let's go back to miguel almaguer. ld have occurred 8:30 in the morning during the rush hour. is that perhaps making reporting slow on what's happening in terms of potential casualties? >> lester, fortunately, we have no reports of fatalities. this was probably just before the workday, before many people were getting into downtown buildings in the area. the other good news here is we have seen -- while we certainly have seen widespread damage here, for the most part in many areas it has been fairly cosmetic, things inside grocery stores where shelves are toppled. while we see some roads that have suffered some serious damage, we haven't seen buildings that have snapped in half or are in pieces in the downtown area. because of those strong earthquake standards that are in place in alaska, similar to california, it looks like most of the buildings were able to with stabb withstand the shock. first responders are still trying to make their way out into many neighborhoods and because so many roads have been hard hit, it's g

nbc's miguel almaguer with that story. >> reporter: draped in red, white and blue, tonight the city of north ogden, utah, is honoring brett taylor killed in afghanistan. the major was also their mayor. john call says taylor was the town's heart and soul. >> that's what he made the city, he made the city our family. >> reporter: killed in an apparent inside attack by an afghan security force major, taylor knew the danger. one of six brothers to enlist, he was awarded a purple heart and bronze star after four deployments. >> he was motivated by love. that's why he wore the uniform. that's why he served in the community. >> reporter: his service now the sacrifice of his family, taylor leaves behind wife jenny and seven children. in his final days, taylor helped secure elections in afghanistan. his last facebook posted a dressed our midterms. i hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote. god bless america. a major and mayor, a husband and father, an american hero, brent taylor is coming home one last time. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> a massive gas explosion levelled

our miguel almaguer >> reporter: lester, good evening. this is what so many neighborhoods look like tonight in southern california. block after block just destroyed. firefighters say it was a single ember that lit this entire neighborhood. one ember. tonight they're worried about those santa ana winds, concerned that the same thing could happen all over again. this is what the firefight looks like in the mountains outside los angeles. the air attack swooping in just above ltimillion dollar homes on the brink of disaster. >> i am surrounded by fire. >> reporter: many unstoppable wall of fire, a vortex of smoke and flames closing in. >> it was a tornado. it wasn't going like this. it was swirling. >> reporter: firefighters faced a hell escape, losing more homes over the weekend and two new flare-ups today causing panic on the freeway. in neighborhoods like this one where brush fires are burning, they could easily ignite nearby homes. across the state, the damage and devastation is staggering. the death toll climbing to at least 31. more tha

nbc news national correspondent miguel almaguer is in the fire zone. >> reporter: in paradise, california, heartbreak. search teams looking for nearly 300 still missing, victims who may have died in homes and cars as a wave of fire tore through here. in this hard-hit community filled with retirees, many may not have been able to outrun the flames and devastating stories. >> it happens so fast, i think they would have been in serious trouble. >> reporter: in the hills outside los angeles, they are -- also hit by wildfire, they're already bracing for another disaster, floods. >> it's a silent killer. there is not any warning. >> reporter: chief brian and his team took us above one of the many burn zones. when fire burns in the hills, it strips them of water absorbing brush and makes the soil hard. during the storm that flows into the rawling massive communities below. >> reporter: a month after wildfires raged near montecito, the mutd slides that followed were ten times as deadly leaving far fewer rescues. >> there is a greater risk to life through these mud flows than there are to these wi

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> next, supreme romance. the secret between two justices revealed after decades. >>> back now with that supreme secret revealed. two former members of the supreme court, justice sandra day o'connor and chief justice william rehnquist, were well-known to be close friends who met in law school. but it turns out they had a secret that even their own children didn't know about. here is pete williams. >> reporter: sandra day o'connor and her husband john were married 57 years after meeting in law school at stanford university. she graduated number three in her class. number one was william rehnqui rehnquist. he would become a justice, then chief justice of the supreme court. she eventually joined him there. it's long been known that they were more than just friends at stanford, and actually dated for a time. but now author evan thomas, working on an o'connor biography, has discovered that rehnquist's interests in her went much further. when he left law school to become a supreme court clerk, he wrote to her. >> i

nbc's miguel almaguer has details. >>eared on the field investigating allegations of violence against nfl linebacker ruben foster. >> your ex-boyfriend did what? >> took my phone and broke it and slapped me in my face. >> reporter: over the weekend, foster's ex-girlfriend who recanted an earlier claim of domestic violence, accused the former 49 of attacking her. foster, who couldn't be reached for comment, was released by the team, but was picked up by waivers by the washington redskins. >> i think the move by washington is at best tone deaf and at worst an insult to every female fan that roots for the team. >> reporter: facing a fan of criticism on social media, beat a woman, get a job in the nfl, have to go through numerous steps including the full investigation and discipline by the biggest issue for the league right now is holding the line against domestic violence. >> reporter: after tmz sports released video of ray rice knocking out his fiancee in 2014, the nfl toughened its stance on domestic violence. but tonig

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> if thanksgiving is almost here, you know black friday isn't far behind. our jo ling kent tells us when to buy those items on your holiday shopping list and how to use social media to save big. >> the amazon black friday sale. >> reporter: this week's deals are impossible to ignore. but the deepest discounts don't necessarily fall on black friday or even cyber monday. so what should you buy right now and what can you hold off on? for the hottest toys, act now. for big ticket electronics, black friday deals are still the best. up to 70% off brand name tvs, smart speakers, and rare discounts on the latest apple iphones. so what can you wait for? clothes. the best sales on apparel comes closer to christmas when retailerdespate to unload inventory. but for the gifts most important to you, experts say don't think twice. >> if there's a product on your list, your family's wish list, don't wait. when you see it, pick it up. they'll be price matching. >> reporter: a secret weapon this holiday season is your social me brands you follow are posting discounts on sna

here is nbc's miguel almaguer. >> get it. right now, get it. >> reporter: this is the wild ride even veteran fisherman wouldn't have believed. >> jump on the whale now and cut it. >> reporter: that is sam leaping onto the back of a 30-ton >> cut it!hale. cut it right now! it's right there! >> reporter: swimming atop out 40-foot beast with a small knife struggling to free it from a fishing line attached to a buoy off california's central coast. >> you can tell he was stressed and being . >> reporter: nicholas turan was recording the whale's tail as it started the plunge. >> get it before she dies. >> reporter: the while calling out, thrashing alongside the small boat. >> oh! >> we were like screaming at the whale, like this is it, buddy. >> reporter: the catch of a lifetime paying off. >> did you get it? yeah! >> reporter: two fishermen celebrating the one that got away. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> there is brave and then there is brave. >>> coming up, the rare sight that has everyone talking and halloween costume got the se

miguel almaguer now has the tale of the tape. >> can we get served? >> reporter: she was made to be the villain in the viral video. >> because you never have money when you come in here! >> reporter: a manager at chipotle quickly fired after she asked a group of men in st. paul to prove they could pay for their meals before taking their order. >> yeah. >> y'all basically stereotyping us. >> yeah. >> reporter: but it was chipotle who had to later apologize to the manager, offering her her job back after a rush to judgment over a video many feared would spark a wave of social media outrage. >> unfortunately, this might be a case where the beast has just gotten too big and it's sort of run away from them, and that's the world we're living in now. >> reporter: as the video began amassing millions of views, chipotle discovered the 21-year-old who tweeted the video -- >> why did you not have to pay? >> reporter: -- has eluded to not paying food before, even writing "chipotle catching up to us." the manager, who knew the group from a previous encounter, was

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> up next, we'll ll you the story about the trooper, the traffic stop andy in a big hurry. i was on tt changing from a manual to an electric toothbrush. but my hygienist said going electric could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand accepted by the ada for its effectiveness and safety. what an amazing clean! for its effectiveness and safety. i'll only use an oral-b! oral-b. brush like a pro. back pain can't win. now introducing aleve back and muscle pain. only aleve targets tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve back & muscle. all day strong. all day long. but prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. the full value of your new car?

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> next for us tonight, high anxiety. the hang glider holding on for dear life. >>> tonight, fans are mourning the loss of a man behind a children's classic. steven helenberg created nickelodeon's "spongebob squarepants," the animated show that debuted in 1999, followed by a movie and a popular broadway show. he passed away from a.l.s., also known as lou gehrig's disease. he was 57 years old. >>> now to the video that's making jaws drop. an american tourist taking to the air on a hang glider with an instructor when he realizes something's terribly wrong, i mean terribly wrong. nbc's kristen dahlgren with the scary details. >> reporter: chris gerstie knew hang gliding would be a rush, but he never thought he would literally be hanging on for dear life. in a video he jokingly titled the swiss mishap, you see the man taking off from a mountain in switzerland with an instructor. only gerski's harness isn't strapped to anything. he quickly realized there was nothing holding him up, writing "i remember looking down and thinking

miguel almaguer has more. >> i trusted you to take care of them, not kill them. >> reporter: confessed killer chris watts faced his father and mother-in-law in court today. >> i have no idea who gave you the right to take their lives. >> reporter: the colorado husband and father given three life sentences for the murders of pregnant wife shanann, 3-year-old celeste and 4-year-old bella. >> and they also trusted you, the heartless monster and then you take them out like trash. you disgust me. >> reporter: in a courtroom where two families openly wept, watts became emotional when his mother spoke to him as only a mother can. >> we love you and we forgive you, son. [crying] >> reporter: the motive for murder says the d.a. watts desired to start a new life with his girlfriend. in court, horrific new revelations, shanann was strangled, daughter celeste and bella smothered. >> imagine the horror in bella's mind as her father took her last breathes away. understand clearly, bella fought back for her life. >> reporter: the little girls' bodies were dumped in oil tanks and shanann's in a shallo

>> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> now to the u.s.-mexico border. >> reporter: defense sisretary mattas with thousands of troops demanded by president trump over his concerns about that caravan of migrants and refugees. meanwhile, the president hasn't spoken much about the caravan since theelection. here's nbc's hans nicoles. >> reporter: defense secretary jim mattis o the border getting progress reports and giving pep talks. >> o thing about the u.s. army, we give you a mission, you'll do it, right? >> reporter: p paring his troops to dig in for the holidays as they wait for the caravan of migrants and refugees still one week awayrom tijuana. >> we want legal immigration. that's part of what makes america good. but nglegal, we're g to carry out the law. >> reporter: mattis touring with the embattled homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen, insisting the nearly 6,000 troops are mostly unarmed and won'tpprehend migrants. the president has all been stopped talking about the caravan after daily warnings in the lead-up to the electio

nbc's miguel almaguer has more from west lake village. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: marlie and phillip, good morning. this is what it looks like imu some cties here in southern california. block after block, reduced to rubble. it and it's those santa ana winds tt remain serious threat today. we can see so much more of this. >>> this is what the fire fight looks like in the mountains outse los angeles. the air attackswo sing in, just above fiery ridges. multi-million dollar homes on the brink ofr. dis >> i am surrounde by fire. >> reporter: many neighborhoods overrun by an unstoppable wall of fire, vortex of smoke and flames closing in. >> it was a tornado. i mean, it wasn't going like this. it was swirling. >> reporter: with embers raining down,irighters face a hell scape, losing more homes over the weekend and two new flare-ups causing panic on the freeway. ine neighborhoods lik this one where brush fires are burning, they could easily ignite nearby homes. across the state, the damage and devastation is staggering. more than 7,000 s

miguel almaguer is in hard-hit west lake village board. miguel, what's the situatn there? >> reporter: lester, good evening. streets like this one in southern california are a complete loss, block after block looks like this. it's what firefighters are desperately trying to prevent. it was one small ether torched this neighborhood with the gusty santa ana winds, we can see scenes like this all over again. this is what the fire fight looks like in the mountains outside s logeles. the air attack swooping in above fiery ridges, multi billion-dollar homes on thenk of disaster. fire. rrounded by >> reporter: many neighborhoods overrun by an unstoppable wall of fire, a vortex of smoke and flames closing in. >> it was a tornado. i mean, it wasn't going like this, it was swirling. >> reporter: with embers raining down, fifiteghrers face a hell scape losing more homes over the weekend and two more flair ups today causing the freeway. where brush fires are burning, they could easily ignite nearby homes. across the state the damage is staggering. the death toll climbing to 31. tonigh

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> well, if thanksgiving is almost here, black friday isn't far behind. jo ling kentells us when to buy and how to use social media to save big. d> reporter: this week'seals are impossible to ignore. but the deepest sc nts don't necessary fall on black friday or cyber monday. at should you buy now and what can you hold off on? r the hottest toys, now. for electron in this cases, black fridafr iday als are the best up to 70% off brand name tvs, smart speakers ne and apple iphos. what can you wait for? clothes. the best sales are closer to christmas athen retailers are despto unload inventory but for those gifts important to you, don't think twice. >> if there a product on your list, wh you e it, pick it up. there will be price matching. >> a secret weapon is social media feed. brands you follow are posting exclusive rs ofn instagram, snapchat and pinterest. >> ahead, the controversial craze taki over streets in america and cities are tting on the brakes. >>> a couple that found a fortune laying on the night stand. >>> next tonight, the scuffle over scoers.

nbc's miguel almaguer starts us off. miguel, we're learning a lot more about what happened in that bar. >> reporter: we are, lester. good evening. just a few blocks behind me, investigators are still combing through the crime scene looking for evidence. as you know, this happened on a busy college night last night on wednesday, the shots ringing out just 11:00 p.m. the gunman is dead, a single weapon, a handgun, has been recovered, but investigators don't have a motive. [ gunfire ] gunfire tore across the dance floor, chaos and carnage inside borderline bar and grill. [ sirens ] this is the moment inside when survivors dove for cover as the gunman unloads. >> we were dancing, and i saw someone walk in, and i saw just shots go off. >> reporter: the first 911 call, 11:20 p.m. >> be advised, there are multiple shots being fired. the back northwest area. >> reporter: a gunman shooting security with a handgun before turning his weapon on the crowd of college students. >> we dropped and we heard the gunshots, a lot of gunshots.

>> reporter: miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> speaking of basketball, up next, the teen who beat all the odds and scored a big scholarship. a bay area offa woman to the ground giving her a black eye. what she says started it and what she )s demanding. next at 6 right now at 6: recovering from one natural >>> in tonight's "inspiring america," doctors told his mom he may never talk or walk, but he beat the odds. now his hoop dreams of playing college ball are coming true. here's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: when you see him on the court, it's no surprise 18-year-old calen bennett is on his way to playing d-1 basketball. >> i'm a hooper. >> reporter: a dream he didn't think would always come true. calen has autism. the towering 6'10" star didn't even walk until he was 4 or speak until 7. >> i used to not like people at all. like, i didn't like being around, surrounding myself with people at all. >> reporter: his hoop dreams brought him out of that shell, and in turn, kent state discovered him, possibly the first athlete with autism to sign a letter of intent with a d-1 school. he credits his

miguel almaguer now has the tale of the tape. >> can we get served? >> reporter: she was v made to be theillain in the viral video. >> you never have ne mowhen you come in here. >> reporter: a manager at chipotle quickly fired after she asked a group of men in st. paul to prove thed pay for their meals before taking their der. >> y'all are stereotyping us. >> reporter: but it was chipotle that had to apologize to the manager, offering her judge back after a rush to judgmen over a video many feared would spark a wave of social media outrage. >> unfortunately, this might be a case where the beast has just gotten t big and has run away from them, and that's the world we're living in now. >> reporter: as the ioideo began amassing mill of views, -yhipotle discovered the 21ear-old who tweeted the video has alluded to not paying for foode. even writin chipotle is catching up to us. the manager who knew the group from a previous encounter wasju st trying to do the right thing. in a world of viral videossometimes the first response may be the wrong one. miguel

nbc's miguel almaguer starts us off. we're learning more about what happened in that bar. >> reporter: lester, good evening. at this hour, investigators combing over the crime scene behind the street down me. it was college night, ht inside the establishment when gunshots rang out after 11:00 p.m.su thect is dead. police have recovered one weapon, a handgun. what thedon't have here is a motive. [ gunshots ]. >> reporter: gunfire tore across the dance floor, chaos and carnage insi borderline bar and grill. this is the moment inside when survivors dove for cover as the gunman unloads. >> we were dancing, and saw someone walk in, and i saw shots go off. >> reporter: the first 911 call, 11:20 p.m. be advised there are multiple shots being fired. the back northwest area. >> reporter: a gunman shooting security with a handgun before turning his weapon on the crowd ofollege students. >> we dropped, and we heard the gunshots, a lot of gunshots. >> reporter: with reports of smoke grenades, survivors struggles to escape, crawling

. >>> i'm miguel almaguer. el> heavenly father, pleasep us. >> reporter: these are the terrifying moments families fled the flames in northern california. g > there are embers blowder my car. >> reporter: some the city of paradise living in hell, narrowly escaping with their lives. >> we're going to get fire. >> no, we'reoing to get out of here. >> reporter: as fire closes in, joe allen trying to keep 3-year-old daughter olivia calm with song. ♪ baby it will be all right ♪ >> reporter: the allens making it to htsafety but tonig five bodies were discovered in vehicles consumed by flames. the inferno moving at 80 football fields a minute. >> we're trying to protect stctures. >> reporter: in the heart of the fire fight, an hour outside sacramento, crs are losing ground. kathy park in the city. >> you can see how intense the flames are right now couming this home. you can possibly see a propane tank going up in flames. the flames continue to consume this area. >> repter: tonight it's feared the number of fatalities

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> massive gas explosion levelled a mansion outside philadelphia, nothing left but rubble. the last so loud it could be heard in new jersey. neighbors calling 911. no one got hurt, though. homeowners were staying in a guest house while their mansion was being renovated. the cause is under investigation. >>> to a subject that can trigger a fierce debate. p panking children, a grou the top pediatricians offered advice to settle the controversy once and for all. here is nbs kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: tonight the american academy of pediatrics updating guidelines to say parents should never spank, warning it doesn't work. ki> we know that spanng is ineffective and we know that children t why are spanked, sometimes they escalate their aggressive behavior. >> reporter: for years, snking was accepted as a primary method of punishment. even in 2014, 7 out of 10 adults agreed it's a good spanking i sometimes necessary. it shows spanking may alter brain development. >> the pt of the brain responsible for self-regulation doesn't grow as well in children who have e

nbc's miguel almaguer is in thousand oaks with the latest. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: phillip, for rsseveral hours investigaave been combing through the crime ouene just a few blocks behind me. asknow, this all unfolded on a busy wednesday night just after 11:00 p.m. gunshots rang out. one suspect was eventually killed. single handgun was recovered. what investigators don't have here is a motive. [ gunshots ] gunfire tore across the dce oor. chaos and carnage inside borderline bar & grisl. s the moment inside when survivors dove for cover as the gunmanunloads. >> we were dancing, and i sawe some walk in and i saw the shots go off. >> reporter: the first 911 call, 11:20 p.m. >> be advised there are multiple shots being fired at the back rthwest area. >> reporter: a gunman shootrig secu with a handgun before turning his weapon on the crowd of college students. >> we dropped and we heard the gunshots. a lot of gunshots. >> reporter: with reports of smoke grenades shrouding the acits survivors struggled to escape, crawlingss the dance floo

miguel almaguer has a rare look at the raters behind the ratings. >> reporter: every blockbuster hasated r. >> reporter: the rating system behind most films is turning 50. now, after years of criticism for being secretive, the motion picture association of america is opening up. >> when our ratings are good and accurate, then parents trust us. >> reporter: now revealed, the raters are nine parents watching two to three films a day, rating them on parental values. joan graves has screened more than 12,000 films. >> we look at factors like language, sexuality, drugs, violence, thematic material. >> reporter: over the last 50 years, nearly 30,000 films have been viewed and rated in rooms just like this one. more than half have en 16% have come back pg-13. less than 2% have gotten the most restricted rating, nc-17. critics complain the system is too subjective. the movie "eighth grade" couldn't be viewed by eighth graders without a guardian. >> one more week of eighth grade, right? >> reporter: but they say their job is to inform parents not decide for them, pulling back the curtain on w

nbc's miguel almaguer has more. >> touchdown cfirmed.nd applause ] >> reporter: the successful landing ofasa's insight marks the space agency's return to mars. an $814 million mission that cameown to a touchdown after traveling.00 million mil >> we call it 7 minutes of terror because youle white knu it the whole time. >> reporter: launching in may, the first study to study thein terior of mars hit 3,000 degrees, using a heat shield, parachute and rockets to slow its descent from 12,000o 5 miles an hour. >> what the team pulled off today is truly historic. >> reporter: insight has finished its harrowing journey, begins dusty look as it its groundbreaking work on mars. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> congratulations to everybody at nasa. just launching it, getting there, landing it. >> sounds exciting. it looks so exciting. just ahead, the atm that spit out hundredsnstead of $10 bills. but did the bank let people keep the money? you're watching "early today." >> better. let's go. bye, mom. thanks for breakfast, mom. with quality ingredients

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> the fed is fueling the biggest market rally in eight months. the dow surged 600 points after federal reserve chairman jerome powell said interest rates are close to neutral,ng a stark c in his comments from two months ago. futures right now pointing t a slight dip at the open. the rally coming as tobacco giant eyes the future. according to the "wall street journal," altria is in talks to take a significant minority stake in juul. the controversial e-cigarette company was vald at $16 billion earlier this summer. juul has come under fda scrutiny over teen usage. >>> not even december yet but the holidays have officially started here in new york city. >> five, four, thre two, one! [ cheers and appiluse ] >> vo the iconic rockefeller christmas tree is now lit. it will be on display until january 7th. thousands braced the wind chills to witness an 80-year-old chairman. a star-studded line-up graced the stage including pences by diana ross, tony bennett and john legend. and an unexpected guest gave a show o hisown. this man entertained the crowd with

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> time could be running out for julian assange whose group wikileaks is at the center of the russia investigation. there is word tonight the u.s. has indicted assange, but as our chief foreign correspondent richard engel reports, that was supposed to be a secret. >> reporter: we now know tonight the justice department has filed undisclosed criminal charges against wikileaks founder julian assange, a fact accidently revealed in an embarrassing slipup when a prosecutor in virginia in an unrelated filing asked for documents to remain under seal quote until assange is arrested. assange has been holed up in the ecuador embassy. but ex with a dore seems to be losing patience with assange ordering him to improve his hygiene and pay for his own meals here. they seem to want him out while the u.s. wants him more. washington has been battling assange for nearly a decade over wikileaks release of classified documents and in 2016 wikileaks published e-mails embarrassing to hillary clinton. at the time i asked assange by a video call where he got the e-mails. three cy

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> congratulations to everybody at nasa.nching it, getting there, landing it. >> sounds exciting. it looks so exciting. just ahead, the atm that spit out hundreds instead of $10 bills. but did the bank let people keep the money? you're watching "early today." >> better. let's go. bye, mom. thanks for breakfast, mom. with quality ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and cocoa, nutella is sure to bring a smile to breakfast time. nutella. spread the happy. and now free decorating tools inside nutella holiday jars. tand, our adulte children are here. so, we save by using tide. which means we use less. three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. those are moms. anybody seen my pants? nothing cleans better. put those on dad! it's got to be tide. tremfya® is for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. with tremfya®, you can get clearer. and stay clearer. in fact, most patients who saw 90% clearer skin at 28 weeks stayed clearer through 48 weeks. tremfya® works better than humira® at providing clearer skin, and more pat

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> incredible how fast it went up.> sorry, son, blew your college fund on the announcement. >> right, wasn't worth t. >> fans young and old alike are mourning the loss of a man behind the classic cartoon spongebob squarepants. the creator stephen hillenburg died monday. the former marine biology teacher brought to life bikini bottom, spongebob, squid, on the hit nickelodeon show. the series two movies and a popular broadway show. the news of his passing has rocked social media. david hassle hoff tweeting, it's a shocking loss, and nickelodeon tweeting that the company held a moment of silence to honor his life and work. hillenburg passed away from als also known as lou gehrig's disease. stephen hillenburg was 57 years old. >> well, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in new york city. as we kickoff the holidays here at 30 rock, the 86th annual rockefeller center christmas tree lighting is tonight. thousands are expected to crowd rockefeller plaza for the event. and the city is preparing. police are lining the s

nbc news national correspondent miguel almaguer starts us off from the fire zone. >> reporter: tonight in the smoldering mountains outside los angeles, a grim discovery, the 51st body in a skyrocketing statewide death toll. with more than 9,000 structures torched, most in northern california, many are still unaccounted for. carol hack's son been missing for more than a week. >> i don't know what i'm going to do. >> reporter: people in fire in paradise filing suit against pacific electric, the company they flame for sparking the fire, while investigators have not yet determined the cause. if found liable, the utility says it could face financial trouble. meantime, in southern california, new questions. >> i think it's so serious that i'm afraid to think about it. >> reporter: melissa bumstadt is one of many residents who fears her family has been breathing toxic smoke for days after fire scorched part of the santa susanna field lab contaminated with toxic chemicals. >> when the fire incinerated all the grass and the trees, that probably released a lot more contamination. >> reporter: bu

. >> miguel almaguer is in hard-hit oak park just outside of l.a. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. firefighters did all they could in communities like this one. obviously they lost the home behind me. but those across the street are still standing. the family that lives here was lucky to make it out alive as the death toll climbed again overnight and the threat is far from over. this is what the firefight looks like overnight in the hills outside los angeles. a dangerous storm of hot embers raining down on crews as they walk a gauntlet of fire. from above, a low flying air attack zigzagging across ridges desperate to slow the inferno fanned by powerful winds. it's desperate conditions like these that have now taken the lives of at least 44 people across the state. how quickly is this fire jumping from hill to hill? >> very fast. >> reporter: president trump declaring a disaster in california. some 7,600 structures already destroyed while 70,000 homes are still in the path of fire. in malibu, miley cyrus who lost her home tweetin

nbc's miguel almaguer is live in california. >> reporter: t the scene so many are coming home to in both northern and southern california today. block after block incinerated. the death toll is now the highest the state has ever seen in northercalifornia, and they have also seen the deadliest most destructive w dfire in that part of the state. here in southern california what they are worried about today is the santa ana winds gusting at upwards of 60 miles it's going to fan flames all across this area. tonight on "nightly news" we' take you to the front lines where more than 8,000 firefighters are working around the clock to save homes and lives. >> miguel almaguer reporting. those wntdfires roaring neighborhoods and into the record books as well. record a ana winds and dry conditions are fueling these fires. storm team 4's amelia draper here to explain what's going on with this mix. >> just aeabreaking situation continuing out of california. what we're tracking, take a look here. thajor wildfires. you can see them on the scree

here's nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: as the fire danger subsides, the search for the missing takes center stage in the devastated mountain towns around paradise. forensic teams have been carrying out the grim task of combing through ash and rubble for human remains. the death toll from the camp fire now stands at 56, but as many as 130 are still unaccounted for. that number may still rise. communications in paradise remains difficult with phone lines and sell service largely knocked out in many areas, many searching for their loved ones believe there's reason to be hopeful. >> i'm looking for my brother. >> i mean, i haven't talked to him to see if he made it off the mountain. monty, if you see this, please call your sister. >> reporter: carol hacksby is still searching for her son more than five days after she evacuated. >> i have no idea. i have no idea what i'm going to do. i'm just at a loss right now. >> reporter: meantime with evacuation centers overflowing and hundreds sleeping in tents, a growing chorus of residents is calling on pg&e to take responsibility for the fire. be

back to you. >> miguel almaguer. the wildfires and, of course, the borderline ba& grill shooting a wee ago. for the first time we are hearing from the bar's owner who tells nbc's gadi schwartz they will come back stronger. than ev >> it's a home. >> reporter: outside borderline bar & grill a familiar memial. whit crosses left to honor the victims of so many senseless tragedies now here in thousand oaks. >> that night we had about 300 people that came in. i was not there at the time. i was on my way in. whenot i there it was towards the end of the incident. so i was able to help some peop outside. t that's all i could really do. >> reporter: brian hynes owns the populou cry bar where college night turned into a nightmare last wednesday. five of his employees, sean adler,, kristina moriset mark meza and justin meek were killed in the massacre including tel orfanos. >> you know, meant the world to me. we would hang out on a personal level. waystina was the same her bubbly attitude and smile, it's horrible. >> reporter:

that was miguel almaguer reporting.or those who survive, many now have to start thinking about rebuilding, but no doubt that is still a very long time away. >>> santa clara police want people to take a look at some surveillance video to help track down a 49ers' fan last seen during monday night's game. this video showing him leaving levi's stadium there. his girlfriend reported him missing shortly afterwards. police say he left his seat to go to the restroom and never returned. 32-year-old ian powers is from spokane, washington. he traveled to the bay area to visit his family in antioch. police say that he did make a video call from outside of that stadium after the game, but he never moved his car from the lot. >>> coming up, we'll have another look at the forecast with kari hall. >>> she'll tell us how the wind surfaces in the area could be affecting some of the smoke, possibly blowing it out of the area. >> the warning signs are there, as thieves steal down payments from home buyers. but are real estate agents gettin

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> next for us haonight, high anxiety. the glider holding on for dear life. the hard work you put into lowering your very high triglycerides with diet and exercise deserves the hard work that went into the science behind vascepa. prescription vascepa. vascepa, along with diet and exercise, has proven results in multiple clinical trials. vascepa looks different because it is different. over a decade of extensive research and development achieved proven results. that's the prescription power of vascepa. vascepa is not right for everyone. do not take vascepa if you are allergic to icosapent ethyl or any inactive ingredient in vascepa. tell your doctor if you are allergic to fish, have liver problems or other medical conditions and about any medications you take, especially those that may affect blood clotting. 2.3% of patients reported joint pain. ask your doctor about what the science behind prescription vascepa can mean to you. amarin thanks the clinicians and patients who participated in the vascepa clinical trials. amarin

guys, back to you. >> miguel almaguer, thank you. we'll continue to follow the wildfires burning across the state. download our free nbc bay area app, a great tool to have. we'll send out the push alerts with the latest information. >> so much tragedy lately. >>> later this morning, you'll have a chance to remember a local woman killed in last week's shooting rampage in southern california. alaina housely went to high school in napa. she was one of the 12 people killed when a gunman stormed a bar in thousand oaks. in just a few hours, a march takes place in housely's memory. "today in the bay's" pete suratos joins us live in napa to tell us what is planned. >> reporter: good morning to you, laura. the march for 18-year-old alaina housely from napa will take place behind me at memorial stadium at 10:00 a.m. last night her body was returned to the area. we have video of the procession when it took place, people lined up in the area, carrying signs honoring alaina, who is a napa native and there were signs speaking out against gun viole

nbc's miguel almaguer is in oak park, california, with the latest from the ground. >> reporter: as a volcano of fire explodes in the hills outside malibu. >> mandatory evacuations are upped way. >> reporter: the orders to evacuate came immediately. >> i didn't think it was coming back this way, but it looks like it's going to head -- i don't know. >> reporter: polic subdivision. jennifer had minutes to go. >> see, it's right there. so -- >> reporter: it's getting closer. >> it's getting closer. >> reporter: with santa ana winds fueling dangerous new flare-ups, crews on the ground desperately need help from above. helicopters like these have been flying 24 hours a day looking for any body of water to make drops on that massive inferno. michelle owens h n to re me like an apocalypse that god is on vacation and he's not taking care of us. >> reporter: with air quality already dangerous, new concern over toxic the woolseyire scorched the santa suzanne afield lat, a highly contaminated area where there was a nuclear meltdown 60 years ago. footage captured by knbc's i-team shows smoke stil

. >> miguel almaguer starting us off.hank you. >> even more lives could have been lost if not for the brave actions of those inside. natalie males has moren the heroes, the survivors, and the victims. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, it was college night, as you heard, at borderline bar and grill. many of the victims we in their early 20s, some there celebrating birthdays and good outs, just enjoying a night with friends out dancing. now this close kni community in thousand oaks is mourning the loss of so many they loved. ♪ amazing grace >> reporter: a southern california community shattered. >> the healing takes time. >> reporter: these are some of the faces of those who lost their lives wednesday night. victims of another mass shooting in america. >> all my friends were there. as of right now, i know of who. coffman er: jason learned thursday morning that his 22-year-old son was killed. >> my first-born son. oh, son, i love you so much. > reporter: alaina housley was 18 and had started her first year at pe

miguel almaguer is there for us. >> reporter: tonight as a volcano of fire explodes in the hills outside of malibu. >> mandatory evacuations are under way. >> i didn't think it was coming back this way but it looks like it will head -- i don't know. >> reporter: police clearing ts subdivision. jennifer had minutes to go. >> see it's right there. so -- >> gettingcloser. >> getting closer. >> reporter: with santa ana winds fuelli dangerous new flare-ups today, crews on the ground desperately need help from above. helicoptersike these have been flying 24 hours a day. looking for any body of water to make drops on the massive inferno. today, michelle owe has no home to return to. >> it's like an apocalypse. iogod is on vacat and he's not taking care of us. >> reporter: with air quality already dangerous, tonight new concern over toxic smoke. the woolsey fire scorched a highly contaminated area where there was a years ago.0 footage catched by knbc yesterday, shows smoke rising from the power lines on the property. state officials say the fumes likely pose no health risk, but residents are dem

miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >>> saudi officials revealed theesults of their investigation into the killing of journalist jamal. several suspects could face the death penalty. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more. >> reporter: saudi prosutors allege today when washington post columnist jamal khashoggi walked into the consulate, the saudi agents waiting inside were only supposed tg him back to saudi arabia, that killing him that an on the spot decision that crown prince knew nothing >> i believe that any rational thinking person will recognize that you sometimes things, mistakes happen. >> reporter: saudi prosecutors will seek fothe death penalt five of 11 suspects indicted for khashoggi's murder but turkey doubts the alleged saudi hit team that reportedly brougha bone saw with them wigged it. multiple officials say the u.s. intelligence committee believes it's inconceivable the crown prince had no connection to the death while one official says the saudi explanation is quote a great work of fiction. but the question tonight, will the trump white houseac pt

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nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has the very latest. hey, miguel.morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. these are the conditions crews are working in, homes that are unrecognizable. the search teams are still looking for the missing, and we're told that number may hover around 130. s the fire danger ub side subsi search for the missing takes center stage in the devastated mountain towns around paradise. forensic teams have been carrying out the grim task of combing through ash and rubble for human remains. the death toll from the camp fire now stands at 56, but as many as 130 are still unaccounted for. that number may still rise. communications in paradise remains difficult with phone lines and cell service largely knocked out in many areas, many searching for their loved ones believe there's reason to be hopeful. >> i'm looking for my brother, monty. i know they made it off the mountain. i mean, i haven't talked to him, so i hope monty, if you can see this, please call your sister. >> reporter: carol haxby is still searching for her son, more th