one of them is featherville. that's where nbc's mike taibbi is following the story for us tonight. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. that's not fog around me. that is smoke. this is right at the line where the huge wildfire that started in the boise national forest will meet civilization meaning houses and humans. the humans have gotten the mandatory evacuation order. we have to leave after this report. as for the houses, they are in imminent danger. idaho's most dangerous wildfire in years has been lurching steadily toward the mountain enclave of featherville. about a thousand homes and other buildings whose owners got some straight talk today. >> it will not look the same in the next couple three days as it looks today. we will do everything we can do out there as firefighters to make sure the community, the hills, the rivers are the same. >> that meant the mandatory evacuations would be soon ordered. a number of emergency shelters were already in place. 63-year-old suzanne durant is ready to leave. the cabin where she lived alone for years since her husband

the evacuation order for the resort town of featherville came yesterday afternoon. that whole town was enveloped in thick smoke, not flames yet. in fact, the latest update that we have is that there are two fire fronts that are approaching featherville, one two miles away, one four miles away. the fire has been moving at between 1 and 2 miles a day, so it is expected the fire fronts will reach the village today. a whole legion of firefighters are ready to fight it, starting back fires, burnouts that sort of thing, behind the structures and buildings in that village. make no mistake, the homes in that village, the people who have been evacuated, the homes are now in imminent danger. idaho's most dangerous wildfire in years has been lurching steadily to the enclave of featherville, a thousand homes and other buildings, whose owners listen to some straight talk. >> it will not look the same in the next couple, three days as it looks today. and we will do everything we can possibly do out there as firefighters to make sure that your community, the hills, the rivers are

. >> reporter: in idaho, more than 1,000 firefighters are trying to save the scenic town of featherville. hundreds of families were forced to pack up and leave. >> serve afraid. our nerves are shot. >> division alpha, this is oh-10. >> are you reading me okay? >> reporter: in neighboring washington state, the situation is improving. better weather is allowing them to get a handle on a blaze. for those coming back to see what is left, a deep, scarring pain, as memories are lost and lives are torn apart. >> that's like a death in the family. >> reporter: matt kozar, abc news, new york. >>> more extreme weather in texas over the weekend. dallas was battered by deadly thunderstorms. two men were swept away in swollen creeks. four inches op rain kaudsed flash floods. the aerial spraying for west nile had to be halted. it resumes last night. more than 300,000 acres are scheduled to get a second coating of pesticides tonight. >>> there is a fire storm brewing after a trip to israel last summer. more than 20 people went for a swim in the sea of gallilee. not all of them were clothed. the fbi con

. >> reporter: in idaho, the raging trinity ridge fire is threatening the town of featherville. a mandatory evacuation was issued and some residents are staying put. >> and that fire gets out of control and starts coming down, then we will. >> in central washington, firefighters making progress on a wildfire which scorchd dozens of homes. the fire crews say it's 60% contained. another huge wild fire continues to grow in northern california. the fire that started in the plumas national forest has burning since july 29th. dap springer, fox news, red bluff, california. >> a lot of talk about what is going on in the tropics. >> yeah. >> hurricane, could be isaac. >> it will probably be the next hurricane and the tropical storm, it formed from the depression that formed earlier today, brian, 500 miles east of guadeloupe. what is interesting is the name isaac. the i storm and did you know that seven of the last named storms that began with i, seven of the last 11 have been retired. >> and retired? >> yup. you know why they retire them? they do damage. >> nots bell, though, right? >> i

that's not good. >> lightning strikes overnight sparked a new fire just east of featherville but that was quickly extinguished. the main fire, idaho's biggest ever is still described in the latest update as smoldering and creeping, its growth potential extreme. >> mike taibbi in idaho. thanks, mike. >>> prince philip release freddie a scottish hospital after spending five nights there for a recurring bladder infection. the 90-year-old was sidelined for part of the queen's diamond jubilee for that same problem. >>> embattled wikileaks founder julian assange is speaking out, accusing the u.s. from creating a witch hunt from the window of the ecuadorian embassy in london where he was granted asylum. nearby stood police which can only arrest him if he steps outside the embassy. they are trying to extradite him where he's wanted for alleged sex crimes. >>> the new york stock exchange, good morning, kayla. >> reporter: good morning. investors helping edge the stock market to its highest point in five years, despite the fact main trading floors like the ones at the new york stock exchange re

in idaho the vacation community of featherville, population 500 in the summer, is bracing for a blaze. the trinity ridge fire just 4% contained. >> contact is still inevitable. it is going to get here. >> reporter: residents could only listen as officials tried to prepare them. >> it makes you absolutely want to cry. >> reporter: even idaho's governor is preparing to evacuate his vacation home. >> i'm going to leave when they ask me to leave. i hope everybody else will, too. >> reporter: there is already one death and there are 14 injuries fighting fires in idaho. these pictures taken at the state spring fire show just how intense the fight is on the front lines. as temperatures across the region continue to soar back in washington a new fear of what the weekend might bring. >> we've also got thunderstorm activity that's predicted, dry lightning, for saturday. >> reporter: lightning that could spark new flames and make this just the beginning. and the evacuation level where we are has just now been raised. the wind and the fire have switched direction. we were told we'd have to move q

crews so far have saved the town of featherville, but today the winds are working against them. >> they may be the turning point of where we may have to evacuate more than the pleasantville area. >> reporter: and tonight, across much of the west, the firefight continues. the big factor with fires all across this region is weather, in particular the wind. we're expecting strong, gusty winds, and a red flag warn ago cross so much of this region tomorrow. and we should note that the state of california stays in fire season year long. brian? >> miguel almaguer right alongside the fire line there in manton, california. miguel, thanks. >>> tropical storm isaac formed today in the caribbean. and here's why it's news. as one prominent forecaster put it today, i hope the rnc has a plan. that's because hurricanes and political conventions in tampa don't mix well, especially the gop convention getting underway next week. let's get a reality check tonight from weather channel meteorologist jim cantore, who's with us from headquarters. jim, i know these things are notoriously hard to predict. >> the

. >> reporter: while featherville's moment of truth is delayed the fire has spread to the west northwest. it's the weather that sets the pace. predicted thunderstorms could dump needed moisture but that means lightning. >> the lightning could hit the ground and spark new fires cht. >> reporter: there are similar stories across the western wildfire zone. 35 dangerous fires burning in ten western states in a brutal season that has seen 6.7 million acres consumed. even while fires are on the way to being controlled those whose homes are threatened feel a similar helplessness. >> i don't have rental insurance or fire insurance. it's not good. >> reporter: so this is the strategy of choice, limit the fuel near threatened homes and then set strategic smaller fires called back burns to be sucked in by the approaching big fire but to do it at just the right time. >> they do it too early the fire will burn in the wrong direction. >> it has worked before? >> it has many times. >> reporter: now there is another western fire, the ponderosa fire that started yesterday and threatened 3,000 more homes.

. >> reporter: in the town of featherville, idaho, residents were taking what they could and getting out. they were forced to evacuate because of smoke. in some places it was so thick, visibility was reduced to just ten feet. and firefighters in northern california are doing everything they can to slow the progress of the ponderosa fire. it's burning out of control. nationwide, about 40,000 wildfires have burned six million acres of land this year. that's one million more than average. drew levinson, cbs news. >> so devastating. >>> the north american aerospace defense command is planning a training exercise over the washington area. norad says residents can expect flights to take place beginning tomorrow night into early tuesday morning. the exercises are designed to hone norad's intercept and identification operations. since september 11th, 2001 fighters have responded to more than 3400 possible air threats in the united states. >>> just ahead on 9news now, an update on the long distance swimmer trying tombing her whey if cuba to florida this weekend. >> after a mostly wet sunday,

in idaho, more than 1,000 firefighters are working to protect hundreds of homes in the featherville area as the trinity ridge fire grows in size. even in hawaii, the 1,000 acre wildfire on kauai has prompted evacuations. >> most of it is very steep terrain. we can't put hand crews to. we have to let it run up to a defensible space like a roadway. that is what we're doing so we're attacking it with helicopters. >> reporter: nearly 43,000 wildfires have been reported this season across the nation burning more than six million acres of land n new york, craig boswell, fox news. >>> we still have plenty ahead, your weather, traffic and all your top stories. >> fox 5 morning news at 4:30 starts right now. >>> good monday morning to you. august20th, first day of the week and also, school is back in so students are going to be up and about roaming around shortly. so we'll get some information out about that. we'll have some stories about that later on this morning. we want to start by saying good morning to you and thanks for watching. >> i'm sarah simmons. >> i'm wisdom martin. >> the little on

idaho, a fire that's been burning for two weeks is now pressing in on the summer vacation towns of feathervillend pine. both are being evacuated. >>> flash floods sent water into the subway system in the new york area. a witness inside a station in brooklyn shot this video. take a look at that. you can see that rainwater coming in from the ceiling, falling down on to the tracks, too. that heavy rain caused some big-time delays, as you might imagine. everything is expected to be back to normal today. >> yikes! i can't believe the trains are still moving with that kind of water on the tracks. >> never know what you're going to get in the subway. always something unexpected there. >> yes, 5:41. >> that's a good report. show. >> yes. all right, weather and traffic on the 1s. veronica, turning out to be a beautiful morning so far. >> yeah, well, the sunshine's going to give us a real show today. it got kind of covered yesterday with the clouds, and we did have some scattered showers around the area, but not a major deal for us yesterday. 71 is our temperature right now. your wind light, and it is a

residents of featherville are doing their part to keep spirits up as the flames get closer. >> i know we're in good hands. it's still what if, waiting, watching. >> reporter: officials in idaho say that fire could reach the town of featherville by later today depending on the weather. mother nature not giving them much help, natalie. temperatures expected to be in the high 90s across the region. >> that's not going to help. kristen dahlgren, thanks. >>> we are learning more about jesse jackson, jr.,'s health since he began a medical leave back in june. patrick kennedy visited him in minnesota and said jackson, jr., was really emotional. jackson, jr., is undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder. let's head to wall street. mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yesterday stocks closed within shouting distance of the highs but one stock cannot catch a break, facebook. the shares have hit new lows as yesterday early investors became eligible to sell their shares so far since the may ipo the stock has dropped by approximately half. what will i

when the occupants of nearly 1,000 homes and buildings in featherville were given evacuation orders some like cindy and pat christensen feared the worst and vowed to stay until the very last minute. >> until i see fire come over the hill, i'm going to stay. >> this is a big investment for us. this is our retirement. >> the fire that spread to the west-northwest, now within ten miles of idaho city. it's the weather that sets the pace. often a two-sided sword predicted thunderstorms that could dump needed moisture, but that also means lightning. >> lightning can hit the ground and spark new fires. >> there are similar stories across the western wildfire zone. 35 dangerous fires now burning in 10 western states in a brutal season that's already seen 6.7 million acres consumed by flames. there are new fires that are causing havoc. the ponderosa fire in northern california has destroyed seven homes and threatened 3,000 more. >> i have, like, fish and everything up in my house. i don't have rental insurance or fire insurance. it's not good. >> reporter: there were several lightning strikes ove

in featherville, idaho, hundreds of people are evacuating ahead of a fast-moving fire expected to reach the town by the end of the week. across the border in washington state, one fire has reportedly destroyed 70 homes, and firecrews say a welder who didn't have any water around may have started it. listen to this. >> it breaks my heart. sthes people worked -- these people worked all their lives for something, and through some stupid act they lose everything they've got. some maybe you can replace with insurance, but you can't replace it with the blood, sweat and tears you have into the place. >> the weather is starting to cooperate. the humidity is up which is an enormous help in keeping the flames from spreading. we go to dan in washington now with more. hi, dan. >> hi, shep. i know that smoke is hard to see behind me. that's good news. yesterday when we were here there were two huge plumes of smoke and the 900 plus firefighters are getting a handle on this fire. they made a lot of progress and they hope to have 50% containment by tonight. still there are 500 homes that remain evacuat

yesterday people passed up in the town of featherville, about 105 miles northeast of boise.hat town and the community of pine remain in the path of a fire that's burned 130 square miles since it broke out two weeks ago. >>> new military technology is helping fight wildfires in san diego. infrared cameras mounted on spotting planes can pinpoint exactly where crews should attack the flames. eventually this software will provide commanders with a realtime picture of the fire. the system will even show them the location of the firefighters and the engines. >>> all this dry weather is bad for firefighters but apparently it's great news for vintners. grapes love the aired climate. they like water to get started but after that the dryer the better. >> it's been dry for the most part. haven't had the typical long periods. rain that we would expect to see here and there. july was very dry. >> overall the grapes are really happy and we are looking forward to with a will hopefully be a really good harvest this year. >>> less rain means smaller grapes but more concentrated sugar. even a

heavy smoke is also forcing evacuations of more than 300 homes in the featherville area. >>> all right. well, we might get a little relief down the road, but we're still sunny and dry here. >> we're still 8 inches below average. there's still some areas that are under moderate to severe drought in our region. drought encompassing 60% of the country right now, so we all need to see some rain. for us, there are a few showers out there, but none right now around the metro area. take a look out there and you can see some cloud cover across the region. we'll call it partly cloudy skies as we look out towards the washington monument and jefferson memorial. current temperature right now 85 degrees with winds out of the southeast at 6 miles per hour. dew point of 62, so we're nice, we're low humidity, we'll have some sunshine. today just a spectacular afternoon on our wednesday. 84 in dulles, 86 leesburg. manassas at 84. 82 at camp springs and huntingtown coming in at 84 as well. so what are we seeing as far as the radar is concerned? we do have some showers and a few thunderstorms to the west

in idaho, more than 1,000 firefighters are working to protect hundreds of homes in the featherville area as the trinity ridge fire grows in size. even in hawaii, the 1,000 ache irwildfire on kauai has prompted evacuations. >> most of it is very steep terrain so we can't put hand crews on t we have to let it run up to a defensible space like a roadway. that is what we're doing so we're attacking it with helicopters. >> nearly 43,000 wildfires have been reported burning morning six million acres of land. res >> we've got a little bit of rain in the forecast today but we can use it as well. we are still at a deficit across our area. let's take a look and see where things are headed. we'll begin with a look at our weather headline for you and some showers in the forecast today. not talking a complete washout. yesterday, we had some periods of heavy rain and then some light rain off and on throughout the day. pretty much the same story. as i said, we do need the rainfall. so it is the first day of school for many of the young kids so not happy for them. temperature near seasonal into the cour

. >> while featherville's moment of truth is delayed, the fire has spread to the west, northwest now within ten miles of idaho city. >> the weather sets the pace. often a two-sided storm. predicted thunderstorms that could dump needed moisture, but it means lightning. >> it could spark fires. >> there are similar stories across the western wildfire zone. 35 dangerous fires now burning in ten western states in a brutal season that's already seen 6.7 million acres consumed by flames. so this is the strategy of choice. limit the fuel near threatened homes and then set strategic smaller fires, called back burns, to be sucked in by the approaching big fire but to do it at just the right time. >> they do it too early, the fire is liable to burn in the wrong direction. >> it's worked before? >> it has many times. >> new fires are causing havoc, the ponderosa fire in northern california destroyed seven homes and threatens 3,000 more. even when the fire is on the way to being controlled, the fox den fire in utah, those whose homes are threatened feel a similar helplessness. >> don't have rent

hot, dry weather and strong winds fueling one of the worst wildfires in idaho in decades in feathervillee, 100 miles east of boise. many are packing up their homes, with fires expected to hit there within days. the wildfire burning more than 100 square miles of land in that state. the hot and dry weather fueling fires in california, oregon and washington. i'm ainsley earhardt. now back to greta. >> greta: okay. you might have fun with this one. if you think the candidates are too busy to talk substance -- how about the media? you would think they have plenty to report on, right? but some are focusing on something else -- fashion. they usually target the women. vice-presidential candidate sarah palin was shown wearing very short shorts and then the leg shot, the shot between the leg. and plenty of comments about then presidential candidate hillary clinton's hair. but now it is governor rom scprom paul ryan, being put to the style test. the washington post showing a rear-view photo of the runningmate on gretawire. you are having a great time with it. one viewer saying, i am looking at the

in idaho, featherville, population 500 in the summer, bracing for a blaze.rinity ridge fire, just 4% contained. >> contact is still inevitable, it is going to get here. >> reporter: residents could only listen as officials try to prepare them. >> it makes you absolutely want to cry. >> reporter: even idaho's governor preparing to evacuate his vacation home. >> i'm going to leave when they ask me to leave. i hope everybody else will too. >> reporter: already one death and 14 injuries, fighting fires in idaho. these pictures taken at the state spring fire, show just how intense the fight is on the front lines. as temperatures across the region continue to soar, back in washington, a new fear of what the weekend might bring. >> we've also got thunderstorm activity predicted. dry lightning for saturday. >> reporter: lightning can spark new flames and make this just the beginning. think about it. if they get lightning strikes they could come in areas that haven't seen rain in more than a month. so today, craig, really could be critical out here. >> kristen dahlgr

. >>> one of the fiercest fire seasons in history is raging out west as residents of featherville, idaho have been forced to evacuate their homes. 35 blazes are now burning in 10 states across the west. so far this season some 6.7 million acres have been scorched. nasa's curiosity rover getting down to business on mars this morning as it zaps laser at a rock. scientists are analyzing to find out what elements in the rocks. >>> embattled wikileaks owner julian assange accused the u.s. of a witch hunt from the ecuadorian embassy in london where he's been granted asylum. mere feet away are british police who can only arrest him if he steps outside the embassy. u.s. officials are trying to extradite him to sweden where he's wanted for questioning on alleged sex crimes. >>> old ironside sets sail again. u.s. constitution had her maiden voyage in 1798 and is the u.s. navy's oldest commissioned warship still afloat. for 17 minutes the ship cruised across boston harbor to commemorate its victory over a british warship during the war of 1812. expendibles 2 topped weekend box office. silver stallo

after days of warnings, flames have finally reached the town of featherville. >> that is our home, and -- yeah, we are scared. >> reporter: here some families have refused to evacuate the now smoke-filled town. in washington, flames also continue to sneak up on firefighters trying to contain the taylor bridge fire. >> we can't control where the spots are going. >> can you read me okay? >> reporter: one week after the fire sparked, 23,000 acres have burned along with dozens of homes. fire crews are confident it will be contained soon. now fire crews out west are getting a break from the extreme heat. they hope that advantage will help them finally put out some of these fires for good. rob, paula, back to you. >> thank you, brandi. >> conditions out there, the dry temperatures, lightning, it's all bringing an early start to fire season. and this video is incredible. you can just hear the trees, and the power of those flames. >> and the thing we made this point, too, something floods or something like that, some stuff is salvageable. when a fire tears through, nothing left. everything is

idaho, a fire that's been burning for two weeks is now pressing in on the summer vacation towns of featherville and pine. both of those towns are being evacuated at this time. >>> pepco customers may be receiving more than just a bill in the mail from the utility company. they may be also getting a thank you note. pepco is thanking its customers for their patience during the june storms. nearly a half million of its customers lost power. some didn't get it back for a week or longer. pepco boasted in the letter that it restored power to 90% of its customers by the fourth of july, more than 48 hours before its original estimate. >>> and we're going to check in again with veronica johnson to find out a little bit more about our forecast. she's outside in storm center 4's weather center. patio center it is now. >> barbara, somebody took my sunglasses. >> you didn't leave them here. >> can you believe that? i lay them down for a second, and as nice as it is out here, i guess somebody thinks they need them. >> we'll take a look for them. >> oh, wait, they weren't my sunglasses to begin with. thanks a

and in idaho more than 1,000 fire fighters are battling a fire that threatens the resort town of feathervillese. that fire has burned 82,000 acres. resident are told to follow a mandatory evacuation order now. there are 35,000 wildfires burning across ten western states. coming up on news nation. >> this is a republican party that does not want to win the majority. they want to keep shooting themselves in the foot. >> joe scarborough weighs in on todd akin's remarks we have been talking about this hour. coming up we'll talk with one of the top democrats on the hill, chris van hollen and the news nation gut check, far from politics and something that cut our eye. an alabama man buried his wife in the front yard and he is in a legal battle to keep her there and he says he was carrying out her final wish. it is a heck of a story. check out the tumbler page you will find behind the scenes pictures. i am going to become facebook friends with our babysitter. no. these work, right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here? what? no! i

. >> reporter: idaho's most dangerous wildfire in years is inching closer to featherville. about 1,000 homes and other buildings, whose owners got straight talk today. >> it will not look the same in the next couple, three days as it looks today. and we will do everything we can possibly do out there as firefighters to make sure that our community, the hills, the rivers are the same as they can. >> reporter: that meant the mandatory evacuations that would soon be ordered. a number of emergency shelters were already in place. 63-year-old susan durant is ready to leave the cabin where she's lived alone for years since her husband died, already enveloped in smoke and directly in the path of a fire. >> this whole thing is surrounded by sprinklers. that's what comes out of that tub. >> reporter: these are days of facing hard reality for kate baldwin, too. she and her late husband, vance, had been building their dream house in these hills. he was himself a fireman. now she says she'll keep working on it until she has to leave and hope this fire spares her home. >> the fire will g

. >> reporter: in idaho, more than 1,000 firefighters are battling to save the town of featherville. the fire has chewed away at more than 88,000 acres. at least 350 homes were evacuated there, families scrambling to pack up and move out. >> everybody's afraid. their nerves are shot. >> reporter: the biggest problem -- smoke. thick clouds have taken visibility down to less than ten feet in some spots. slowing firefighters. in washington, firefighters are finally getting a handle on the flames there, even though some worry the weather could whip it up again. >> we have potential for dry lightning, erratic wind. >> here's our bed. >> reporter: some returning home to find little left. >> like a death in the family. we have to start over again. >> reporter:head flag warning -- >> reporter: red flag warnings and fire watches are posted for the beginning of this week. that means that weather conditions will not be helping firefighters. ginger zee, abc news, new york. >> thousands fleeing their homes. >> eight western states involved. 41 major fires. as she mentioned, washington, idaho, uta

in idaho, a fire that's been burning for two weeks is now pressing in on the vacation towns of featherville and pine. both are being evacuated. >>> two of the former penn state university officials accused of covering up the jerry sandusky sex abuse allegations will be in court today. lawyers for former athletic director tim curley and retired vice president gary schultz will try to persuade a judge to dismiss the charges. both men are charged with failure to report and felony perjury, allegedly having lied to a grand jury. in june, sandusky was found guilty of sexually abusing ten boys. he is currently in prison awaiting sentencing next month. >>> 17 after the hour. for the first time, we're hearing the frantic moments as a man burst into a sikh temple in wisconsin and opened fire. six people were killed, three others were wounded when that suspect, wade michael page, started firing as worshippers were preparing for a prayer service. in the background of the calls, you can hear the sound of gunfire. >> the address there, ma'am. [ inaudible ] >> hurry! we've got a shooting! >> ma'am, hold o

aho, a fire that has been burning for two weeks is now pressing in on a summer vacation town, featherville, also pine. both are being evacuated. >> hard to talk about in the middle of august, but we hit record highs this summer, and this winter we could see some severe snowstorms. forecasters predict the nation's capital and cities along the i-95 northeast corridor could see more snow than last year's snow drought. the winter mix of sleet and snow could start in november and december. the low temperatures could then settle in by january and february, so you may want to make sure your snow plows, snow shovels, all that stuff are in working order before the first winter snow hits. now, i'm just mad about this, because i still remember all that snow we had recently. >> the two years ago, the big one? >> yeah, was it two years ago, veronica? >> yes. >> and i'm hoping, veronica, i know that long-term forecasting is not something that a lot of meteorologists like to talk about and tout. so, i'm hoping they're wrong. >> well, there are some pretty good indicators, just like last year we kind of k

are shot >> reporter: in idaho, an 85,000-acre blaze has forced the evacuation of the town of featherville. >> do you read me okay? reporter: to the west in washington state, crews have gained the upper hand on fires there. >> and here's our bed reporter: but some returned home to find everything gone >> it's like a death in the family. >> reporter: so far this summer more than 6.5 million acres have burned. 10,000 square miles. that's an area the size of vermont. >> sreenivasan: on wall street today, stocks changed very little. the dow jones industrial average lost more than three points to close above 13,271. the nasdaq fell less than a point to close at 3,076. the comedienne and humorist phyllis diller died in her sleep today in los angeles. diller was famous for her distinctive cackle and for paving the way for women in the world of stand-up comedy. she didn't get into comedy until she was nearly 40, after she'd been married and had five children. she worked well into her 80's, performing in nightclubs, films, and on tv. her routine often poked fun at her looks and her life as a housew