street today. there is nothing left, nothing. and now, with more strong wind in the forecast, firefighters are desperately trying to put out hot spots. what worries you the most? >> that the red flags may-- may push this fire in other direction. so these firefighters right here are literally the line between the front of this fire and thousands of homes that are being impacted right now. >> reporter: and that wind is already starting to kick up. it's forecast to get up to 30 miles per hour. that could fan the flames, causing even more destruction like this. you can get an idea of roughly how hot this fire was by looking at the rims on in vehicle. anthony, aluminum melts at 1200 degrees. >> mason: wow. carter evans, thanks. firefighters doing incredible work there in california. the fires have also knocked out cell phone service, makin makint more difficult for people to call for and to get help.

and for families to locate loved ones. here's mireya villarreal. >> reporter: sunday night, sheriffs department dispatchers were flooded with hundreds of calls for help. >> reporter: the coffee park neighborhood was demolished by the fire. heather bauer's mother barely made it out before the wildfire consumed her home. did anybody get any warnings? >> no. i went outside to check, and it was just-- it was like a-- literally like a tornado outside. and there was just ash everywhere. >> people don't have landlines anymore. >> reporter: sonoma county sheriff rob giordino, admits calling people was difficult. >> now without landlines if you don't sign your phone up, you don't get that service. >> reporter: 77 cell towers went down with the fire.

it didn't just affect first responders. this is pam hughes, one of hundreds reported missing. families posted on facebook, but now her niece, karma hughes, is going from shelter to shelter trying to find her. >> i don't know how to get any word to her when, you know, i'm using what resources i do have. this is the note i posted yesterday. >> reporter: as a last resort, she posted a handblin note along with dozens of others on this door. >> it's an absolute war zone, and you can't find anybody, and in this case, my aunt and i, she's right here in this town. >> reporter: normally the sheriff's department gets about 3,000 calls in one month. in the last four days, they've received over 1600. but communication in this area is getting better. of the 77 cell towers that went down, 64 of them are back up and running now. anthony. >> mason: mireya villarreal, thanks, mireya. we know more tonight about what was going on inside a las vegas hotel just before a gunman opened fire on an outdoor

concert. but there are still questions about the timeline. jamie yuccas is in las vegas. >> reporter: in a hotel radio recording, you hear some of the first gunshots shord by 64-year-old stephen paddock from heads his mandalay bay suite. the voice is building engineer stephen schuck. he arrived to find security guard jesus campos under fire. the recording and a revised police timeline show that although officers initially told reporters campos interrupted paddock's assault on the concert-goers, paddock actually first fired through the door at campos, six minutes before the deadly attack. >> nobody is trying to be nefarious. nobody is trying to hide anything. >> reporter: clark county sheriff joseph lombardo defended the shift this morning to our cbs station in las vegas. >> what we want to do is draw

the most accurate picture we can. and i'm telling you right now, today, that that timeline might change again. >> reporter: in a statement, margaret brennan, the owner of mandalay bay, disputedly the latest police timeline, but gave no detail, saying in part, "we believe what is currently being expressed may not be accurate." in a taped interview with the "las vegas review-journal" lombardo said police have yet to find a motive for the attack. he said paddock did not have gambling debts and that he traveled to mesquite, nevada, several times in the days before the shooting. it's an area cbs news learned law enforcement thinks he may have used for target practice. >> we're looking for a trigger point and right now, we haven't been able to find one. >> reporter: sheriff lombardo says paddock's girlfriend was not concerned with his mental health, and, anthony, it appears a bellman may have helped paddock get his bags to his room. >> mason: jamie yuccas in las vegas. thanks, jamie. president trump today denounced an nbc news report that he's planning a "10fold increase in

the u.s. nuclear arsenal." he called it pure fiction meant to demean him, and he threatened to challenge network licenses. there are nearly a dozen nbc tv stations licensed by the f.c.c. it's a page out of the nixon playbook, which included license challenges and threats of antitrust suits against the networks. nearly 30 women have now accused movie mogul harvey weinstein of sexual harassment or assault. his studio fired him, politicians and hollywood actors have denounced him. now a new york d.a. is defending a decision not to prosecute him. here's jericka duncan. >> for the first time since the explosive allegation, t.m.z. obtained video of harvey weinstein outside a home in los angeles. >> get the car. >> reporter: and under growing pressure, manhattan district attorney cyrus vance jr. explained today his decision to not prosecute weinstein for alleged swul assault.

>> if we is had a case we felt we could prosecute and my experts felt we could have charged we would have. >> the charge stemmed after ambra battilana gutierrez claimed weinstein groped her. police wider her the next day to see if weinstein would make a move. the "new yorker" obtained the audio. >> reporter: but less than two weeks after that encounter, vance decided to close the case, citing lack of evidence to prove criminal intent. attorney caroline polisi: >> they are doing a total mea culpa saying, had we known the n.y.p.d. was conducting this undercover operation, we would have counseled miss gutierrez what to say. >> reporter: due to the two-year statute of limitations

on misdemeanor sexual assaults, weinstein could now never be charged criminally for what he allegedly did to gutierrez. but there is no statute of limitations in new york for alleged rapes that occurred after 2005. weinstein has not been charged with rape. a number of women who claimed weinstein assaulted him were paid settlements ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. according to a source involved in the internal investigation, the weinstein company did not pay one dollar to alleged victims of sex assault and rape allegations on behalf of weinstein. we reached out to the los angeles county district attorney's office, and the l.a.p.d. because alleged assaults happened in those jurisdictions. fors say they have no record of any reports filed against weinstein. anthony. >> mason: jericka, thank you. 10 suspects were arrested today in the death of a praternity pledge at louisiana state university. the 10, all current or former l.s.u. students, are accused of

forcing the pledge to drink extreme amounts of alcohol. omar villafranca is in baton rouge. >> reporter: 19-year-old student matthew nokan turned himself into l.s.u. police this morning, charged withing in homicide and hazing in the death of 18-year-old max gruber. nine other men, ranging from 18-21, also surrender, each facing one misdemeanor hazing charge. eight are current l.s.u. students. all were members of the phi delta theta attorney. the national organization terminated membership today. attorney for zachary hall: >> well, he's very sad about what happened, who isn't, all right? and that was a fellow fraternity brother of his, and he feels horrible about that, but he had-- he had nothing to do with those unfortunate circumstances. >> reporter: groover was an l.s.u. freshman from roswell, georgia. on september 13, police records show pledges received a text that said bible study would take

place at the chapter house that night. pledges were quid about the praternity's history, and if they got an answer wrong, they were forced to drink alcohol. a witness told police a highly intoxerated gruver was left on the coach. but the next morning he was found way weak pulse. fraternity members took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. an autopsy showed that gruver's blood alcohol level was six times the legal liments. gruver is the second student to die in an alcohol-fueled hazing incident this year. 19-year-old penn state student timothy piazza died at a fraternity party in january. the district attorney plans to take the case to a grand jury which could decide on additional charges if necessary. anthony. >> mason: omar villafranca in baton rouge. thanks. in syria, the u.s.-led coalition said today there will be no deal to let isis fighters withdraw from raqqa before it is liberated in the next few days. the coalition is work to free about 4,000 civilians trapped

there. holly williams in northern syria has the story of an american teenager who made it out. >> reporter: on the edge of raqqa, these women have just escaped isis territory. when one of them reveals she's american. >> i'm from kansas. i've been in syria for five years. >> reporter: she's just 15 years old and says she was brought to syria by her father, against her will. >> my father, of course, he didn't tell us that we're coming to syria. when it was time to, like, get out of the car and cross the border, he was like, "you're going to syria." and yeah, it was a really big shock. >> reporter: her father was later killed, she says, leaving her to fend for herself. she's a devout muslim, but hated isis. >> we were prisoners. we were just, you know, quiet, shut up, sit down, you're in your house. you have nothing to say.

be glad your head isn't chopped off. >> reporter: this blog, previously written by her mother, shows the girl in happier times, a seemingly normal american family. because she's still a minor, we're not revealing her identity. her mother, she thinks, is still in the u.s. >> hi, mom. please, if you see this video, please... contact me. >> reporter: she also misses the comforts of home. >> there's a restaurant called the texas roadhouse. they have steak there. >> reporter: it's easy to forget she's just a teenager when she describes what she's seen. >> when you walk outside, there's-- intestines on the street. there's a head cut off from the shrapnel. there's a-- there's a leg. >> reporter: she married a syrian man, she says, who was recently killed by an air strike and is now six months braeg his

child. >> i still have hope, hope to go to school, hope to be a normal person, hope to be a mother to my child. >> reporter: holly williams, cbs news, in northern syria. >> mason: remarkable reporting there from holly. still ahead on the cbs evening news, girls in the boy scouts. it's happening, scout's honor. and dogs and vets. these pooches are both. food... and the pill that starts with f. farxiga, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. lowering a1c by up to 1.2 points. do not take if allergic to farxiga. if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking and seek medical help right away. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate.

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♪ do you want clean, stain free dentures? try polident. the four in one cleaning system kills 99.99% of odor causing bacteria, cleans where brushing may miss. helps remove stains and prevent stain build up. use polident daily. >> mason: the boy scouts will soon be adding girls to their ranks. the announcement today is likely to make its sister organization, the girl scouts, unhappy campers. here's jim axelrod. >> reporter: saying the values of scouting are important for both young men and women, the head of the bow scouts of america, mike surbaugh, explained the announcement. >> we talked to parents about what they want for their kids, and what we heard is that they want their sons and daughters to have a place where they can come as a family, participate in

exciting activities that lead to character and leadership development. >> reporter: the boy scouts will start admitting girls next year. cub scout dens, the smallest unit, will remain single gender. the larger cub scout packs comprised of several dens will have the option of remaining all boys or welcoming girls. the program for older girls will start in 2919 and allow them to pursuit coveted rank of eagle scout. to hear the bow scouts tell it, the move was driven by requests from families to open up the organization to both boys and girls. >> it's really amazing. >> reporter: 16-year-old sydney ireland, who has been an unofficial member of her brother's group since he was four, wanted to become an eagle scout, just like her brother. >> not every girl to want to do the things that the girl scouts do. i want to do the things that the boy scouts do. >> reporter: but critics say the move is designed to boost the boy scouts' diminishing membership, critics like the girl scouts, also facing

declining numbers. the girl scouts didn't address the boy scouts specifically today, but when word first leaked that the boy scouts might admit girls, the headline of the girl scouts wrote a letter addressed to the b.s.a.: anthony. >> mason: jim axelrod, thanks, jim. still ahead, a major city sours on taxing sweet drinks. s, and 150 years of strength and stability. and when you're able to harness all of that, that's the power of pacific. ask a financial advisor about pacific life.

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>> mason: the busy hurricane season broke a record today when ophelia became the tenth consecutive hurricane to form in the atlantic. that hasn't happened since 1893. ophelia could hit ireland next week. chicago today canned a penny-an-ounce tax on soft drinks. it was meant to curb obesity and diabetes. but the public and the beverage industry didn't like it. philadelphia and san francisco are among cities with similar

taxes. chicago's fizzles out december 1. now, you want to see pure joy? have a look at this. in south jordan, utah, the school office manager told 11-year-old tannah butterfield her foster parents just won court approval to adopt her and two younger siblings. tannah wouldn't let go calling it the best thing that's ever happened to me. what happiness looks like. up next, honors for heroes on four legs. "volatile markets." something we all think about as we head into retirement. it's why brighthouse financial is committed to help protect what you've earned and ensure it lasts. introducing shield annuities, a line of products that allow you to take advantage of growth opportunities. while maintaining a level of protection in down markets. so you can head into retirement with confidence. talk with your advisor about shield annuities

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fixodent. strong more like natural teeth. we danced in a german dance group. i wore lederhosen.man. when i first got on ancestry i was really surprised that i wasn't finding all of these germans in my tree. i decided to have my dna tested through ancestry dna. the big surprise was we're not german at all. 52% of my dna comes from scotland and ireland. so, i traded in my lederhosen for a kilt. ancestry has many paths to discovering your story. get started for free at ancestry.com. >> mason: every dog has its day, and this day belongs to four very special dogs-- ranger, capa, alfie, and coffee.

here's cbs news k-9 correspondent chip reid. >> reporter: on capitol hill today, these retired working dogs were awarded the american humane k-9 medal of courage, the highest honor for military dogs for heroic service in afghanistan and iraq. ranger sniffed out bombs for the u.s. marines. capa did the same for the navy, alfie after two tours in afghanistan now works for the t.s.a. he was reunited today with his marine handler, will herron. >> remember me? >> reporter: after four long years apart. >> i think alfie is as true a friend as you could possibly have. >> reporter: coffee did three tours in afghanistan with army sergeant james bennett. she led the way again and again, alerting him and his fellow marines to roadway bombs. >> she's never lost a soldier, ever. >> reporter: she's saved a lot of lives. >> yes, sir. >> reporter: including perhaps yours. >> i know mine. >> reporter: do you consider her a hero? >> i consider her an angel.

this one, she brought me home. >> reporter: his wife, lindsay, couldn't agree more. >> she is the reason i have my husband. >> we have 17 years of marriage right now, and we wouldn't considerv that. >> yeah, no. >> without her. >> we wouldn't have the three kids we have without her. >> reporter: lindsay bennett says coffee now has a new mission: instead of keeping u.s. marines safe, she's watching over her children. who here loves coffee. raise your hand. why do you love coffee so much? >> because she brought my daddy home! >> reporter: they're well aware that at 13, coffee is approaching her last years. >> i want her to enjoy this last part. she's earned it. >> reporter: for 10 years of devoted military service, love is her endless reward. chip reid, cbs news, washington. >> mason: a soldier's best friend. we salute ranger, capa, alfie, and coffee. that's the cbs evening news. i'm anthony mason in new york. thanks for watching. good night.

the movie mogul sex scandal. >> disturbing new details of what harvey weinstein's victims say happened in his hotel room. >> and is he about to flee america by private jet? then, imagine watching flames encroach on your home from 20 miles away. >> my father wants to know how his house is. >> and saving baby sebastian. the eight-month-old boy who needs emergency heart surgery. >> they're bringing back a baby who is in dire need of medical care. >> diane mcinerney's desperate race to save the little guy. plus, leapin' lizards! the real story behind the girl who just found out she's been adopted. >> that's a good hug! >> and the kindergartners t