and smoke spread some drivers abandoned vehicles causing gridlock for others, including our own liz kreutzins us now from los angeles. liz, it is a desperate situation with so many rushing to get out. >> reporter: lester, this is a chaotic situation unfolding now. we are hearing reports of people trapped. hundreds of people have been trying to get out creating gridlock traffic. all of the cars around me are abandoned with people that got out to get out on foot. there are hundreds of firefighters who are working te fire right now. all of it is driven by an intense wind event that is just getting started. the wind-driven wildfire blazes through one of southern california's most iconic neighborhoods. people are waiting and it is a parking lot. >> i rushed over to pack my belongings and i got the evacuation orders. >> reporter: residents told to get out, some people getting trapped. >> homeowners are saying they are unable to access any exit routes. there is fire on both sides of the road. >> reporter: many abandoning cars in the gridlocked traffic. fire crews using a bulldozer pushing cars ou

liz kreutz has a special reunion for a little dog named oreo. >> reporter: we first met casey colvinas actually calling my, saying was everything in okay in the palisades? i said i am in the city, i don't know. >> reporter: he raced back, trying to get back to his two dogs inside but couldn't get past the roadblock. >> they deserve better than this. >> reporter: i'm so sore eye. >> how do i get to my house? >> reporter: a firefighter offered to go for him, knocking down the door, rescuing one of his two dogs, but the other was still missing. >> this is my daughter. the behavioral dog, he ran out of the house. >> reporter: later that night, the palisades fire reduced casey's home to rubble, but his only concern, oreo. for five days, he was missing. then casey got a call. >> hi, bubba! oreo spotted in the neighboring property. >> it's your daddy. hi, bubba! oh, honey! oh, honey! oh, my god! >> reporter: it's the happy ending casey prayed for. >> oh, honey! woo! >> reporter: and there's one person he really wanted to thank. >> this guy saved your life. this guy saved your life. and you

liz kreutz, nbc news. >> you can see much more of that interview tomorrow on "today."xt, one of the most iconic streets in america defiantly comes back. interview tomorrow on today. >> coming up next one the most iconic streets in america defiantly comes back. conner or bowel specialist. results and experiences may vary. stop suffering in silence. ♪♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors. my name is dawn. i live in central texas. i'm a military spouse and a certified dog trainer. i started noticing there was this wall up that i couldn't push through. and that was frustrating. that's when i decided to try prevagen. i'd seen the commercials and the people seemed really authentic and it seemed to really help them. after taking prevagen, i could say unequivocally, it has made a huge difference in my life. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel - nothing beats it. new p

>> all right, liz kreutz, thank you. >>> we'll take a break then. >>> up next, the end of the road ine of the missing ruby slippers from the "the wizard of oz." of the road in the case of the missing ruby slippers from the wizard of oz. >> [ music ] and you'll get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence, on us. now with genmoji. that's a value of up to eighteen hundred dollars. only on verizon. my hair was thinning all around my hairline. my dermatologist recommended nutrafol. it's 100 % drug—free and clinically tested. my hair is longer, thicker. nutrafol is life—changing for me. get growing at nutrafol.com. mirajoy: the overwhelming relief after miralax® helps you “go” miralax® works naturally with the water in your body. putting you in a supernaturally good mood. miralax®: free your gut to free your mood. your shipping manager left to "find themself." leaving you lost. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. sponsored jobs on indeed are two and a half times faster to first hire. visit indeed.com/hire ♪♪ some people just know they can save hundreds on car insurance by checking

but none quite like the one you're about to see from liz kreutz and a dog named oreo. >> reporter: weme, saying is everything okay in the palisades, i'm in the city, i don't know. >> reporter: the resident raced back, renting a bike trying to get to his two dogs, couldn't get past the road block. >> i rescued them off the street, they deserve better. >> reporter: i'm so sorry. >> how do i get to my house? >> reporter: a firefighter went in and rescued one, but oreo was missing. >> this is my daughter, but the behavioral dog, he ran out of the house. >> reporter: later that night, the palisades fire reduced his home to rubble, but his only concern, oreo. five days, he was missing. then casey got a call. oreo spotted in the neighboring property. >> it's your daddy, hi! how was the fire? oh, honey. oh, honey. oh, my god. >> reporter: it's th happy ending casey prayed for. and there's one person he really wanted to thank. >> this guy saved your life! and you look like a ken doll. >> reporter: cal fire battalion chief. >> if that dog could talk, he would have a story to tell. he would have

liz kreutz has details. >> reporter: fire ravaged los angeles on edge as southern california braces for another extreme wind event. the initial weather service issues the same advisories. >> we have staffed all available resources, strategically placing fire patrols and engines in the unimpacted high risk areas in the city. >>>> reporter: in the past week 60 miles around l.a. county has been scorched. >> air efforts are a critical part of the firefight. you can see it here. teams are attacking the fires and the hot spots like this one from the air every chance they get. >> reporter: officials say 37 people remain unaccounted for, and 25 people are confirmed dead. now growing scrutiny about how the fire started. this video, taken by pedro rojas, shows a large blaze beneath the electrical towers in the early moments of the eaton fire. alleging negligence for failing to deenergize the transmission line which the suit says sparked the deadly fire. what is the proof you are pointing to that it started at the transmission line? >> in our complaint we allege videos, photographs, eyewitness tes

today our liz kreutz saw some of the worst of it. >> reporter: a massive and deadly wildfire emergency is unfolding in southern california. from the pacific palisades to pasadena multiple infernos continuing mass destruction of homes and businesses. tens of thousands forced to evacuate. >> last night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we've seen in any part of our city at any part of our history. >> reporter: on the coast the palisades fire exploding to more than 15,000 acres. 75-mile-per-hour winds overnight pushing the flames up the pacific coast highway where it overtook the iconic city of malibu and created this apocalyptic scene stretching for miles on the california coast. we're watching multiple beachfront properties here just go up in flames. first responders trying to get a hold of the fires. all the neighboring properties here destroyed as the winds are picking up. in the pacific palisades officials say at least 1,000 structures lost. at the eaton fire, burning in altadena 45 minutes from the coast, at least five people have died and more than 100 stru

. (♪♪) >>> finally tonight, as so many come together to help each other, our liz kreutz with the storiesals in harm's way. >> reporter: as fires ignited across l.a., forcing thousands from their homes, horses, donkeys and even a giant pig all among those also needing to get out. >> it's time to leave. >> reporter: this woman evacuated her 175 pound tortoise, tiptoe. >> this is no good. this is no good. >> how do i get to my house? >> reporter: in the palisades a first responder reuniting this man with his beloved dog. what's her name or his name? >> tika. >> and now at the pasadena humane society, donations of blankets, food, air filters, so many in the community jumping in to help. the shelter has taken in more than 400 animals over the past two days. some of them dropped off by evacuees looking for a safe place for their pets, others by good samaritans who found them wandering amidst the chaos. >> one of the animals i transferred out is this cat. >> inside, veterinarians tending to so many animals. >> i didn't know where they were all going to go. i didn't know if we had the number of

liz kreutz is following this for us. this is a private meeting between the brothers and the d.a.nendez family will meet with the new d.a. as we said before, the d.a.'s recommendation is important. it will hold a lot of weight as it goes to a judge to make the decision. it lands in the hands of a judge. there's a critical hearing happening in a few weeks. the family is awaiting the recommendation from the d.a. the d.a. is about to meet with the 20 family members, but previously just a few weeks ago met with the menendez brothers' uncle, the vocal member of the family not supporting their release. it's likely to be a topic of conversation as well the fact that the d.a., the new d.a., has appointed that uncle's attorney to his offense as the new director of victim services. although the new district attorney has not said how he stands on this case, there's a relationship with that attorney. that will probably come up today in this meeting as they continue to push for the brothers' release. >> liz, i misspoke, it's the family of the menendez brothers meeting with the d.a. there's a r

my dogs would have died if not for you. >> reporter: liz kreutz, nbc news, los angeles. >> we'll keepry. >>> and we thank you for watching "nightly news." i'm tom llamas in los angeles. have a great night. >> woo! woo! bay area news tonight. it is not over. those winds are picking back up. we have the latest from the fire lines in southern california. plus, how did the firestorm

my dogs would have died if not for you. >> reporter: liz kreutz, nbc news, los angeles. >> we'll keepry. >>> and we thank you for watching "nightly news." i'm tom llamas in los angeles. have a great night. >> woo! woo! ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ you gotta be out there ♪ ♪ you gotta be somewhere ♪ ♪ wherever you are ♪ ♪ i'm waiting ♪ ♪ 'cause there are these nights when ♪ ♪ i sing myself to sleep ♪ ♪ and i'm hopin' my dreams ♪ ♪ bring you close to me ♪ ♪ are you listening ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ i'm cryin' out, i'm ready now ♪ ♪ turn my world upside down ♪ ♪ find me ♪ ♪ i'm lost inside the crowd ♪ ♪ it's getting loud ♪ ♪ i need you to see i'm screaming for you to please ♪ ♪ i'm restless and wild ♪ ♪ i fall but i try ♪ ♪ i need someone to understand ♪ ♪ i'm lost in my thoughts ♪ ♪ and baby i've fought for all that i've got ♪ ♪ can you hear me ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ can you hear me ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ can you hear me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ hear me ♪ ♪ hear me ♪♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: oh, my god! what? you -- i literally sang a completely different ending to that s

and that will continue to happen if we don't take as a society real action. >> reporter: liz kreutz, between blake lively and justin baldoni, the co-stars of the recent film "it ends with us." lively sued baldoni in december laying out her claims in a complaint with the california civil rights department. she accused baldoni of sexual harassment and directing a smear campaign against her. now baldoni is sharing his version of the story in a lawsuit he filed against "the new york times." >> here with me now, nbc news entertainment correspondent. there is a lot to unravel here. but get us up to speed. why is he suing "the new york times" in particular? >> it's unclear as to why "the new yorktimes" and not also naming blake lively because blake lively is suing justin baldoni now. but in terms of the "new york times," he is suing them for $250 million for libel. saying that they did not thoroughly research their story, they based it completely on blake lively's claims in her original civil complaint filed in california like you just said, that they cherry-picked text messages out of thei

liz kreutz reports. >> reporter: long lift lines, fewer runs, and frustrated skiers up have been them in park city utah since the strike just after christmas. peter and his family travelled to minnesota just before new year's to find the ski version of gridlock. >> do you feel dooped? >> completely duped. >> reporter: he says no one told them about the strike. >> it wasn't until we went out to ski the next day after check-in that we saw lines that were hundreds and hundreds of people long and very limited amounts of runs and lifts that were open. >> reporter: many other visitors reporting similar experiences. >> a lot of people pay a lot of money in order to come here, and those people are not getting the experience that they're paying for because it's not properly staffed. >> reporter: the union representing around 200 ski patrollers and mountain safety personnel went on strike december 27th against park city's parent company. after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement over wages and benefits. park city says it's currently using management and non-union staff to stay open

here's nbc's liz kreutz in malibu moments ago. >> reporter: the winds are really picking up right nowd i have to say i've never seen anything like we've seen overnight. the winds pushed the pacific palisades fire up north into malibu. we are on the pacific coast highway here where we have been watching coastal homes right there burning, engulfed in flames. you can see the smoke and we're starting to get the damage as the sun comes up. we're seeing homes on fire up in the hills. the firefighters have been trying to get a handle on this, but they are simply overwhelmed with multiple fires burning across l.a. we're learning of another fire that just ignited, all driven by the life threatening hurricane-force winds. >> liz kreutz in malibu moments ago. we're joined by l.a. city councilman acting as mayor until karen bass returns from a trip abroad today. thanks for joining us. how would you describe what is happening in your city this morning? >> it is absolutely cataclysmic. it is terrifying. it's bigger than anyone we've ever seen. we live in fire county. we're used to having fires ever

nbc news correspondent liz kreutz is there. iz has been separate from her camera. tell us why? >> reporter: hey, mika. basically i've never seen anything like this here. i grew up in southern california. this is like nothing you've ever seen with multiple fires raging across the l.a. region right now. we're on the pacific coast highway right now where home after home after home, beachfront properties, are engulfed in flames. i am looking at a mansion right now, a beach view mansion in the hills, basically exploded. the reason we're separated from my crew right now is because we had just gone a little bit down the road to scope something out and we turned around and there was then a live wire that had power line had fallen and a live wire was blocking the road and now it blocked first responders. the most important thing now, there are multiple fire trucks here that i'm looking at that are stalled and can't get through because this live wire is down blocking the road. >> unbelievable. give us a sense in terms of what you know fro

liz kreutz has a preview. >> reporter: there's so much to look for tonight. will we say yes, chef?will watch the host who says everyone should have fun and not take themselves too seriously. this morning, the official kickoff to hollywood award season, with tonight's 82nd golden globe awards, billed as hollywood's party of the year. >> let's go out with a bang. let's have a laugh at your expense. >> reporter: the first woman to host the show solo and coming fresh off her roast of tom brady. >> you have seven wings. eight now that gizelle gave hers back. >> reporter: she said, i'm not going to go so hard anyone will be offended. she plans to largely avoid politics and jokes about another hot button issue, the feud between blake lively and justin baldozi. it comes amid news about the death of aubrey plaza's husband. he was known for co-writing "i heart huckabees." many of the nominated films tack manying serious themes, including crime drama which tops the list with ten nominations. others, "conclave" and "the brutalist." >> i'm afraid it's not so simple. >> reporter: all eyes on "wi

nbc's liz kreutz following that story. hey, liz. >> yeah, it is one of the busiest ski times of the year. right now less than 20% of the slopes are open. we will show you what it looks like and the impact of all of this as families speak out about their frustrations. >>> also ahead, a closer look at what's behind the soaring prices of breakfast staples like eggs, milk, the coffee you're drinking right now. what you do to safe money on the most important meal of the day. but first this is "today" on >>> just ahead, the future on full display. >> yes. the biggest week in tech is here. the consumer electronics show in las vegas from robo taxis to pizza. the game-changing discoveries in our latest report. after your local news. ♪ (pilot 1) verizon transport echo charlie. entering cleveland. (pilot 2) verizon transport approaching new york. (pilot 3) verizon transport alpha kilo on approach to chicago. (grandma) what the...? (pilot 4) verizon transport on approach to philadelphia. (man) yo! (pilot 5) verizon transport oscar hulu

liz kreutz has late details for us. >> reporter: fire ravaged los angeles on edge as southern california braces for another extreme wind event. city officials telling residents to be prepared to evacuate as the national weather service issues the same high threat level advisory that fueled the palisades and eaton fires. >> we are taking an aggressive lean-forward posture and staffed all available resources strategically places fire patrols and engines in the unimpacted high risk areas in the city. >> reporter: in the past week 60 miles across l.a. county has been scorched. embedded with cal fire here to see the conditions from the air. >> you can see it here. teams are attacking these fires and hot spots like this one from the air every chance they get. >> reporter: tonight officials say 37 people remain unaccounted for and 24 confirmed dead. now growing scrutiny about how the fires started. this video taken n by altadena resident pedro rojas shows a large blaze beneath an electrical tower underneath the eaton fire. socal edison has been -- what is the proof you are pointing to that it s

today, our liz kreutz saw some of the worst of it. >> a massive and deadly wildfire is unfolding in southern california. from the pacific palisades to pasadena. multiple infernos, continuing mass destruction of homes and businesses. teps of thousands. >> last night was one of the most devastating we've seen in our city history. >> on the coast, the palisades fire, exploding to 60 miles an hour. 75-mile-an-hour winds overnight overtook the iconic city of malibu, and created this apocalyptic scene, stretching for miles on the california coast. >> we're watching multiple beach front properties here go up in flames. first responders trying to get hold of the fire. all the neighboring properties here destroyed, as the winds are picking up. >> in the pacific palisades, officials say at least a thousand structures lost. across southern california, high winds and protected power shutoff have left more than a million people in the dark. at the eaton fire, 45 minutes from the coast, at least five people have died, and more than a hundred structures destroyed. as wind-whipped embers expanded the fire's

now as liz kreutz reports many who've lost everything could struggle to be made whole again. >> hey,ight here. >> reporter: as wildfires continue to rage in california, one estimate says the insured losses are already at least $20 billion. for briana navarro the loss is incalculable. >> she loved her family. >> reporter: she believes her grandmother, arlene kelly, perished at their home in the eaton fire. >> i thought she would be like 99. you know? just walking around. >> reporter: their house of more than 40 years burned to the ground. >> are you worried as you rebuild that you won't be able to get insurance anymore? >> possibly. yeah. it's difficult. where do you even start? >> reporter: 7 of california's top 12 home insurers either paused or limited policies over the last two years. state farm, which has 21% of the market share in the state, announced in march it was making the difficult but necessary decisions that would mean not renewing 30,000 home policies in the state, ending 69% of its policies in the now devastated pacific palisades. >> insurance in california is horrifyin

we are liz kreutz who spoke with the family members. liz, how far do they say that meeting went? >> reporter: they were pleased with how it went. they say the d.a. was respectful leading each family member speak and why they want the brothers released. the d.a. has not revealed his intention saying he is very viewing evidence on both sides of the case. for the first time, several members of the menendez family meeting with the district attorney nathan awkman. which they say was an act of selfdefense after years of abuse by their father. >> a very productive session where they gave me all of their thoughts about what should happen in this case. the ultimate direction they want the case to go. >> reporter: the meeting with the family members lasted three hours after the brothers' cousin thanked the d.a. for his time. >> we are very much hoping we can find a path to manslaughter that we can see the release of the brothers immediately. >> reporter: hochman took office last month and has not said where he stands on the case. he recently appointed an attorney to a position in hi office

liz kreutz is following that story for us. >> it's just tragic news.r at the golden globes right after this. so now that you're 50 or older, and at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia and ipd be proactive with capvaxive- a vaccine specifically designed for adults to help protect against pneumonia and invasive disease caused by certain types of pneumococcal bacteria. capvaxive is the only vaccine that helps protect against the strains that cause 84% of ipd in adults 50 or older compared with up to 52% by other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. don't get capvaxive if you're allergic to the vaccine or its ingredients. tell your doctor if you have a weakened immune system. common side effects include injection-site reactions, feeling tired, headache, muscle aches, and fever. whether you've had another pneumococcal vaccine or not ask your doctor or pharmacist about capvaxive. (♪♪) (vo) welcome to old el paso, ask your doctor or pharmacist about capvaxive. where stand 'n stuff taco shells stand tall without falling over. where squeezable sauces means le

his attorney now speaking out exclusively to liz kreutz. >> good morning.baldoni's attorney says once people read all the text messages between the costars, they may have a different take on what happened. he also told me the next step he's planning to take in this ongoing feud. >> all right, liz. we'll see you in a moment. >>> plus, 2025 is expected to be a record setter for the cruise industry. we will take you onboard some popular ships to welcome that boat load of passengers. but, first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> coming up, the dynamic duo about to take the country by storm. >> the national zoo's giant pandas are gearing up for their debut. we will show you how they're getting ready for their fans after th. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors. ♪♪ some people just know they can save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. like you know to check your spelling first before taking off your shirts. west virginia! [stadium noise] yeah...oh, yeah. stew virginia? yeah, checking first is smart. so check allstate fi

i want to go to nbc's liz kreutz in malibu. liz, these fires are so massive, there's more than three 0% contained, and we know that two people have lost their lives. there are many injured. what are you seeing at this hour? >> reporter: i mean, jose, the only word that comes to mind, truly here, and we're on the pacific coast highway in malibu is apocalyptic. let me show you here. to my left. this home destroyed. and this is home after home after home. this burning behind me. if you look this way, we should be seeing the ocean. but it is a wall of smoke. and usually, what we see are homes. and it is not just this section of the pch. it is up and down the highway here. we are seeing mass destruction in malibu. what happened is the winds pushed the palisades fire from the pacific palisades north overnight. came into malibu. and there were people who did not heed those evacuation warnings. also a firefighter injured, who had a serious head injury, trying to battle this fire. this is a massive fire and this is a serious wind storm.

liz kreutz joins us with more. ur fireworks, saying there's a reason it should be left to professionals. in hawaii a new year's eve celebration turning deadly after illegal fireworks exploded at a home in honolulu, igniting this massive fiery blast that authorities say killed at least three people and critically injured more than 20 others. >> what should have been a night of joy and celebration has instead become one of sorrow and heartbtbreak forur community. >> reporter: the tragic explosion appearing to happen just after midnight of the new year when video showed dozens of amateur fireworks lighting up the honolulu sky. >> every ariel firework is illegal. this situation is out of control. it cannot be allowed to continue. >> reporter: officials say a new year's eve party was taking place in the carport of a three-story home when a bundle of lit fireworks fell over setting off a chain reaction. >> it was a cake bomb essentially. it was a bomb last night. it was fireworks but they were put together in a way that t

nbc's liz kreutz was there to capture the special moment on camera. the dancing in the streets. the oreo jt kind of loving seeing his owner again. i mean, this just makes your heart swell. i love this video. and we were listening. we were joking about the audio alert. he said, thank you jesus. thank you god. where's nbc? yeah, yeah. everything in the proper. in the proper order. exactly. thanks for joining us. yeah. we'll see you guys this week - we get here, we turn the other way. first try, here we go. (upbeat music)

. >>> but first, nbc's liz kreutz' harrowing experience trying to escape the fire. >> we are in bumper-to-bumper traffic as hundreds of people try to get out. you can see flames on both sides of the road, with very little visibility. very little visibility. of bad breats for five times more cleaning power than brushing and flossing alone. get a next level clean... ahhhhh with listerine. feel the whoa! when you really need to sleep. you reach for the really good stuff. zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. its non-habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. new projects means new project managers. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. when you sponsor a job on indeed, it's easier for talented candidates to find it. which makes it easier for you to hire them. visit indeed.com/hire when you live with diabetes, progress is... having your coffee like you like it without an audience. ♪♪ [silence] the freestyle libre 3 plus sensor tracks your glucose in real time so everyone else doesn't have to, and over time it can help lower your a1c confident choice

nbc news correspondent liz kreutz was on hand to witness a joyful reunion for one resident after he lost was it. i couldn't go. we first met casey coleman amidst the chaos of evacuations. >> my boss is actually calling me, saying, is everything okay in the palisades? >> i said, i'm in the city. >> i don't know. the pacific palisades resident raced back, even renting a bike, trying to get home to his two dogs inside, but couldn't get past the roadblock. >> i literally rescued him off the street. >> they deserve better than this. >> i'm so sorry. >> i'm so sorry. >> i'm sorry. how do i get to my house? >> a firefighter offered to go for him, knocking down his door, rescuing one of his two dogs, but the other oreo was still missing. >> i got the dog. >> yeah, this is my daughter. but what the. >> the behavioral dog. >> he ran out of the house. >> later that night, the palisades fire reduced casey's home to rubble. but his only concern. oreo. for five days, he was missing. then casey got a call. oreo spotted in the neighboring property. it's your daddy. >> hi, bobo. how's the fire? oh. hi, d

. >> chris, liz kreutz, thank you so much. right now i'm joined by rami sadri, the new chairman of the malibu pacific palisades chamber of commerce. rami, i know you've got to be steeling yourself for what's going to be a very long process of rebuilding. but tell us right now, first of all, how are you doing and what's the situation on the ground? >> good morning chris. >> thank you for having me and letting me share my story today. it's been about a week now that i've had my disabled parents with me. i was able to pull them out of their house before it burned down. it's so surreal. let me i i'm a computer consultant and ai technology consultant, and i help my clients in pacific palisades door to door with their technology. and i was at a client's actually outside of the palisades in westwood, where my in the morning. and then my next client was in the palisades, and she called me and said, you know, you're not coming over. we're evacuating right now. and that's the first time i got news of anything. right after that, i basica

and nbc's liz kreutz talks to the heroes who are working to help all of them.rcing thousands from their homes, horses, donkeys and even a giant pig, all among those also needing to get out, it's time to leave. this woman evacuated her 175 pound tortoise. tiptoe. >> this is no good. >> this is no good. >> how do i get to my house in the palisades? >> a first responder reuniting this man with his beloved dog. >> what's his. >> what's her name or his name? tika. >> tika tika. >> and now at the pasadena humane society. an overwhelming outpour. donations of blankets, food, air filters. so many in the community jumping in to help. the shelter has taken in more than 400 animals over the past two days. some of them dropped off by evacuees looking for a safe place for their pets, others by good samaritans who found them wandering amidst the chaos. >> one of the animals that i transferred out is this cat inside. >> veterinarians tending to so many animals. >> at first i didn't know where they were all going to go. i didn't know if we had the number of hands to take care

. >> liz kreutz is there to shine a light on their stories. ood morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. yeah. we have just seen so much devastation here over the last few days. this was an auto shop. it's one o of the budings destroyed in altadena. i spoke to man that risked his life to stay back to help neighbors in their greatest time of need. shocking scenes still unfolding in southern california, where flames continue to swallow up everything in sight. the loss unimaginable. >> she loved her family. >> reporter: she says her 83-year-old grandmother died inside her home. >> it is devastating. we didn't expect to lose her so tragically. >> it burned for hours and hours. >> reporter: some residents becoming heroes. when scott k. saw flames, he up garden hoses.ines and picked he teamed up with a small group of neighbors. >> i can't control any of this, but i can turn on the garden hose and turn off a gas line. >> reporter: and those small things made a big difference. >> i don't know if they did or not. i think he is a hero. >> reporter: in

joining us now, liz kreutz. good to see you this morning.as you can see. i am in downtown altadena. this was an auto shop. you could see the charred cars sure. this is one of the businesses destroyed in altadena. state farm insurance business is gone except for the state farm sign and ironically, they've dropped several people from their homeowners insurance just in this community over the last year. i spoke to a couple who lost their home here. thousands of people have homes here that are gone. one couple had been dropped from their homeowners insurance last year and spend months trying to get it back. they just got it back last month and they cried when they found someone that would give them coverage. they say they are the lucky ones. so many in this community will try to come back and rebuild but don't have coverage as insurance companies pull out of the state because of the climate crisis we are seeing. here in altadena we know the death toll has risen to 10 and it could go up. i spoke to a woman whose grandmother passed away, she belie

. >> liz kreutz is looking at how students are coping. ning. >> reporter: good morning to you, guys. yeah, the vast majority of more than is,000 schools that shut down last week have reopened now. yeah, there's thousands of students that are still displaced right now. they don't have a school to go back to. queer at one of the elementary schools in the pacific palisades that burned down from the fires. you can see this total destruction here. we're told that this was a classroom. it's hard to make it out. and then come over here. we notice this earlier. you can see inside this charred cub by here. everything burned except for somehow these children's lunchboxes are still here. those somehow survived. you can see them covered in dust. and we saw some even still had some food in them. so it's just a chilling reminder of what happened here a week ago today. and despite all this, teachers and students, they tell us they're going to come back and rebuild. this morning a majority of los angeles unified students back in the classroom after the cl

it just looks like a -- something. >> nbc's liz kreutz reporting from southern california.t jacob soboroff. he is in pacific palisades, jacob, what are you seeing this morning? >> reporter: willie, it is -- this is what happens when an entire community in the largest county, most populous in the united states of america, los angeles, is literally wiped off the map. pacific palisades was home to 23,000 people. most everybody, virtually everyone has left this community, and there are very few homes left standing, and most of the critical infrastructure is gone. i grew up here, willie. this is literally my neighborhood. i was born and raised here. this was the ralph's supermarket, one of two supermarkets in town. you can see what it looks like today. it's awful. it's awful. come just take a look down this way. i remember when i was a kid here growing up, in and around this area, look at all of these terra cotta tiles. these were a feature of a lot of the architecture here in pacific palisades. you would sort of sit and hang, eat in the front, and go across the street to the ha

let me bring in my colleague, nbc news correspondent liz kreutz, in the hard hit area of pacific palisadese is of what that means. they have ruled out, i guess that would be a lightning strike or a natural ignition. is that right? >> well, nicole, i mean, it can sometimes take weeks, months, up to a year, even to fully figure out what causes a fire. >> but of course, the atf is on the scene trying to figure out preliminarily what they think it may have been caused by. and they're not ruling anything out, but their line of investigation is going towards that. it could be human caused. and we should say that something that's sort of indicating that is that there was actually a fire on new year's day in that exact same area where it's believed the palisades fire began. and the thought is that maybe that fire was never fully put out. and then when those winds came last week, it sort of reignited it. and that could potentially be what led to this fire. that fire, they're still investigating whether it was caused by fireworks or maybe an encampment. so there's still a lot of questions. but when

nbc news correspondent liz kreutz has the latest. >> reporter: in hawaii, a new year's eve celebration a home in honolulu, igniting a fiery blast that authorities say killed three people and radically injured more than 20 others. >> what should have been a night of joyous celebration has instead become one of sorrow in the community. >> reporter: the explosion happened just after midnight in the new year when video showed dozens of amateur fireworks lit up the honolulu sky. >> every firework is illegal. this situation is out of control and it cannot be allowed to continue. >> reporter: a new year's eve party was taking place in a carport of a three-story home when a bundle of lit fireworks fell over, setting off a chain reaction. >> it was essentially a bomb. they were fireworks but they were put together in a way they were so explosive they took the table down apparently. >> reporter: according to the authorities, two women died at the scene and another died at the hospital. two dozen others were taken with serious injuries. >> all of them had burns. many of them had shrapnel injuries