on the broadcast tonight, sweltering heat and the struggle to restore power to more than a million people still in the dark four days after deadly storms. on the fire lines in the west. some good news for a change, and an outpouring of thanks for the dedication and courage for those exhausted firefighters. and remembering andy griffith, america's favorite small town sheriff. tonight his tv son opie on the loss of a national treasure. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

on the eve of the july 4th holid holiday, a time usually for fun and family, for many, there is no escaping the extreme heat, adding to the misery in the mid-atlantic region, patience is starting to run out with power still out for more than a million households. we begin once again with tom costello in the nation's capital. good evening, tom. >> good evening to you. we could have picked any one a neighbor neighborhoods here in d.c. and virginia. power line are down, trees are down. they're slowly getting power back, but it could be until the weekend until everyone has power back. the concern is the death toll may rise with the heat taking a toll. across a huge section of the country today, the growl of chainsaws filled the air, and neighborhoods still trying to dig out from a storm that passed four days ago.

>> it surprises me that we have the debris, but more than that, that we haven't seen a truck. >> reporter: a lot of neighborhoods haven't seen a truck. roughly 1.25 million people still have no electricity. they're suffering through another day of suffocating heat and high humidity. >> if i open the door, it's like the devil. he says come on in, because i'm going back down where it's cooler, where i came from. >> reporter: the downed lines suddenly came alive torching the cars on the ground. >> the electric today is reading 89. >> reporter: the heat has forced sandra brown to abandon the top floors of her house and move to a couch in the basement. >> reporter: rebuilding an electric grid has been a challenge. these crews brought in from canada were treated as heroes anxious to get plugged in. one top priority, restoring

power to 33 nursing homes in maryland that were without power yesterday. today, all had at least backup power, but four were still without air conditioning. even before the storm, the biggest power company in washington was under intense scrutiny for a pattern of outages. now, widespread anger. >> i think people are fed up with power outages. and we need a game changer. >> reporter: the disaster was an act of god. >> we do take responsibility, we know there things that had to be changed and we're making that effort. >> reporter: the heat extends well beyond the d.c. region from the plains to the atlantic, from north to south. in wisconsin it caused highway 29 to buckle sending this suv flying. extreme temps following an extreme storm leaving a massive cleanup. live here in d.c., let's talk about who's most exposed and most at risk. the elderly, very young and sick

are the people they're most concerned about. if you have food in your fridge and haven't had power in a few days, you have to throw everything out. and it would be a good idea to treat every wire as a live wire. out west, finally some good news along the front line of the wildfires in colorado. more families are returning home. for the fire crews still working the front lines, the kindest show of support. >> reporter: in the scorched hills above colorado springs, firefighters finally turn the corner. crews mop up the blaze that killed two, devoured 28 square miles and destroyed 346 homes. today six of the air force c-130s are back in the firefight, grounded after sunday's fatal crash that killed four aboard air tanker number 7. >> we obviously are very

troubled by the crash that took place several days ago, and the loss of life associated with that. it just underscores the dangers associated with these fires. >> these blazes are being called super fires, with 2.2 million acres charred nationwide so far this season. >> long term projections are that we'll see more fires. >> conditions are ripe for out of control infernos that grow at speeds we've never seen before. >> warm weather, lower humidities, fuel moistures are at historic lows, all over the western united states. and combine that with a little bit of lightning, you have a recipe for a big fire. >> tonight, 41 wildfires are raging across the west. >> fires here, let's get them out. >> reporter: in montana alone, ten blazes stretch resources thin. >> we're shorthanded because of the other fires in the area. we've been playing hopscotch going from one to another. >> 186,000 acres have burned as

firefighters battle flames in 106 degree heat. in utah, the wood hollow fire destroyed the paine's mountainhome. >> there's nothing left. nothing green, it's just burnt dirt. >> reporter: fireworks have been banned in several western states. in colorado springs, where firefighters returned from the front lines, parades are taking place every night. hundreds line the streets. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: a community grateful for the men and women who have saved lives and homes. tonight here in colorado as it is in so many western states, wind is a major concern. fortunately this blaze is more than 70% contained. natalie? >> miguel almaguer in colorado

springs, thanks. supply lines are once again open after a serious dispute and an acknowledgement by the u.s. that mistakes were made. jim miklaszewski joins us tonight from the pentagon. >> reporter: the bitter dispute exploded last november when american air strikes mistakenly killed 24 pakistani troops, when the u.s. refused to apologize, pakistan closed down two supply lines in afghanistan. and vital shipments were backed up at the border. today those routes were reopen, when secretary of state hillary clinton told pakistan, we are sorry for the loss of pakistani forces. u.s. officials insist this was not an apology, but it was good enough for pakistan. those routes supply american troops with just about everything they need to survive, and will be just as critical to ending the war.

the same routes american fosss will take to withdraw from afghanistan over the next two years. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon for us tonight, thank you. the fda has approved a new over the counter test for hiv that can be used at home and gets results in a half how. the test will be available starting in october for people 17 and older. it detects hiv and saliva from a mouth swab. there are other hiv home test kits but they need to be sent to a lab for results. about one fifth of those with hiv in the u.s. are not aware they're infected. today america lost its favorite small town sheriff, father and shrewd country lawyer all roles brill yantsly played by andy griffith who died this morning at age 86. generations grew up watching

him. tonight mike taibbi takes a look back. ♪ >> reporter: he planned to be a preacher or an opera singer. as anyone who ever heard that opening theme knows it was andy of mayberry where he made his indelible mark. >> if you can save a step or two here and there, she'll be with us that much longer. >> reporter: he played andy taylor, a wise authority figure everyone looked up to. a straight man to bumbling don knots as barney fife. widowed father to son opie played by ron howard. >> guess i did a good job, huh, pa? >> you sure did. >> reporter: somehow in the raucous '60s, the andy griffith show thrived. the distinction between good and evil unmistakable. >> now, opie, i want you to understand, ordinarily i don't

approve of doing things behind folks' backs. >> i get it, pa. >> reporter: still, mayberry had to be invented. >> though we never said it, it has a feeling of the '30s. it was when we were doing it, of a time gone by. the show ended its run in 1968 still on top. he tried other spin-offs and then had a hit as "mat lock." a character with the same dreams his fans had had said linda purl who played his daughter. >> i guess we all have dreams, and your arena of safety. and maybe that's something he was always yearning for himself. he was able to portray that in both long running shows he was a part of. >> reporter: griffith started his career playing a bad guy, the political opportunist in "a face in the crowd." >> they'd be afraid not to come, i could murder them like this.

>> reporter: at one his last performances, a controversial ad two years ago for president obama's health care bill. >> with the new health care law, more good things are coming. >> reporter: it's as andy of mayberry he is best remembered, a character so admirable and enduring, it won him the presidential medal of freedom. >> tv shows come and grow, but there's only one andy griffith. >> reporter: he insisted on the rules. >> that there is real sheriffing. and i mean real sheriffing. >> reporter: can always win the day. mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. >> ron howard who we just saw in mike taibbi's report, has been a long time successful director. but it was that role as opie at age 5 that gave him his start. more now on how andy griff edge

helped shape his career and life. >> andy as a person brought a smile to my face. he got a lot of joy out of what he was doing. what andy probably meant most to me, he demonstrated this possibility that you could really have fun and work very hard toward trying to offer audiences something of real quality. being a kid actor on the andy griffith show was an extraordinary experience and a very positive experience. i never felt pressured. and yet, i also learned really how to be a professional. ♪ >> the thing about the andy griffith show, while not auto buy graphical, it was a real genuine reflection of his sensibility. and the enduring appreciation for the show, the fact that the show still airs every day. >> whoa, now! simmer down now. >> he's well known for at the

end of the show and saying, i appreciate it, and good night. a few years ago, i was thinking about him and it, and i realized that he understood those words and he believed them. ♪ >> ron howard remembering andy griffith. and there is more, including a post from our politics team about andy griffith's support for causes he cared about on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. still ahead as nightly news continues, a side of the border wars that may shock a lot of people. a growing number of children as young as 6 crossing the u.s. border without their parents. and later, chelsea clinton reports on a unique ranch and unusual ranch hands making a difference. i stepped on the machine, and it showed me the pressure points on

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it's not surprising, every year several hundred thousand immigrants cross into the u.s. illegally. what is surprising is the growing number of kids crossing the border alone. most fleeing troubled lives, putting new stresses on government and social service agencies here trying to help them. nbc's mark potter reports. >> reporter: in texas, two months ago police found hundreds of immigrants stashed in houses. >> they were being treated like

animals, they were locked in. >> reporter: immigrants lost, exhausted and thirsty, including two girls, ages 10 and 13. >> they probably didn't really understand how close they were to being statistics and being dead. >> reporter: federal authorities say the number of children detained after illegally entering the u.s. without their parents is skyrocketing. more than 8,000 migrant children have been taken into custody this year compared to 4,000 last year. most are teenaged buys from central america, where they are fleeing drug and gang violence. >> it can turn into a very abusive situation. >> reporter: the dramatic rise of unaccompanied minors crossing the border into the u.s. is putting a lot of stress on the federal agencies once they're

detained. they are required to house the children until guardians are found. legal aide groups are trying to find enough lawyers to help. >> we need to remember to treat these children as kids first and immigrants second. >> reporter: she endured a grueling six-week trek to the u.s., where she was held in a government shelter until relatives were found in boston. can you tell me about the trip you made to come to this country? is there anything you want to tell me about it. >> i can't. >> reporter: is it tough to talk about that? >> yeah. >> reporter: both u.s. customs and the department of health and human services declined on camera interviews to discuss the issue many customs said child immigration numbers are cyclical as more children this year make the perilous journey to the

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as we count down to the london olympics, dara torres, the 45-year-old american swimmer who began her olympic career in 1984 fell short in her bid to compete in a sixth summer games. she finished fourth, just .09 seconds out of the needed second place finish. with some obvious disappointment and a waive to her 6-year-old daughter she ends her amazing career having earned 12 olympic medals. she leaves knowing she gave it everything she possibly could. that's a man with a jet pack carrying the olympic torch to new heights today. he's taking part in the torch

relay at britain's national space center. talk about a power serve at wimbled wimbledon, this one by marty fish had to hurt. 118 miles per hour, right to the face of the line judge. it didn't knock the judge off her game, she called it a fault. tonight she's fine. some are calling it a prime example of the british stiff upper lip. a dad holding a baby in one hand snags a foul ball in the other. almost makes it look easy. that's what i call multitasking. when we come back, chelsea clinton shows us how a love of horses is making a difference for some young people in need. e, your mouth has sipped, snacked, ...yellowed... giggled, snuggled, ...yellowed... chatted, chewed, ...yellowed.

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he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com finally tonight our "making a difference" report about a woman who realized horses have the power to heal and bring hope to people who struggle. nbc's chelsea clinton has the story from miami. >> reporter: peggy bass is passionate about the restorative power of her ponies and horses,

especially for at-risk teenagers. she runs a therapeutic horseback riding center for children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. most of her ranch hands are abandoned, run away or abused teenagers. city kids, scared of the horses her first time here. >> i saw too many more veries of horses kicking people. >> with a little boost from peggy, she concurred her fear. many of the teens use coaxing for other issues. >> they're very shy, timid, angry about what's going on in their situation. >> horses sense human emotion, peggy shows how to guide with a gentle hand. like the value of hard work, that it's okay to have fun from

a little horseplay, and team work eases the load. >> you're loving that, let's go faster. >> reporter: william ramirez says he's stronger since he started volunteering. >> my anger has dropped, i don't feel like i'm a failure. >> reporter: the pride comes from mastering new skills and earning peggy's trust. >> very good. it's amazing how the horse's unconditional love and nonjudgmental nature allows them to just open up. >> reporter: enough for this teen to doodle the word love when no one is watching. >> they're freed from their chairs, their problems for a very short time and they love it. >> reporter: empowering these hardworking teenagers with their own sense of freedom. chelsea clinton, nbc news, miami, florida. that's our broadcast for

this tuesday night, thank you for being with us. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com