hello, i'm bruce johnson. thanks for joining us. two firefighters in their early 20s have begun the long road to recovery after being critically burned in a fire friday night. very hot, very dark. that's how a third injured firefighter describes conditions inside the house. falled by extremely high winds, a fair on 57th avenue sent seven firefighters to the hospital. tonight as matt jablow tells us we hear for the first time from several of those firefighters who battled the blaze. >> reporter: lieutenant mike has fought dozens of fires and dealt with all kinds of situations during his nine years as a volunteer firefighter, the last two with the riverdale firefighter. >> went to a report of a house fire. >> reporter: but what happened

two nights ago in riverdale hates was an entirely new and extremely painful experience for the 24-year-old firefighter. you see, lieutenant naples was one of seven firefighters from three departments who were injured when a wind-swept fire tore through a vacant house. lieutenant naples suffered serious burns on his face and tore legments in his shoulder when something on the house fell on him. >> could have been sheetrock, could have been metal. i don't know. it was too dark, too hot. get it off me and get out of there. >> reporter: a total van seven firefighters from riverdale fire department responded to the blaze. four of them were injured. tonight all four have now been released from the hospital. >> very painful. >> reporter: 19-year-old michael was another of the injured riverdale firefighters. still clearly shaken by the events of friday night. >> it was very hot in there. >> reporter: mccleary would

only briefly describe the circumstances that led to burns and cracked ribs. >> when we were inside, a member from nine fell down on me and something crushed my chest. >> i've always wanted to be one and i'm going stick with it. >> reporter: michael naples echoed that feeling. >> it's what i love. >> reporter: in riverdale, matt jablow, 9news now. >> two critically injured firefighters are being treated at the burn unit. armando trull spoke with family members at the hospital today. >> reporter: underneath it all we're all a big family. and although some of us are strangers, we're all the same. >> reporter: parents of the three firefighters with the

most severe injuries recounted the harrowing moments. >> four and a half hours from new york, the longest ride in the world, not knowing what to expect. >> reporter: kevin 0 tewel has severe burns and is facing nearly eight months of medical treatment. ethan sorrell has respiratory system burns and is breathing through a tube. >> he's in some pain from the tubes and all, but other than that ethan is doing well. >> reporter: the third firefighter, mike mccleary has severe burns and bruises to his ribs. >> there was fire showing from both sides of the house in the rear. we attempted to darken down the fire from the outside first. >> reporter: the first team entered the house through the basement here in the rear. they were trying to put out a fire so the team on the first floor could safely look for victims, but then an alarm sounded. >> attention, all units 6334 on

57th avenue. >> reporter: the fireball had just ripped through the house, came out this front door. it was described as a blow torch. in the path of that blow torch, kevin and ethan. ethan and kevin come from firefighting families that live almost 1,000 miles apart but united by an unbreakable bond. >> reporter: how proud are you of what your son did friday night? >> reporter: in riverdale, armando trull, 9news now. elsewhere, a fair at a metro station -- a fight at a metro station sends a 14-year- old boy to the hospital. it happened just before 6:00 tonight. police say there were two groups of young people that began fighting on that platform. we're told the injured teen is going to be okay. tonight police have arrested the juvenile in connection with that stabbing. the obama administration says it's not rethinking its

commitment to afghanistan. that's despite a week of violent anti-nato protests that have left more than two dozen people dead, four american service members are among those killed since word spread that qurans were burned at an american base. the crowds have also been fighting with police and troops in morocco today. secretary of state hillary clinton had these comments. >> we are condemning it in the strongest possible terms, but we also believe that the violence must stop and the hard work of trying to build a more peaceful, prosperous, secure afghanistan must continue. >> the white house ha-ha apologized to the afghan government. international advisers have been recalled home out of fears for their safety. u.s. ambassador to afghanistan since completely walking around now would endanger the fragile government and the taliban could regain power. tonight georgetown university reminding students

to use caution when walking off campus after dark. that warning comes after a female students was sexually assaulted early this morning. it took place at 36th and n street. the suspect is still out there tonight. he's described as a white male, 18 to 22 years of age. he is about six feet tall with brown hair. the female student was treated at a local hospital. georgetown university police are urging students tonight to walk in pairs and use the university's shuttle services or safe ride. >> the search is underway tonight for several suspects who bailed out of a car after it crashed into a police cruiser. it all happened this afternoon in takoma park, maryland. police say the driver of the car was fleeing a traffic stop when he encountered a police barricade. instead of stopping, the driver put his vehicle in reverse, striking an officer's vehicle. the police pursuit covered parts of montgomery and prince george's county. tonight one person is in police custody and police are still

searching for the others who were in that car. 17-year-old football player at dematha senior high school has died. rico webb died this morning. at 6 feet, 365 pounds, he had a scholarship to play for alabama university next year. his coach said everyone on the team, the coaches and players, we loved him. he was a big kid. it was a tough morning for everybody. according to a de -- dematha spokesman.

the michigan primary is upcoming, and danielle nottingham is with the candidates. >> if you want somebody who will dramatically and fundamentally change washington and bring us more jobs and less debt and smaller government, then i'm your guy. >> reporter: the former massachusetts governor won this state four years ago, but there's no doubt he's in a tough fight this time around. rick santorum is breathing down romney's neck and keeping up his attacks. santorum told voters in marquette that romney is not conservative enough for republicans. >> we need someone who can be a stark contrast and give people a different vision for america about who we are. >> reporter: santorum's appeal to evangelical voters has helped push him to the top of the polls here in michigan. he is hoping their support will shake up this race. at cedar street church in michigan, faith has a heavy

influence on churchgoers' politics. they're following the republican presidential race closely. many parishioners say they will be voting for rick santorum because of his stance on social issues. >> he stands for family values, which is very important to our family. >> mitt romney has a flip- flopping record. >> reporter: even though romney has struggled to connect with some conservatives here he says he expects to come away with a victory tuesday. both candidates will kris cross the state in the closing hours of the primary that could be a turning point in the race. danielle nottingham, cbs news, lansing, michigan. >> and arizona holding that second primary contest on tuesday. arizona's governor, jan brewer, on sunday threw her support behind mitt romney. newt gingrich campaigned in georgia, the state he once represented in congress. he is not competing in michigan or arizona but hopes for a strong showing in georgia and other states on super tuesday.

diners in fairfax county could be paying more for restaurant meals. the county board of supervisors is now weighing a 4% tax on restaurants to help raise money for transportation projects. if approved, the tax would apply to any meals sold at commercial restaurants from fine dining to fast-food. county officials say they need $3 billion to meet transportation demands over the next decade, and they have few funding opses at this point. the measure would be just one of the ways to meet the transportation deficit, and it still needs approval from the general assembly or from a ballot referendum. residents rejected a similar tax referendum back in 1992. still ahead on 9news now this sunday night, a special treat for the wives of men fighting in afghanistan. we'll show and tell you why they're all at the salon. also, a wounded dog getting a second and third chance it at a better life. this may just be the luckiest dog in the world.

and as you're heading out the door monday morning don't forget your sunglasses. a cold start but temperatures in the 40s by 9:00. milder air coming this way. just how warm? your full forecast when we come back.

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nelson mandela is out of the hospital tonight. the 93-year-old nobel peace prize winner had undergone a minor procedure because of stomach complaints. mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule. he became south africa's first black president in 1994. he made his last public appearance in july of 2010. some harrowing moments for 22 carnival cruise ship passengers. they were robbed while on a shore excursion to hike a nature trail in puerto vy your that. one of the passengers managed to snap a picture of the robber. the carnival splendor returned to port this morning. >> he had his gun brandished up here, and he pulled it down,

and pulled up his shirt and showed the knife. in spanish, our guide interpreted, throw everything on the ground, and the next thing, someone said run. >> would you do a mexican riviera cruise? >> no, in fact we're going to cancel two that we have for 2013. >> carnival says it will reimburse passengers for the items that were taken. the cruise line says violence there is rare but the state department issued a travel warning. it many time the carnival splendor is headed to another mexican riviera cruise tomorrow. the u.s. military says it has identified the remains of the last american service member unaccounted for in iraq. staff sergeant achmed sneaked

off base to visit his iraqi wife. the wives of some local marines are expecting their husbands to return home within the next two weeks got a special treat. today a local beauty salon was offering free make-overs for the women to help them get ready. the special day at the salon included free shampoo, haircut, waxing, and makeup, plus a swag bag of goodies. the salon employees donated their time and more than $2,000 worth of services. >> i think today is absolutely amazing. i am touched that all of these businesses did this for us. i don't know if it's necessarily something that we deserve. but i think it's incredible. >> i think most people think they deserve all this. the military wives are not sure when their husbands will arrive home. they're expected to get 4 hours' notice. the rescue dog is

recovering from two cross calls with death. he was rescued from south carolina in a shelter where he was about to be euthanized, but the lucky dog animal rescue stepped in. all was well until he got away from the foster home and was hit by a car on river road at rush hour. that driver left spot for dead, but fortunately a second driver noticed the injured pup and tack him to the animal hospital. doctors performed surgery on spot's multiple fractures which included a broken leg. now spot is on the road to recovery and on his way back to his foster home until he is adopted. coming up next on 9news now this sunday, a sinking feeling for crowds of fishermen who parked a vehicle on a frozen lake. we'll show you what happened next. and how about a warmer start to the work week? anny has the forecast when we come back. stay with us.

in wisconsin dozens of cars parked on a frozen lake win any bag go saiiveg -- win any bag ga -- winnie baygo sank on the

lake. some were able to get off, then the other group who ended up under the water. this global warming, they know the area, they must have thought it was okay. in past years i'm sure they've done this. >> we haven't had much of a winter in this entire country, not just that area but much of the u.s. >> obviously wisconsin. >> yes. we've got some milder air coming, bruce. finally today we got rid of the windy conditions. it looks like tomorrow looks to be even nicer. here's a look at our michael & son weather camera. temperatures are dropping. we're looking at right now temperatures of 39 in downtown, clear skies, the winds out of the south at 10 miles per hour. right now around the suburbs getting down into the lower 30s for martinsburg, culpeper 2, and pax river 39 degrees.

our satellite radar showing high pressure in control giving us lots of sunshine today, and that sunshine continues for your monday. a little milder. pleasant for your tuesday, then we're looking at a chance for some showers arriving for the middle of the week. wednesday rain and some thunderstorms are possible for the middle of the week. it's going to be fairly widespread. here's a look at the future cast. so we've got clear skies overnight. same daily for tomorrow. lots of sunshine. don't forget your sunglasses or sunscreen. tuesday night we've got some clouds moving in. that means we are going to watch this system here make its way from the west to the east. we've got showers arriving, also a slight chance for a couple of afternoon thunderstorms from this system. so wednesday looking like it will be a washout. it so overnight as you are sleeping clear and cold. a one to two-blanket night. 27 to 37 degrees. winds light. tomorrow morning when you are getting the kids ready for school make sure you put the jackets on, maybe even the

gloves. mostly sunny, temperatures in the 20s in the suburbs to the 30s around downtown. afternoon, that sunshine continues. it will be a beautiful day, a little milder. dress in layers as highs will be 59 to 64 with winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 miles per hour. here's a look at your zone forecast. we start in western maryland. cumberland mid-50s, plenty of sun. winchester, upper 50s. hagerstown 56, leesburg 58. warrenton pushing close to 60 degrees. around the beltway, lower 60s. gaithersburg sit, andrews air force base 61. for parts of the bay tomorrow we do have a small craft advisory in effect until 6:00 p.m. keep that in mind. highs for your monday in our area, rockville 60, bowie 60, andrews 6 1, and even arlington, up to 63 degrees. so it's a really nice way to start off the work week. here's how your monday breaks

down. a cold start, lots of sunshine. you may even want to take your lunch outside. we'll be in the 50s. by 5:00, highs topping out 59 to 64 degrees, lots of sunshine. a really nice day. here's a look at your next seven days. a cold front comes through monday which means a littlely cooler air for tuesday. lower 50s, a lot of sun, sought will be dry. clouds move in tuesday night into wednesday. wednesday looking like the day will be wet, a couple thunderstorms possible. thursday partly sunny and breezy, in the 50s. friday looks pretty good. partly cloudy with mid-50s. saturday and sunday. saturday looks to be mild, with a chance for some showers, maybe a thunderstorm, then for sunday, mostly cloudy, a chance for some showers and snowflakes, highs in the lower 50s. the first day of march will be on thursday. looks like we will be bringing march in like a lamm, pretty quiet here. in fact, meteorological winter

ends at the end of february, just in a couple days here. bruce, we haven't had much of a winter, so topper, howard, all of us have been talking about, are we going to get a good snowstorm in? doesn't look good. >> you're kidding. not one major snowstorm? >> not by march 15th. that's our cut-off. >> don't need the four-wheel drive. >> save that for next year. talking about looking for love in all the wrong places, two bald eagles were spotted along a highway in bedford, new hampshire. troopers who arrived on the scene thought they were responding to an accident, but instead, they saw a car stopped in the middle of the road to protect the rare birds. the troopers said the birds appeared to have been mating, but they're not sure about. that crews is tried to approach the birds but they became agitated before flying away. all this week we're trying to reunite people with money and valuables that are held in city and state coffers. the money and items could be

from old safe-deposit boxes, forgotten bank accounts. if you see your name at the bottom of this tv screen under "claim your cash" this means you have something coming to you. you can also go to our website, wusa9.com and look under our consumer section to learn how to file a claim. a sports plus preview is up next. ryan zimmerman and the nats have a lot to smile about tonight.

he's been the face of the organization through the lean years. >> we've seen him grow and grow so now ryan zimmerman will be the face for a long time. he has become the latest $100 million man in washington. the nationals and their all- star third base man agreed to a six-year extension worth $100 million plus a team option at the end for 24 million. that's all on top of the two years that he has remaining on his current deal. it also includes a "no trade" clause. zimmerman is a golden glove and silver slug erwiner. he leads with runs, home runs, rbis, and pretty much everything else. >> it's my pleasure to welcome you to your extension and glad to have you around for a long time. >> i'm excited to be a part of this organization and excited to get to the ultimate goal of

wang world series. >> also tonight, redskins reporter grant paul sen will join us fresh off the plane from the nfl combine. the lady terps in action down in raleigh led by the stellar performance of sophomore elisa thomas. she scored just two points in the first half but came out on fire in the second. more on their big win. plus the culmination of nba all- star weekend. it's the big all-star game. kobe, griffin, carmelo, kevin durant taking home the mvp trophy. tons of dunks. plus we've also got nhl deadline. looking at some possible moves that the caps might make if they want to make it to the playoff. >> meryl streep. >> just got an oscar. >> how many is that?

two? three? >> i think it's four now. >> may be the best female actress. >> a recap? >> we're looking at some -- really a great day for monday. if you've got tomorrow off -- >> we don't. >> yeah, none of us have it off, we'll all be here. but at least get away for lunch. a really nice day. highs around sit, lots of sunshine. tuesday also nice, a little cooler, lower 50s. wednesday is looking like the washout day. you will want your umbrellas then. drier conditions by friday, mid- 50s. so march coming in like a lamb. going out like a lion? we'll see. >> we've got work, but could you take us to lunch. sidewalk cafe? >> any time. >> thanks for watching. have a great week, everybody. bye.