possibly be contained right now from what we're seeing, but we're told it's not under control, but it's contained meaning it's not threatening homes or businesses in the area. people have been warned to do whatever they can not to breathe this smoke that's billowing out, not necessarily because there are dangerous chemicals stored over there, but simply because the smoke is very thick and not healthy or good to breathe. route 206 in the area was closed partially when we got here. i imagine it's more extensively closed at this point, so avoid the area as much as possible, and it's too early at this point to talk about a cause of this fire. i know that there are several fire departments called to the scene to try and help local fire departments get this fire under control and knocked down, so right now it's still very, very much, high flames you can see there, we're several hundred yards away, but my photographer is able to zoom in

flames are going, and smoke traveling for miles and miles. that's the latest, toni yates, eyewitness news back to you guys. >> thank you, we'll stay on top of that story. turning now to the tactic blast headed -- arctic blast headed our way, coming this weekend we'll see dangerously cold wind chills of minus 20 or worse. >> we could be breaking a record, not a record anyone wants to break, wind chill watches issued, and meteorologist lee goldberg has the hard cold facilities outside the -- facts outside the studios. >> reporter: a piece of the north pole wants to relocate to the tristate area over the next several days in two stages. one today and a much more severe step down over the weekend. outside we're at 23 right now, then a gusty wind and feel like readings in the teen, that's one of high wind chills across the area. looking at single ding nits for most -- digits for most. the wind chill watch was

valley and new jersey, and it feels like 0 in white plains right now. 11belmar and 8 in newark. the winds howling the first part of evening, but subsiding later on. clouds starting to break up, and looks like there's a nasty line of snow showers across parts of central new jersey, but in fact it's smoke from the fire that toni yates is at, and it goes 50 to 75 miles offshore, that's how strong the winds are. all right, we stepped down into the 20s, kind of stabilize tomorrow with light winds. similar temperature, then friday night into saturday morning we drop off the cliff with temperatures and wind chills, so single digits wind chills tonight, and tomorrow 20s but less winds, so not as harsh, then extreme cold arriving early saturday morning, arriving with a snow squall that could coat area roads, then feeling like 10 to

saturday, and then the low is 2 set back in 1916, possible we tie it or go below it if we go to 0, it's the first time in new york city since 1994. this winter is building up quite a resume. the timing and chances of snow in the seven-day forecast, and tips to keep you prepared all coming up in a few minutes in weather. bill and liz back to you for now. and now to the criminal charges in the deadly gas explosion in the east village last year that killed two people. five people were charged today, including the building's owner, her son, and a contractor. investigators said they did illegal work to restore gas after it was turned off by con ed. the explosive levered three buildings. we talked to the -- leveled three buildings. we talked to the family of the one of the victims. >> reporter: liz, it's been an emotional day for nicholas, one of the two people killed last year. his family lives here and have been waiting for this day for a

indictments caught them by surprise today. >> i do want justice, i want them to go to jail. >> reporter: he says while it won't bring his son back, the indictments are a start. while his heart is forever broken, he's relieved those responsible might soon be held accountable. his 23-year-old sonic lass, one of two people -- son nicholas, one of two killed in the gas explosion last march. he was on a date at a restaurant in the east village, when his life was taken in an instant. his family still lighting a candle every night in their home. >> i miss him dearly. you know, he was my oldest son, as you know, and without him being here, you know, it's killing us. >> when you are responsible for the construction renovation and the powering of buildings, you are responsible for handling dangerous instrument, and when you tinker with the gas system and hook up as happened here, you have in fact weaponnized the building. >> reporter: the district

preventable and completely avoidable gas explosion. the devastating blast knocking down three buildings, and nearly leveling an entire city block. arrested this morning, five people. the owner of building and her son michael, who managed it. the general contractor, and two plumbers, who prosecutors say provided their license to unlicensed plumbers. officials say he performed illegal renovation work to the building's gas system the previous year, allowing the landlord to rent apartments for $6,000 a month. >> i'm thankful those responsible will be held responsible for letting greed color their decisions rather than respect for human life. >> they get to wish happy birthday to their sons and loved ones, and i don't. all i have is memories, good memories of my son from the day he was born to the day he died. >> reporter: his parents still

to remember their son, and it's been a long year for his parents. as for the defendants, the maximum charge of manslaughter carries a sentence of 15 years behind bars. day three of deliberations and still no verdict in the manslaughter child of a new york city police officer. yesterday jurors asked to handle the gun used by him in the deadly shooting. the officer testified in his own defense claiming he was startled by a noise causing him to fire one shot into a dark stairwell after a housing complex in brooklyn back in 2014. a 28-year-old man was killed. guilty of manslaughter, that verdict tonight in the trial of a man for the death of a nassau county police officer. controversial trial because the man on trial isn't the driver who hit and killed the cop, but under the theory this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been driving drunk, he's going to spend years in prison.

she has more. >> reporter: james ryan found not guilty of the top charge, ago rain forest sated vehicle homicide -- aggravated vehicle homicide, but found guilty of a lesser homicide charge, and he could spend 20 years in prison. this is not how the 28-year-old wanted this to go. he can spend the next two decades of his life behind bars. >> there are no winners in this case. there's no victory to be celebrated. one family will never get their son back, and the defendant's life will be forever impacted. >> reporter: ryan's attorney says it shouldn't be this way, though. that the driver that actually hit the police officer is walking free. ryan admits he was driving drunk and speeding on the lie when he used a multivehicle accident in october of 2012. the savesser was responding to the -- the officer was responding to the incident and was hit by another car.

so why is ryan asked his attorney? >> they continue to hold him responsible for the acts of others that take place thereafter who in my view are at best negligent, and wreckless. it's not appropriate. >> reporter: jurors say indeed they struggled with that. >> we want to be careful from the details. >> reporter: the officer's father was in court for the verdict, but too emotional to speak with reporters. >> it's been a roller coaster ride for the family, and still will be for awhile for them while they settle and try to deal and absorb what happened today. >> reporter: so why aren't prosecutors charging the man who actually hit the police officer? to that question, the district attorney responded we wouldn't be here if james ryan. kristin thorne, eyewitness news. now to vote 2016, and a key endorsement today for hillary clinton.

political action committee says it will back the former secretary of state. 90 percent of board members voted to support her. clinton's democratic rival sanders did not receive any votes. >> there's no question that the person that has obtained the most results and benefits for communities of colors and everyone in america in my opinion, but especially getting democrats elected, there's not even close. it's not even close, it's hillary clinton. >> well clinton and sanders return to the debate stage in wisconsin tonight. meanwhile on the republican side, nine days before south carolina's republican primary, candidates converged on that state. marco rubio says he'll keep his campaign going until the republican nomination is decided.

kasich. he says while his rivals are ramping up attacks against him, he pledges to run a positive campaign. and the falling price of oil driving down stocks, the price of crude a barrel below $27. as we continue with eyewitness news on this thursday night, a day care teacher accused of abusing children, including pushing kids to the floor. more disturbing details coming involving uber. will it mean a longer wait for passengers at the airport and train station? and problems for a couple of cruise ship passengers back from a turbulent voyage. they're now under arrest, and wait until you hear why. and we're continuing to follow the fierce fire in new jersey, still out of control, at least two buildings now having that

the two buildings. dep recommending people shelter in place. area.

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well a day care teacher in new jersey under arrest tonight accused of abusing toddlers in her care, the alleged abuse happened in wood cliff lake at the kinder care center.

the welfare of a child and child abuse, police saying she abused four children under the age of two, pushing and dropping them, and throwing things at them. thankfully the children didn't suffer any significant injuries. >> >. a promise from uber to pay the fines and towing from drivers caught in a growing battle with lawmakers in new jersey trying to crack down on the car service. the mayor asking state law mangers to tougherren -- lawmakers to toughen penalties against drivers that violate the city's taxi cab ordinance. uber says it's going to pay barack obama drivers fine -- back drivers fined or towed. two passengers on the cruise ship that sailed into a storm stepped off the ship and into police custody. port authority police arrested two men from massachusetts for marijuana possession. crew members reported smelling the substance after the ship docked last night. royal caribbean's anthem of the

after the ship traveled into that massive storm with 125- mile per hour winds. new york city now has a panel of health experts to help the city address the zika virus. the mayor introducing it the panellable as a way to deal with the possible challenges that lie ahead. it's present in 25 countries in latin america and the caribbean. >> the city of new york is working closely with the cdc and state government on the issue of zika, but we also know the ability to turn directly to experts who live and work here in the city is something that's very important for us to take full advantage of us to protect our people. >> health officials don't expect widespread transmission in the us, but the federal government shipping tests for pregnant women to local health departments.

on order toll shelter -- an order to shelter around the industrial park where two industrial buildings are on fire, and it's not under control yet. >> very windy and very cold for those firefighters out there tonight too. >> oh, just impossible conditions. we're seeing it on radar, and at first i thought the snow showers are enhanced, then i heard about the fire, it's unbelievable, the radar seeing smoke all the way out in the atlantic, about 80 miles. amazing shot of lower manhattan, amazing sunset, really pretty outside, but it's nasty out the door. white caps on the harbor and hudson. we're at 23. humidity at 31 percent, the barometer on the rise, the high just after midnight.

get yourself and your family ready for the freeze. a lot of layers, hat, improves, have a scarf, cover your mouth, home and in the car have blanket, know the signs of frostbite, afeeing, dizzy -- fatigue, disciness, and limit time outside. feels -- overnight the winds die down after midnight, starting out tomorrow at 81, go to about -- 18, go to about 21. clouds, and lighter winds in the afternoon. lori stokes the radar -- there's the radar, and the plume of smoke sending all the way out into the atlantic. otherwise, radar quiet. clouds breaking up. the first of two cold fronts pass by today, we wait for the next one friday night.

really relocated into the tristate area, and temperatures feel like 20 to 30 below 0. watch temperatures here. spots. clouds increase tomorrow, the wind not too bad and upper 20s. stabilize with the numbers, not as harsh tomorrow afternoon without the wind, but that changes by saturday morning. snow showers by the way, tomorrow evening from a storm coast. later at night into saturday morning it's a squall line with the next arctic front. look at the numbers, 20 degrees, and then temperatures nose dive during the day. by the end of the day 0. 14 in the park. through the day tomorrow, the wind chills, about the same, saturday morning about 0, 11 below to the north and west,s

daylight hours from 5 below to 25 below in the afternoon hours sunday, so flurries tonight, clearing, wind chills 5 to 10, wind backs off. sun giving way to clouds tomorrow. very cold, but not as harsh, that changes later tomorrow night. increasing wind with flurries, squall late, watch out for slippery spots in the morning saturday. saturday, 40-mile per hour winds, dropping to the teens, wind chills below 0, down to 2 at night, maybe even 0, that would be the first time since 94. valentine's day the coldest day of the winter. 19 degree, recovering early next week with a big rainstorm. >> thanks rob. >> we've got some baseball news come up, a former yankees player getting ready to be honor, and the current players getting ready for spring training. david wright talks about the

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just in time for the cold were weather in awhile -- coldest weather in a while we have baseball spring training. >> yes, i leave in a week. one week to go, and fans get what they wanted. today here in town, a joint venture to benefit the yankees and red sox. the general managers of the both teams in a public setting talking baseball, and putting the rivalry aside to help those that need it. the yankees looking for a deeper playoff run. health key for the them as well, but with a week to go before it starts up again, the yankees like where they're at. >> i think if we stay healthy without a doubt, i like the

of strength to it, and clearly the most important aspect is the rotation. if we stay healthy we'll be a team to reckon with. >> and they announced today they'll dedicate a plaque to rivera. mets get everything started next thursday as well. first work out pitchers and catchers next friday. a good number of position players are in florida including david wright. sidelined most of the season with back issue, but wright has high hopes with this season coming up fast, so that's why he's already in florida. >> the weather has been good down here, so it's nice to get down and get a little head start so the first couple of days of spring you're not playing catch up. >> and now he just needs to stay healthy. the pitching staff one through five for the mets may be the best in baseball, but that's no reason to rest. he wants to push through camp

best it can be, and it can be very good. he got that taste last year, and says it's addicting. >> >. playing inth world series in front of the fans, they're so hungry, and to do that for the fans and yourself that pushes you and motivates you. >> >. and time for a second red sox reference, have you seen fenway park this week? the ramp is 14 stories tall. >> no way! wow! >> most think it's cool. >> that's awesome. >> two nba games tonight, and that's it. then every team on the break. the nets and knicks both with interim head coaches into the break, and fewer wins than four teams in the league added together, but things could be worse. the suns teammates got into it during a time out. they say they're friends but

good now. and finally from us, tennis from italy, brown serving. nice, but watch brown go deep into the tool box, and come up with the shot behind his back. he earns the point, placed perfectly, but didn't earn the match, but got a heck of a point. you could not have made that more perfect. >> and they all went out for pasta with clam sauce after. and sade baderinwa has more on the news at 11:00. we're looking to score tickets to a popular concert, four things to do to increase your chance, and more on the search for a man suspected other of a crime against a crew wish man on the -- jewish man on the street, and so many sweeteners out there, which one is the best? we'll test them at 11:00. >> that's it for us tonight,. >> >. the world news is up n,

great night. tonight, the race for the white house and donald trump's bold prediction. the republican front-runner and what he said is coming, if he wins south carolina. just as his feud with jeb bush takes a new turn tonight. hillary clinton set to face off with bernie sanders, as they now battle for the south. get ready for the deep freeze. the arctic blast across more than 20 states. the dangerous commute already. it will feel well below zero across much of this country. tonight, the fbi ordering armed protesters to surrender. >> i'm a free man, i will die a free man. >> the standoff taking a dramatic turn, and we're there. the deadly gas explosion and now the charges tonight. two people killed, three buildings leveled. and prosecutors this evening arguing, it was all because of greed. and we have breaking news involving bill cosby's wife. and gas prices dropping to