on our broadcast tonight -- the hot zone. there's smoke over l.a., a big, unusual and dangerous fire nowhere near under control. pieces of the puzzle. how could a bizarre kidnapping have gone undetected for so long? flying and the flu. tonight a reality check, how safe is it to fly during swine flu season? and class act. who will watch the kids at college now that parents no longer can? also tonight, how the seven dwarves and the fantastic four now add up to a lot more. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. it is impossible to live or work or do any business in the sprawling city of los angeles tonight without being acutely aware of the fire burning along the outer rim of that city. it's an unusual fire, nowhere near under control. and while it's very early on in what is considered fire season these days, this one isn't wind driven. that's another part of the problem. the smoke is just piling up over los angeles, so the tanker pilots have to fly right into it and hope to hit the target even though they often can't see the orange flames just below them. this fire, in fact, is visible from nasa photos taken from space. that's the smoke plume heading north and east of the fire. nbc's miguel almaguer begins our

coverage for us from the fire line for us tonight. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. this fire is so active, so aggressive, people are conducting what they call rolling evacuations, and aas you can see here, not every homemade it through the fire. it's a movie monster, the station fire devours ridge after ridge across los angeles county. more than 105,000 acres swallowed by flames. >> get up high. >> reporter: the blaze doubled in size last night, an unstoppable force that has firefighters on their heels and neighborhoods on the run. >> if the winds come up, the fires come down and any threat at all, i'm out of here. >> reporter: 6,600 have been forced to evacuate. hundreds more are ordered out each day, some refuse to leave. this as the fire marches on, breaking into different pieces, moving in multiple directions. several los angeles suburbs sit in its path. more than 12,000 homes remained threatened. >> it's like a war zone.

>> reporter: for dozens of homeowners, it's too late. the fire moved so quickly, the true extent of the damage remains unclear. but for finances, the toll is measure in lives. two were killed sunday when their vehicle overturned in rugged terrain. >> we are sad. we are mourning, and we will continue to fight the fire and we will miss our brothers dearly. >> reporter: but the work continues. the governor has declared an emergency in four different counties. >> fires are burning from the north -- the northern border of california all the way south and from the pacific ocean to the sierra nevada. there are fires everywhere. >> reporter: here in l.a., the largest and most dangerous fire requires 2,800 on the ground and an army in the air. these hills haven't burned in 40 years, the perfect recipe, say firefighters, for disaster. even the animals aren't safe. at a wildlife sanctuary, there's nowhere to run. >> i'm terrified because i just

heard that the fire crews may not stay here. >> reporter: a fire that shows more mercy. it's claimed two lives, wiped out dozens of homes and still threatens thousands of others. despite the all-out blitz of firefighters, this fire is only 5% contained. and, brian, as you may be able to notice, the air quality out here is terrible. it's the reason why some local public schools had to cancel classes today. >> miguel almaguer on the fire line for us tonight. thanks, miguel. and remember this particular fire burning very close to the center of los angeles and places like burbank. the fire is also threatening an area of vital communications towers and equipment and the renowned mt. wilson observatory. it's perched high above pasadena. firefighters have been mounting a war to save the top of that mountain. nbc's michael okwu is at a fire command center at the town of lakeview terrace with that part of the story. michael, good evening. >> reporter: good evening,

brian. firefighters have been in a pitch battle trying to save people's homes but they've also been on the foothills fighting to preserve an international landmark. facing a wall of flames half a mile away and thick, choking smoke shrouding the hills for miles a. strike teams were forced to retreat from their stand at mt. wilson. >> all crews have left. when it hits, it might be extremely intense. it's in fate's hands now. >> reporter: to save the mountaintop complex, they launched an air attack to lay down retardant and fire resistant foam. but the intense smoke has hampered viz achblt there's a lot the stake. if flames reach 59,700 foot summit, they could destroy cell phone towers, critical transmitters for police and fire departments and for two dozen tv and radio stations across southern california. knbc in los angeles has been airing this advisory to viewers in case it loses its broadcast signal. >> you can still watch the channel 4 news by going to nb a

nbcla.com. >> if the fire were to overrun the observatory, we would have an extremely difficult time recovering from that -- that disaster. >> reporter: but the biggest worry, the 48-acre $40 million mt. wilson observatory, which for more than a century has been tracking the sun and providing data on the stars beyond. harry mcalester is a professor of stroon my. mcalester said when he learned firefighters had lost ground, he couldn't teach his class for the first time in 32 years. >> mt. wilson is certainly an international treasure. >> reporter: the land mark has featured prominently in our understanding of the universe. founded by george ellery hail in 1908, mt. wilson has been home to the biggest telescopes, including the hooker, which ed wid hubbell used in the 1920s to determine there were galaxies beyond the milkiway. his findings along with einsteins theory of relativity led to the big bang theory. >> it's serve a large community of astronomers and scientists who are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best at this point.

>> reporter: officials say that there's very little doubt that the fire will in fact reach mt. wilson, and they say that it will likely happen at some point today, brian. the only question at this point is how high will the flames burn and how much damage will it do? brian? >> michael okwu at the command post for us tonight. michael, thanks. we head now to the east to washington and elsewhere to the continuing debate over health care reform and questions about what happens now that one of its longtime supporters, senator ted kennedy, is gone. also what to do with that vacancy in the u.s. senate. our chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd is with us tonight with details on how all of this is playing out these days. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. well, look, it's no ordinary senate vacancy. it's involving the kennedys, it's the 60th democratic senate vote in the u.s. senate, and it comes at a time when president obama is desperately trying to get his health care bill passed immediately.

all of this is ingredients for a high-stakes political drama. >> and so we begin in the name of the father and of the son -- >> reporter: less than 48 hours after ted kennedy was laid to rest at arlington cemetery, the political reality of his vacant senate seat has set in. >> in addition to losing a great political leader and friend, his passing leaves a big gap in our con gregsal delegation. >> reporter: massachusetts governor deval patrick said january 19, 2010 for the special election, leaving the potential for the seat to be vacant for five months. >> the congress is debating some of the most historic and significant legislation in decades, bound to affect all of us for decades. >> the question comes -- >> reporter: to avoid a lengthy vacancy, next week the massachusetts legislature begins debating a change in the law to give the governor the power to appoint an interim senator, a power most governors in other states already have. it was a wish senator kennedy himself and his family made known directly to massachusetts' lawmakers. the governor refused to get into the name game today, but did eliminate one candidate, the

senator's widow. >> mrs. kennedy is not interested in the position. >> reporter: sunday ted kennedy's best friend in the senate, chris dodd, was talking up the possibility of a senator vicki ken dib saying, we can certainly use her in the senate but leave it up to her. she has a lot on her mind right now. this senate vacancy comes at a time when president obama and democrats are pondering different strategies to get a health care bill passed, making every single democratic seat crucial, something ted kennedy himself recognized. >> he wanted the vote protected during this critical moment. >> reporter: as for the health care debate, prominent members of both parties are calling on president obama to get more engaged. >> well, i think the president's got to decide in a sense that he has in the step up and really frame this again for us, the leadership can do it. >> reporter: and an unlikely advis adviser, former republican senator bob dole, was more direct. >> he ought to pick up the mantel of leadership and go with it. he is the president. >> reporter: brian, the president now has a staycation part of his vacation.

he's back here at the white house but he spent half the day working, half a day on the golf course. brian? >> chuck todd at the white house for us tonight. chuck, thanks. overseas, the month of august has been the deadliest month yet for u.s. forces in afghanistan. it's official, 51 americans were killed in the war this month, breaking the previous record of 45 set just this past july. and '09 has been the deadliest year of the eight-year war. 182 americans killed so far, with 4 months yet to go in the year. among those honored dead, marine sergeant bill care, buried today with full honors at arlington national cemetery. sergeant care was killed in action on august 13th. he leaves a wife who's expecting twins. bill care was once a congressional staffer to ted kennedy, and last week his family received a letter of condolence from the senator with a signed copy of the book "profiles in courage."

it arrived the day before senator kennedy died, believed to be among the last letters the senator sent out. back to california now and the story that has shocked people all across this country. the kidnapping of jaycee dugard, held in captivity for almost two decades. police are now getting a good luck around what was essentially a backyard prison, as anger about how her captor got away with it now grows. our own george lewis reports tonight from antioch, california. >> reporter: as the police wrap up their search, plenty of people are asking how can a guy like phillip garrido, with a record as a sex offender, have possibly gone completely undetected and held jaycee lee dugard captive for 18 years? these photos show the maze of tents and shacks behind the house where jaycee was held, along with her two daughters by garrido. children's toys and play equipment, something never noticed by law enforcement until now, are plainly visible.

>> i think garrido got away with a lot of what he did get away with is because we as a society just don't pay attention. >> reporter: neighbor don courty, who keeps a knife handy, said like many of the people here, she's angry. >> i would like to peel him like a grape, but that's just my druthers. >> reporter: and because of the anger over this case, a plan to ease california's budget crisis by releasing some prisoners early is in trouble in the state legislature. a search of california's database of sex offenders shows 102 of them living in the zip code where the garrido house is located. it's a rundown, unincorporated area outside the city limits of antioch, california. not near any public schools, so sex offenders can live here legally. but because it's unincorporated, law enforcement is stretched thin. when a neighbor told the sheriff's department she was concerned about the children in garrido's backyard, a deputy only paid a brief visit and

didn't go out back. phillip garrido and his wife have pleaded not guilty to more than two dozen charges, including forcible abduction, rape and unlawful imprisonment. today the county building department put a red tag on their house, meaning it's unsafe to occupy. but the neighbors are wondering why the authorities overlooked all of the red flags about the people inside. george lewis, nbc news, antioch, california. when "nightly news" continues tonight, we'll tell you which president has swine flu. and we'll have a fact check of the real risks of flying during this swine flu season. and later in this college dropoff season, how to make sure they're okay and doing well even if you're not with them. i was hoping it was nothing. grandma! what a nice surprise! mom, it's sunday. that's when i knew i couldn't wait. mom's doctor said these were signs of alzheimer's,

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as you might imagine, is now busy calling anybody he came in contact with. president uribe is expected to make a full recovery. the age of jet travel is responsible for the quick spread of disease and viruses around this planet. the inside of a plane has been called a high-risk environment for swine flu, so we asked for a reality check on the safety of flying this season. here's our chief science correspondent robert bazell. >> all confirmed passengers please report to concourse a. >> reporter: more than a billion passengers board airplanes around the world every year. for now, neither the world health organization nor the centers for disease control recommend restrictions on travel in response to the swine flu pandemic. >> it never happens the way it's planned for. >> right. >> reporter: although officials like dr. daniel jurnigan of the cdc acknowledge there is some risk aboard airplanes. >> certainly that's a setting where there's a lot of chance for getting an infection. >> reporter: the danger is not

the air. the cabin air in planes is steadily replenished from the outside, even in high altituded and and recirculates through filters that can trap most particles. james may heads the industry trade group, the air transport association. >> we have better air quality on board an airplane then there is in the average office building. >> reporter: experts say the biggest danger is having a sick person cough or sneeze almost directly on nearby passengers. >> the real key is self-policing. if you're not well, if you're ill, stay home. >> reporter: i asked if airlines would refund fares to people who feel they are too sick to fly. >> that is a decision that will be made on a carrier-by-carrier basis, and we encourage people to contact the provider of their travel. >> reporter: we checked with several of the largest airlines. some said they would offer a refund if the passenger submits a doctor's note. others said it was decided on a case-by-case basis. the other danger of infection in flight comes from touching

surfaces and then your own mouth, nose or eyes. the best defense is frequent handwashing with either soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. some doctors are even suggesting airlines pass out small bottles of hand sanitizer. there's no decision on that. but the industry is in constant contact with the federal government about contingency plans, what might need to be done if the epidemic becomes severe, and we hope it doesn't. >> that expression self-policing comes into play at some point. bob bazell, thanks, as always. when we come back after a break, is next hurricane tames frame. and what it is in the next photo that's so small it's never been captured in a single image before. and high cholesterol is a major factor. but crestor can help slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. go to arterytour.com and take an interactive tour to learn how plaque builds up. and then ask your doctor if crestor is right for you. along with diet,

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baja peninsula in mexico preparing for the arrival of hurricane jemina. it's expected to skirt the area of cabos san lucas and make

landfall later in the week. of course, they can use rain in l.a. normally, you would never see what we're about to show you because it's a photo of something so small, it's never been photographed until now but this is a single molecule, be five interconnected rings of carbon and hydrogen atoms, about a million times smaller than a grain of sand, captured with state of the art image photography by the guys at ibm. by the way, it's a molecule of something called penticime, chosen because its molecules are flat, therefore, easier to keep in focus and they seldom blink. a big business deal to report tonight. disney is buying marvel entertainment, and its stable of thousands of comic book characters, including "spider-man," "captain america" and "the incredible hulk." the price tag f. approved, $4 billion. where potential customers are concerned, analysts said the acquisition would give disney a leg up with boys after it cornered the princess market, as

it's called, for girls years ago. on wall street today, stocks were lower after a big sell-off in asia. china's main stock index has fallen 25% in less than one month. the dow finished the day down just under 48 points. when we continue in just a moment, as millions of parents take millions of kids off to college, an answer to the question who's watching out for the kids now?

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finally tonight, a story for my fellow newly minted empty nesters out there, as a matter of fact, for anybody who just dropped a child off at college. it's that time they tell us they're ready to go, they have to go, and now you have to let them go. but how do you know they're okay and all launched on the right trajectory? what about things like, i don't know, good grades and graduating from college? the story tonight from purdue university in indiana and nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: at purdue university, this is what orientation week looks like for 7,000 freshmen. >> this is elliot hall of music. >> reporter: tuition, as much as

$37,000 a year. with so much at stake, purdue is committed to helping students manage their rigorous courses and their time. the result -- 86% of freshmen make it to their second year. but purdue wants more. >> we wouldn't be true to our mission if we were not concerned with making sure that we serve the students well, making sure they finished. >> reporter: retaining students, especially beyond the first year, is a national concern. a recent study shows that 34% of all college freshmen did not return to the same institution for their sophomore year. it's the highest percentage of students who opted out for failed to make the grade in 20 years. this fall purdue has something new to help incoming freshmen and sophomores at a cost to the university of $47 per student. it's called signals, a first of its kind computerized course management system that not only charts quizzes and exams, but also student effort in the most difficult classes. >> signals can take into account

practice quiz outcomes. it can take into account number of times students log in to chat groups for the course. it can log the number of times student look at the homework. >> reporter: instructors use the information to track students' progress. similar to a traffic light, green, yellow or red, pops up on stipt's computer or cell phone. they get an e-mail two weeks before the class starts. >> in this case the signal was yellow and it says, caution, you can do better in this class. >> let's gather around right here. >> reporter: his math grade went from c to b. >> once i saw it bump into the yellow i was like, hey, i really need to step up my game here. >> signals is not the answer but it's part of the answer. making students feel we do care how successful they are at this university. >> reporter: one university helping students me the most of their investment and

green-lighting their future. rehema ellis, nbc news, west lafayette, indiana. and that's our broadcast for this monday night as we start off a new week. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com