breaking news out of south tampa this morning, an apartment fire leads to a bazaar stand off with a man inside threatening firefighters. we'll tell you and a tampa couple's escape from the tennessee wildfires. >> it was so scary i've been through hurricanes in florida but it was nothing compared to that. . >> heartbreaking for this couple, what they faced as she walked through burning town of gatlinburg to safety. plus donald trump choosing general james mad dog mattis to head defense department. coming up a look at his tie to say tampa and the controversy around

. >> happy friday to you. boy i like to say that. i love it. let's get to weather. it's t out there. a little bit of a breeze developing here though in another winds coming in out of the north and northeast and it is a much cooler wind. you'll notice that as soon as you step outside. temperatures in the 50s there. good news no rain to disrupt your day certainly disrupt your morning. max defender 8 is quiet. 60 tampa now, down to 49 in crystal river. 75 is your average high and how about that? we hit 75 for your afternoon high today. we're going to break down the day hour by hour and give you a complete check of the weekend coming up. got to get a check of the roads first >> looking better, the problem that we had in south tampa cleared up on bay to bay.

out in polk county davenport area we have a crash, folks, harmon road. this is right at sorino drive. no delays reported. let's take a look at our sun coast area. 301 we have a crash. that's a look at weather and traffic. we continue following breaking news this morning out of south tampa where an apartment building has been burning when fire crews arrived threatening them with a hammer. police used shields to help crews enter the building and put out the flames. the man had barricaded himself inside the bathroom with furniture put up against the insure. eventually police got ahold of this man. he was taken to the hospital under the baker act. now, to the ashes of gatlinburg the very latest this morning the death toll from the wildfires in tennessee has risen

learned that a tampa couple who moved there are among the survivors. >> they have an incredible story to share. they narrowly escaped the deadly flames and now we're hearing their story of survival. they were had -- head to make a split second decision as to what to take with them. >> yeah, that's right. gregg and karen left behind thes , almost everything. but they say that was an easy call for them. they grabbed their dogs and stuffed them down their jackets. they ran down ski mountain in fear as the wildfire raged around them. . >> both sides of the roads flames 15 to 20 feet tall we walked down the road through the flames with masks on our face and dogged under our coat.

gatlinburg on parkway. >> this whole place is on fire. >> a passer by who they only know by the name heather finally picked them up taking them to safety and this morning they're in an emergency shelter. gregg worked at a tourist destination which because of the fires can no longer guarantee him a full-time job. karen is a diabetic and has a limit supply of insulin. the family here in gofundme account and we have a link posted on our website >> they'll need that help especially with him losing his job. >> and medications are expensive but they have their family which includes their 2 fur babies. >> many would have done the same thing, right? >> absolutely. high profile cabinet pick by president elect donald trump with ties to tampa. during a victory tour stop last night mr. trump announced that he

mattis who oversaw mall command as secretary of defense. news channel 8 ryan hughes is live at the base. >> good morning. james mattis would need a waiver if he were to become secretary of defense that's because retired officers must be out of uniform at least 7 years before heading to the pentagon regardless donald trump he wants him as secretary. listen here. >> we're going to be announcing him on keep it inside the room, that's what we have and he's our best. they say he's the closest thing to general george patton that we have and it's about time. it's about time. . >> democratic new york senator gillibrand explains she plans to vote against mattis. the senate would need to make an exception when confirming him because he served in the military within

it requires a civilian to lead the pentagon, not someone recently in uniform. gillibrand went onto say it is fundamental and she won't make an exception to this rule. mad dog as he's called served here in central command from 2010 to 2013. he has spent 44 years in the united states military. >> definitely a history of service to our country but we'll see how t that law that is in place. thank you. time now 6:06 on your friday morning. and a dangerous car jacker is expected in court today. the 53-year old is accused of beating a venice resident back in october. investigators say he then tried to car jack 2 people before taking off. he's been behind bars since it happened and is set to go before a judge later on today. well, porch pirates are becoming more and more bold stealing your stuff right from your doorstep.

delivery trucks are zooming around town dropping off packages but leave them oftentimes in sight and reach of bad guys looking for free gifts >> we had a ups product left on our porch and someone took it. it came in and that was that. >> it happens way too often. here's one way to protect yourself, an amazon locker. you'll find them outside convenience stores. packages are delivered there and you can retrieve them with a special code. remember you can always ask a friend or perhaps the front desk guy to receive packages on your behalf. and a reminder we've posted tips on our website wfla.com. a happy update to an 8 on your side story. we told you about a land o' lakes couple flooded for calls for pizzas. this morning some relief for this couple. the company is working to remove the listing

phone as the pizza place's phone number. >> the wife says she likes the pizza not all the calls to the house. lightning fans singing the blues this morning after a big loss to st. louis. the 4th straight loss. they allowed 5 goals and your final score here 5-4 finishing road trip 0-3. oh my is what we all right. time now weather and traffic on the 8s. it is crisp outside. it's united nations. >> i think our weather will put the guys in a good mood agency they come back home. picture perfect this morning. just the way we want to wrap up the work week and head into the weekend. the drier pattern we're talking about lower humidity today you'll notice that but those numbers and humidity will start to warm up as we go through weekend and into next week ahead of what could be an active work

opportunities for rain. hour by hour today it stays dry where temperatures hit 75 for this afternoon. and any rain chances stay at zero. all thanks to drier air being driven in by that wind. so not a drop of rain. we will get fair weather clouds throughout the day that's about it. still a lot of blue sky and hey, a lot of blue sky for your weekend. temperatures will start warming up through the weekend becoming more humid >> we've got a nice drive out there. a lot of issues of that already cleared up this morning which is nice. not perfect. we usually have one or 2 thingst there. we still have this crash out in polk county. this is actually on kennyharmon road. manatee county area it looks like the southbound left turning

i'm starting to see northbound delays on 301 as you approach state road 70 as well. things are getting little bit more busy but overall a great drive. that's a look at weather and traffic on the 8s. well mark your calendar news channel 8 is hosting kindness day on december 9th, that's a week from today. our studios on south parker street in tampa is where you'll want to be. you're welcome to and you love it because you don't have to get out of your car. >> so easy. just roll down the window. >> we're collecting toys for tots, food donations. >> it's so fun because our wfla family gets out there. well, a close call for a

>> and mother nature's furry caught on camera. chick out the video. we'll show you the

we're back with an alert concerning your child's mental health. how can you tell if you're child is just being a teen or perhaps suffering from some sort of crisis. teen depression and anxiety is on the rise and many times kids don't know who to turn to. there are some new programs out there to help our kids . >> 211 tampa bay cares is now up and running a resource for a group falling through cracks of the mental health system. teens and young adults between the age of 16 and 25 where depression rates are spiking especially among girls. >> it was very difficult for me at the time because it was just like i was younger, so it's just like everyone would blow it out type thing but as i got older people started to notice it's like it's

with depression and anxiety she told me one day she hit a breaking point and luckily she found 211. the success for kids and families healthy transition program provides a support system. >> our program was designed to fill that void, fill that crack and help the youth and young adults who are transitions into becoming a young adult. >> if your child starts having mood changes that can be a signal they need suppo going on for 2 weeks or longer, heads up. if the person is crying and really really sad or incredibly moody you want to find out what's going on. >> they say keep an eye out for changes in school performance, appetite, sleep patterns all signs that something is wrong. well, it isn't always easy to differentiate between depression and normal teen growing pains so experts suggest

and if you do think your child is depressed you want to try to find some help. it's not something that just goes away. time now 6:15. check this out at least one tornado struck near atlanta. other possible tornados slammed other communities as well. this video is from a school in atlanta and shows how fast and the camera lens caught that tree toppling down. thankfully no one was hurt. well, former pro-football running back joe mcknight were killed. another drive shot and killed him who was standing outside of his car. officers responding to the scene performed cpr but they were not able to revive him.

landed on the moon in 1969 was saved in a rescue mission on the south pole. the 86-year old seen right here smiling and stable in a hospital bed arrived at the south pole for an and venture tour. doctors say fluid built up in his lungs from the high appeal study. so a plane landed to take him to a u.s. research station. we're told he's doing well >> glad he's okay. a kayaker took an unexpected guest for a ride of a lifetime. yep, that's a sea otter on the kayak together. it swam up next to his boat appeared hopped in. the 2 took a 15-minute joy ride around the harbor until he shoed his new friend off. i hear it's

weight around. let's get a check on the weather. >> it wanted to take a break. beautiful weather out there and there is a bit of a chill out there, 57 in tampa that's the view from veterans ford, about 40 minutes away from sunrise this morning and we'll see plenty of sun in the day ahead. max defender 8 looking great this morning, not a drop of rain in sight. 55 in zephyrhills, 60 in tampa, down to 46 in crystal river. break out the jackets counties. our weather watcher wendy reporting 53 degrees it morning in brooksville. we've got a dry northeast wind for today. that keeps us rain free just a few fair weather clouds and looks to stay dry. nice to start tomorrow. we'll stay dry with just some passing clouds but our next big weather maker will start gearing up out to the west. so we'll call it 75 right where we should be for this time

so comfortable start to the day. we'll bring up the humidity ahead of that rain chance and yes, we do need the rain, rain chances up to 30% by tuesday with system number 1 and then system number 2 brings us another chance of rain by the time we hit your thursday. how are the roads looking this morning? all right. still congestion free on the interstates. great drive through lakeland i- pasco county looking very good right now. and 275 heading out towards the howard frankland bridge and also into downtown tampa that's a quick drive with no slow-downs. we still have an accident here it is working hopefully it's going to clear up soon but keep it in mind kenny harmon road right here we have a collision. so i want you to be on the look out for that.

traffic on the 8s. some big leadership changes coming to starbucks. >> which means changes that affect customers. coming up who is stepping down as ceo and what he plans to do in his new position. that's next on news channel 8 today.

. starbucks making changes in leadership positions. in april ceo howard schultz is stepping down from his post to become executive chairman. kevin johnson will take over as ceo. thousands of baby back seats and chairs are being recalled due to a drowning hazard.

while the baby is in it. for more information if you have one and want to get a full refund you can go to our website at wfla.com. well, we're in the month of december. folks are buying gifts and getting ready for the holidays and when it comes to the items listed in the 12 days of christmas, pnc reports all of them in total would cost you about $34,000. >> turtle doves, if you wanted to write a check out for them they're about $375. >> how about i get you the drummers drumming, how about that? >> you can rent those, right? well, women in the draft. >> new the president's opinion on weather women should now register for the draft. >> and ferry service between tampa and st. pete there are lots of questions about whether anyone would use it. so coming

ferry ride. >> first on this friday morning you heard that right a live look outside downtown tampa, the beautiful hillsborough river all lit up. the sun is coming out soon. coming up on 6:25. weather and traffic on the 8s, y

all right kids getting out to the bus stop beautiful this morning. you may need a jacket especially north of interstate 4 this morning. starting off at 60, by this afternoon kids drop off 75 degrees and the numbers will start climbing this weekend. we're back into the 80s by sunday and monday. how are the roads looking? >> this accident in polk county has cleared from the roadways, it was located right here. again, it has cleared.

skyway bridges, a wonderful drive as you move between pinellas and manatee county, also a wonderful drive on the howard frankland bridge and that's only going to take you

scary moments for tampa firefighters, a man hanging out of a windy of a burning building threatening them. still ahead how those firefighters handled all t drone capturing the devastation in gatlinburg tennessee, the wildfire death toll climbing this morning. coming up, how a tampa couple escaped with their lives. >> plus the cross bay ferry sounds like a good idea but will people really ride it? that ride is up for discussion this morning. 8 is on your side with a look at how many folks took the ferry in its first month of

feeling fabulous when you step outside. >> we made it. >> today it feels like december. >> yeah, coming a day late but we won't complain too much. this time yesterday we were in the 70s, this morning 50s in polk county and just starting to get the beginnings of our sunrise that beautiful color of the sky over lakeland auto mall this morning. 46, chilly this morning in crystal river. so you may consider the long sleeves especially if you're in the northern counties but this is what we are a good 10 to 25 degrees colder than we were yesterday behind that cold front. here's that sky cast as we take you through the day, sunshine fair weather clouds 62 degrees this morning. by noon we're at 70 with lots of sun and later this afternoon your temperatures hit 75 just a gorgeous looking day ahead here. coming up we'll preview the weekend at 6:38. but right now we've got to check out the roads because rush hour is approaching.

there at least right now. no delays on any of our bay area bridges. let's take a look at travel times. you can see all in the green on 275 heading out towards the howard frankland bridge but coming into tampa we're starting to get a little bit slower you can see about 12 minutes on your commute. also manatee county southbound 301 the left turning lane blocked at whitfield due to a crash. that's a look at weather and traffic. and now to there's more heartache this morning for families up in the great smoky mountains. the tennessee wildfires are blamed for killing at least 11 people. and crews are searching for those who are still missing. the fires left a path of destruction. you're looking at new drone video giving us a new perspective on that damage. well, a tampa couple narrowly escaped those deadly wildfires and now for the very first time we're hearing their story of survival

to start over, but of course the raging wildfires burned their dream to the ground. we have their story and it is difficult to start over in any situation but to go to a place like tennessee that is under such a siege this morning. >> they've really been through a lot. they moved to gatlinburg from tampa about a year ago. they left behind their friends and family here in the bay area to start a new chapter in their lives. but monday night gatlinburg home with just minutes to react. with flames shooting 30 feet into the air and the sound of snapping trees all around them they grabbed 2 treasures they couldn't leave behind, they stuffed their dogs down their jackets and ran for their lives down ski mountain. they made it into downtown gatlinburg, stomping flames along their way. >> for a while we didn't think we were going to make it.

and god sent an angel named heather and she picked us up and gave us a ride here. >> now, they ran without important medications and karen is a diabetic and gregg's job at a resort is now gone along with that fire. karen's daughter lives in the tampa area and he's established a gofundme account to help them. it's posted on our facebook page, or rather or website wfla.com. so you can go the we're also following breaking news at a fire in south tampa where an apartment building has been burning. when crews first arrived a man on the second story was threatening them with a hammer. police used shields to help crews enter that building and put out the flames. he had barricaded himself inside the bathroom put furniture up against the wall but police got ahold of him and he was taken away on stretcher to tampa

also this morning the cause of a massive fire that destroyed a bay area rec center is still a mystery but good news to share. it was covered under insurance. flames broke out at the winston partial center early yesterday morning and 3-dozen firefighters battled the fire for over an hour. it was undergoing a $2.5 million renovation thanks to a donation from tampa bay lightning owner who is now club to rebuild. right now a major announcement from president elect donald trump, a key cabinet member with tie to say tampa. mr. trump says he'll nominate a former head of the u.s. central command as our next secretary of defense. news channel 8 ryan hughes joins us live this morning with the story. good morning, donald trump making this announcement if ohio. . >> good morning. donald trump is on a so-called thank you tour and told a cheering crowd in

retired general as secretary of defense. listen here. . >> we are going to appoint mad dog mattis. as our secretary of defense. but we're not announcing it until monday so don't tell a . >> trump placed and joked with the crowd asking them not to let out the secret until the official announcement expected on monday as you heard there. mattis who is a retired marine corps general was head of central command from 2010 to 2013. he's also held key commands in both afghanistan and iraq. he has 44 years of service in the united states marine corps.

to try to block this appointment. >> big announcement but of course it does come with controversy. we'll see how this shakes out. and the president elect on a thank you tour right now celebrating his big november election win. mr. trump's first stop was in indiana where he touted a deal with carrier air to keep a thousand jobs in the u.s. an keep them from moving to mexico. from there he went onto ohio. trump says the tour is to thante president obama is going to be in tampa next week to talk about counter terrorism. he'll make a stop on tuesday and he's going to deliver a speech on counter terrorism strategy. the president will also meet with members of the military to thank them for their service. >> and the president believes that women should register for the draft. despite the

insisting that the president still believes in an all volunteer military and says that is the way to go. and some state news now the governor headed to miami today to give an update on fight against zika. the visit come over a week after the announcement that the northern portion of miami beach is clear of the virus but there are concerns that zika fears could impact the busy tourist season. address that issue today. and the governor wants to give stay law enforcement officers a raise. he's proposing a 5% pay increase next year, about 4,000 state officers would benefit from this including state troopers, wildlife officers, fdle agents and several other agencies. some florida counties pay more than the state which is why some officers that have previously worked with the state jumped over to the county to find

fine out there. >> that's thanks to yesterday's cold front. less humid air this morning. in fact, look at the humid for today we're starting off in the pleasant category. i want to show you that meter, this is the forecasted due point. it's going to hover in that category later today but as we start going through weekend that dew point starts to come back up. so the humidity starts to rise. so enjoy that very comfortable air while the numbers get to the mid-70s, right around 75, and starting off with clear skies. there are clouds in the western gulf that will start to move eastbound. so we'll call it partly cloudy today, mostly sunny for your weekend and there's the warm up, 78 on saturday, 82 by sunday. we stay rain free. no reason not to get outside this weekend. now, we've got to check the roads. >> that's right people are

overall a typical drive right now. it's starting to get a little bit busy. let's take a look at travel times. you can see we're at the yellow in ybor city. veterans expressway still looks fantastic. let's take a live look here as we move over to 275 right at bird street southbound starting to get a little bit busy as you move towards downtown tampa on 275. that's a look at weather and traffic. well, what a crazy story this turnedut just trying to buy a burial plot. >> but in the process this woman was blind sided and scammed. coming up an 8 on your side consumer alert. check out this guy, he's the suspect police say tricked that woman and police say there may be more victims out there. >> plus have you taken this ride? the new cross bay ferry. it's been quite popular but we'u the exact numbers and what the rider really thought about it. you're

the numbers are in, setting sail a month ago we're getting first look at how many folks have used that cross bay ferry to travel from st. pete to tampa. a gorgeous morning in tampa, a lot of people wondering whether or not folks would use this like. >> reporter: well, thousands of people did take the cross bay ferry across beautiful tampa bay but not everyone paid for their ride. the company behind the cross bay ferry did release their numbers yesterday for their first month of operation. they report more than 2,700 people took the free trips, another 4,700 people bought full price one way tickets. that means a little more than one out of 3 rode for free.

of next year to gage interest. a one-way ticket costs $10 but there's a commuter pass that cuts that in half. . >> we really needed to do something that we can't just rely on cars for transportation. . >> reporter: now, this ferry wasn't cheap this was a one point $5 million investment for the 6-month pilot program. we still will become a permanent fixture in the area. earlier this month they did add beer, wine services on the ferry. miami that want to combine happy hour with rush hour could prove to be popular. >> i'll tell you what the view is not bad. . good stuff. thank you. this morning an 8 open your side consumer alert questions about a funeral home employee

plot to an elderly woman in pasco county. well now investigators want to know if he ripped off anyone else. the 49-year old ritz who you see here is charged with grand theft. he's accused of selling a 74-year old a fake burial plot while he worked at grace memorial gardens. when she called to get her money back she claims he gave her the runaround >> and i wrote him a check for $2,410. and he gave me a receipt if it weren't for that receipt i would have been just out of luck z. that receipt was just the proof she needed. the funeral home gave her her money back. deputies are concerned he could strike again or perhaps already has. if you know anything about this case contact the pasco county sheriffs office.

cuba mourns castro. many cuban americans are celebrating the death of castro but in cuba many remember him as a father figure. . >> reporter: this morning the funeral processing of castro continues to wind its way across this country on his long long journey to his final resting place. castro's remains are being pulled by a simple green military jeep. his flag draped coffin is surrounded by flowers as thousands and thousands line the streets to say farewell. this woman tells us she's very sad because he was the leader of the revolution, a figure for all of us. as the processing passes

to see the processing begin its journey. >> so i just started taking pictures and video, and i was very surprised at the response as he came by. there were people crying, there were people -- people were clearing upset. >> reporter: he's here as part of a tour group with the tampa bay history center. . >> and jeff, will of course continuing his reporting today and tomorrow. you can watch all of here on news channel 8. 6:48 on your friday morning. hey, it is gorgeous. thank you so much for the beautiful forecast this morning. >> i'll gladly take credit for it, why not? sunrise approaching and it is gorgeous as you mentioned at veterans ford 56 degrees light breezes right around 7 miles per hour and expect a good supply of sunshine for today with just some passing fair weather clouds. 70 at noon and 75 this afternoon. if you have any

you've got to find time to get outside and enjoy this. temperatures in the 60s locally, 40s to the north and look at the cool air overspreading the east in the morning. right now we're fairly quiet here. now, i want to talk about what's going to happen long-term because we're going to stay dry for today and tomorrow but next week we're tracking several systems that could impact your weather here. in fact, first area of low pressure that dve tuesday brings us a good chance of scattered showers followed by another system on its heels that comes in on thursday. so we'll have several opportunities of rain next week. between now an then we stay dry. enjoy your weekend 80s by sunday, lows coming back into the 60s. more cars on the road. how's it looking? >> not too bad. traffic is getting busier.

55 miles per hour here. as we move over an take a look at our other camera getting to downtown a bit of a different story. this is where we're starting to see it really kind of slow down in pockets and eases up right before the junction but that's going to continue to get slower and slower as we press into rush hour i-4 through ybor city typical up to 11 minutes. it keeps moving up pretty quickly right veterans expressway still holding onto a wall drive. . >> the shot i hold you at bird that includes i-4 about 16 minutes. that's a look at weather and traffic on the 8s. teenagers and smart phones, what happens when teens go on a digital detox. >> i have done most of my chores.

last night. >> i'm getting a lot more homework done. >> it's made me hang out with family more often and so it's been nice. >> reading a book, what's that? >> getting homework done. >> those are some 10th graders from the state of washington describing what it was like to disconnect for just a week. imagine what they could do if they disconnect for a month. they did not use their smart phone or a tablet and were only allowed a laptop to do school work. coming up the today show talks to difficult it was to give up their devices. i can tell you i manage to use my devices and still read a lot. so you can do both. you don't have to go cold turkey. >> it's funny like well, i read a book and did homework. there is a life above the phone. >> what's this thing with pages? >> exactly. these people that are running around my house who are they? what you need to know before you walk out the door on your

trump's latest pick for a top cabinet post. >> and firefighters fighting more than a fire in south tampa, a man face-to-face threatening them, we'll tell you what he was using and what happened next. that's coming up. this is news channel 8 today.

breaking tampa this morning, an apartment building has been burning. >> when crews arrived a man on the second story was threatening crews with hammer. police used shields to help them enter the building. he barricaded himself and police eventually got in and he was taken away on a stretcher under the baker act. he will most likely be charged. the tennessee wildfires are blamed for killing at least 11 people, and crews are searching

these fires destroyed more than 17,000 acres including hundreds of homes and businesses. officials believe they were standard by someone perhaps on purpose. >> a tampa couple are among the survivors. they tell us they grabbed their dogs and ran down ski mountain in fear. >> on both sides of the roads there's flames 15 to 20 feet tall. we walked down the road through the flames over our faces and our dogs under our coat. >> someone finely picked them up taking them to safety. they're now in an emergency she wenter. well, president elect donald trump announced he plans to appoint james mad dog mattis to second tear of defense. >> he oversaw central command and apparently there's some controversy surrounding this pick. ryan hughes has been following this story live at the

and told the cheering crowd in ohio that he selected a retired general who served here to become the next united states secretary of defense. now, trump played and joked with the crowd asking them not to let out the secret until the official announcement expected on monday and that's when he plans to say that james mattis who is a retired marine corps general will become the next secretary central command from 2010 to 2013. he has 44 years of experience. he's also held key commands in both afghanistan and iraq. weather wise beautiful out there this morning cooler less humid at another where it is 56 degrees. a bit of a breeze out there, cool breeze. 62 at 8:00 this morning. we'll get to

beautiful afternoon. the weekend we start warming things up. looking at traffic right now hey, it's a little bit lighter than normal. look to the left of your screen no traffic slowing you down on the howard frankland bridge, a little bit slow and go through new tampa and 275 and i-75. this is 275, the heaviest portion and actual eases up into downtown and this is westbound i-4 a l junction. that's pretty typical. >> still moving and you know what, it's friday. >> it is. >> smile on the drive. >> we'll stay on top of these

good morning. he's back. president-elect trump switches into campaign mode during the first stop of his thank you fighting hillary, didn't we? >> while at a postelection forum, things get ugly between top aides for trump and hillary clinton. >> i would rather lose than win the way you guys did. >> no, you wouldn't. >> and it went downhill from there. road rage. a former nfl player shot and killed in an altercation near new orleans. the 54-year-old suspect stayed at the scene is in custody being