tonight, raging inferno. a massive wildfire exploding in the great smokey mountains turns deadly. wind gusts surrounding resorts, people rub running their lives. dollywood. survivors in the wreckage of a tragic air disaster as the plane carrying an underdog dream team goes down. revoking citizenship. president-elect trump's new threat over flag-burning that experts say is unconstitutional. tonight the subtle signs that could save your life. and best friends.

inspiring america. "nightly news" begins right now. good evening, there was so little time to flee as near 90-mile-an-hour wind gusts and plunging humidity set a wildfire exploding overnight into a deadly and destructive rampage outside gatlingburg, tennessee. thousands fleeing their home, with little more than the clothes on their back. homes and businesses left in smouldering ruins. we learned today, at least three people have been killed. it's happening southeast of knoxville, around the popular resort areas of tennessee's great smokey mountains. that's where kerry sanders has the latest. >> wow. >> reporter: the fire storm exploded in seconds. >> hit the gas, hit the gas! >> reporter: residents

safe, until they looked out their windows. >> panic. that's all we had was panic. we could feel the heat coming off -- it was nothing but red. >> oh, my god, it's so hot. >> reporter: the escape was complicated by narrow mountain roads, flames everywhere. michael reed separated from his wife and two children in the chaos. tonight unsure if constance, 12-year-old chloe and 9-year-old lily are house phone and said there were flames across the street from our house and she didn't know what to do. i told her to call 911 and get out. that was the last time i heard from her. >> reporter: tonight with the fire still burning, authorities are beginning to assess the damage. entire neighborhoods destroyed. 14,000 ordered to evacuate. 2,000 fled to shelters. at least 150

gatlinburg is a resort town about an hour from knoxville. the flames threatened several popular tourist destinations. the greatest smokey mountains, the most visited park in the country, an aquarium with 10,000 animals, and dolly parton's dollywood theme park. dollywood was spared, but this week, they released a public service announcement about wildfires, said she's heart broken and praying for all the families. at the park vista hotel, the fire trapped dozens of guests. mike and julie s here at westgate. a few hours later, the unimaginable. >> this whole place is on fire. >> how would you describe this? >> the gates of hell. >> the gates of hell? >> reporter: driving the fire, a record drought and wind gusts nearly 90 miles an hour. tonight, officials are investigating the cause of the fire and have not ruled out arson. there are hot embers in the devastation here and that is a concern tonight. because while the air is calm right now, it's predicted that

maybe to 60 miles per hour, can carry a hot ember miles from here, igniting another part of the smokey mountains. lester? >> all right, kerry sanders tonight, thank you. tonight, crash investigators in colombia have released a photograph of the black boxes from the plane that was carrying a brazilian soccer team to a south american championship playoff in medellin. of the 77 people on board, six survived the crash, including just three team members. nbc's comcastelo reports on the tragedy d caused the crash. >> reporter: the video and photos from the airport and then the plane are haunting. the young faces of brazil's chapecoense soccer club, an underdog dream team, headed to the championship matches. but only hours later, tragedy. daylight revealed the broken remains of the chartered plane, scattered across the hillside outside

remove the dead. of the 77 people on board, only 7 were found alive. one of them, 31-year-old goalie, marcos danilo died at the hospital but called his wife before passing away. another player had just learned he was going to be a father. in the team's locker room today, three teammates who didn't make the trip were in disbelief. amid vigils and moments of silence worldwide, soccer great pele said simply, brazilian football is in mourning. >> transla their confidence in god that things will go well for us. our chapecoense team will have to go on. it is difficult, it is so difficult to speak. >> reporter: the plane was a british aerospace 146, a regional jet with four engines used mostly for short distance flights. but flying from bolivia to medellin, the pilot reported an electrical problem and circled before crashing miles from the airport. >> one of the considerations investigators will look at is if the airplane was too low

maximum range. >> reporter: a surviving flight attendant told rescuers, the plane had run out of fuel. accompanying the team on the plane, 21 journalists, hoping to cover a fairy tale ending for a team that had surpassed all expectations, only to end in tragedy. late word that surgeons had to amputate the right leg of surviving goalkeeper jackson follmann. meanwhile, the colombian team that was scheduled to play against the brazilians today as the south american soccer confederation to to their brazilian competitors. lester? >> tom costello, thank you. now to the investigation at ohio state where the fbi is trying to determine what set off a student to plow his car into a crowd, then go on a horrific stabbing spree yesterday. was there a connection to isis, or any other terror group? nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: tonight the fbi is poring over abdul artan's laptop

law enforcement tells nbc news, there's no established contact with isis or other terror groups, disputing a claim from the islamic state media arm that he was working with them. authorities say they also have no reason to think his family knew what he was planning. artan smashed his car into an osu sidewalk and stabbed people with a butcher knife that authorities say he bought that morning at a local walmart. law enforcement officials also say a post was left on his facebook page, expressing anger over attacks on >> it scares me. it scares me that i live right next door to that. and didn't even know. >> reporter: neighbor lou ann karna han was in shock. >> very nice people. the boy was very pleasant. >> reporter: artan's family fled somalia in 2007, lived in pakistan until 2014, when they moved to the united states. this is artan celebrating his graduation from community college just last spring. neighbors and friends

with artan and saw him just two weeks ago. >> did he sound frustrated with the country? >> no. at all. he actually loved america. he loved the fact of the opportunity he had here to go to school. >> reporter: bhu police say artan attacked that school. >> flipped me up in the air. >> reporter: professor william clark said he thought it was a traffic accident at first. >> but then several people started shouting immediately. >> reporter: tonight, only three of the 11 injured are still in the hospital. st a late flurry this evening of cabinet picks from president-elect donald trump. nbc news has learned steven man uchin is expected to be named trump's pick for treasury secretary tomorrow. and investor william ross is expected to be his pick to lead the commerce department. elaine chao, wife of mitch mcconnell is his

transportation secretary. we have a lot more on that in just a moment. but first, the president-elect is overshadowing his own cabinet picks with his threat today about jailing or perhaps revoking citizenship for people who burn american flags in protest. that, experts say, would be unconstitutional. we get details on this new fire storm from nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: the president-elect, today propos p that's protected, though not popular. >> one flag was set on fire. one was -- >> reporter: not long after this segment about a college protest in which an american flag was burned, a trump tweet. quote, nobody should be allowed to burn the american flag. if they do, there must be consequences, perhaps loss of citizenship, or year in jail. but burning the flag is a form of free speech under the first amendment, upheld twice by the supreme

of respecting unpleasant speech. i happen to support the supreme court's decision on that matter. >> reporter: it's not that americans like flag-burning. in fact, before those court rulings, 48 of 50 states had laws banning it. in 2005, hillary clinton backed a bill that would jail flag-burners. still to some, more troubling than trump's threat to imprison protesters who burn the flag, is his suggestion of stripping citizenship. that would also be unconstitutional. someone's citizenship away can't be used as a punishment. that citizenship isn't a license that expires when someone commits a crime. >> reporter: now even newt gingrich, a high professional trump ally says he has his own concerns about certain trump tweets, like a recent one on voter fraud, pointing to the different weight of a president's words, versus a candidate's. >> presidents of the united states can't randomly tweet without having somebody check it out.

promote what he's calling his thank you tour, kicking off thursday in cincinnati. he seemed to enjoy the energy of those campaign rallies as candidate. now as president-elect, lester, packing his bags to get back on the road. >> all right, hallie jackson, thank you. let's turn back to the president-elect's pick for health and human services. it's shining a spotlight on the effort to repeal and replace obamacare. what next? nbc's kristen welker has >> reporter: since obamacare's implementation six years ago, georgia congressman tom price has been proposing ways to dismantle it. >> a mandate that the government tells you what kind of health care you've got to have? is that what you want? >> no! >> reporter: now as trump's pick for secretary of health and human services, he has his chance. mr. trump's promise to eliminate obamacare could leave the 28 million people currently enrolled, in

like adam kuns. and while their trump has said he's open to protecting those with preexisting conditions, kuns isn't convinced. >> it's about trying to stay alive. i can't live without insulin. it's not a choice that i have insulin. i either get it or i die. >> reporter: kate gon zeedo is worrying too, wondering if her birth control plan will be scrapped. so she opted for a longer lasting iud. >> i after the election, because of uncertainties about what sorts of resources would be provided to me in the next four years. >> reporter: jim herrel says his community has been hit hard by the rising cost of premiums under obamacare. >> anything would be better than obamacare. >> anything? >> anything. >> reporter: but will mr. trump and congressman tom price be able to turn their promises for better, more affordable health

affordable care act is the easy part. figuring out how to replace is is going to be really tough. >> reporter: adam countries just hopes they keep people like him in mind, while crafting an alternative. there was emotional testimony today in the trial over a deadly police shooting caught on camera. a former south carolina police officer taking the stand in his own defense, accused of gunning down an unarmed african american man last year. has more on the drama in the courtroom and the video that stunned the nation. >> reporter: this bystander's dramatic video appeared to show a man shot in the back multiple times. today in a south carolina courtroom, the man accused of the murder, gave his first detailed account of what happened. >> i fired until the threat was stopped,

do. >> reporter: michael slager said he pulled scott over for a broken tail light of 2015 and was preparing to write him a warning, but scott bolted from his car. >> in my mind, at that time, people don't run from a broken tail light. >> reporter: prosecutors say he fled because he was behind on child support payments and was in fear of being arrested. >> i was in total fear that mr. stop. >> reporter: the cell phone video, he says, picks up the encounter seconds later as scott breaks away from the struggle. the prosecutor pressed slager on why he moved the taser closer to scott's body. >> you don't leave a weapon in the middle of a field like that. >> reporter: slager said in hindsight he would not have chased him on foot and instead called for backup. >> his entire testimony was what he would have done different and things he's remembering now

>> reporter: the jury, made up of 11 white people and one black man, is expected to begin deliberations later this week. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. still ahead here tonight, detecting breast cancer, the alarming number of women being diagnosed without the most common symptom. and one survivor who [ cough ] shh. i have a cold with this annoying runny nose. better take something. dayquil liquid gels doesn't treat a runny nose. it doesn't? alka-seltzer plus cold and cough liquid gels

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breast. but a recent study found that 1 in 6 patients have symptoms other than lumps which can be more difficult to identify. nbc's kristen dahlgren with more on the subtle signs you should be watching out for. >> reporter: in 2014, beth la flor did something that may have saved her life. >> is it a miracle that you're here? >> perhaps. pretty close. >> reporter: she noticed a change in her breasts. not a lump. >> i would describe it as a thickening. and that's initially. >> reporter: so she had a routine screening mammogram. >> it was negative. >> reporter: nothing? >> nothing. >> reporter: but the nurse who works as a lackitation consultant couldn't ignore the changes to the shape of her breast, so she got another opinion from dr. deborah rhodes at the mayo clinic. >> there's a right area in the center of her left breast, and this corresponds to

>> reporter: stage three breast cancer against dense breast tissue. a new study in england showed 1 in 6 patients have symptoms other than a lump. >> what this new study tells us, is, it's profoundly important to be aware of your breasts, to be familiar with your breasts, even outside of a ritual monthly self-breast exam. >> reporter: in other words, know your own body. dr. rhodes said remember the word n.a.p.s., which stands for changes to the nipple, the skin or shape. >> if there's subtlety, there will be more subtle to someone who doesn't know you as well as you know yourself. >> reporter: beth is now two years cancer-free, loving every second with her granddaughter. and all the milestones she might have missed if she had missed the subtle signs of her cancer.

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there's alarming health news tonight if you or someone you love is a smoker. a new study shows that smokers under the age of 50 are over eight times more likely to have a major heart attack than non-smokers. researchers found this age group of smokers is the most vulnerable of any group. it's beginning to look a lot like christmas at the white house. today first lady michelle obama unveiled this year's decorations. families of u.s. service members vi part of the view is legos. 200,000 legos in all. there's a whole lot to celebrate this holiday season for 20 co-workers from tennessee who just hit a massive jackpot. today the group claimed a $420 million prize. the cash value is worth $254 million, meaning about $12.7

up next, a boy and his dogs, with tens of thousands of fans inspiring something amazing. "nbc nightly news" is brought t [burke] at farmers, we've seen almost everything, so we know how to cover almost anything. [kid] i won't, dad... [captain rod] happy tuesday morning! captain rod here. it's pretty hairy out on the interstate.traffic is literally crawling, but there is some movement on the eastside overpass. getting word of another collision. [burke] it happened. december 14th, 2015. and we covered it. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ? we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ?

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finally tonight, two best friends taking social media by storm. a boy and his dog, bringing smiles to tens of thousands with their adorable pictures. now they're part of a mission to help other kids that need a place to call home. harry smith has more in our latest installment of "inspiring america." >> reagan, come here. >> reporter: as dogs go, reagan is a true ham. >> hey, reagan, what a good boy. >> reporter: camera-ready. but he really shines when he's with his besty, 3-year-old buddy. >> here you go. >> reporter: buddy. not his real name. is a foster child living in oregon. >> i started calling him reagan's little buddy, because that's who he was. >> reporter: the dog belongs to buddy's foster grandparents. together the boy and the dog are nothing short of adorable. >> there was an instant bond. they loved each other from day one.

face for his protection. yet the two have more than 100,000 instagram followers. because of that, foster grandma sandy had an idea, a book. >> i felt like, it's a story that needs to be told. in addition to cute pictures. the good that they've been able to do for each other. and for foster kids everywhere. >> reporter: the proceeds will go to a non-profit that supports foster caregivers, like buddy's foster >> foster care has been one of the hardest but absolute best things that we've ever done. >> reporter: there are more than 400,000 foster children in the united states. with more than 100,000 awaiting placement. the pictures tell you a lot about love, and joy, and sharing. >> it's such a powerful connection. >> reporter: who knows? maybe you know a dog who needs a new

>> can't get enough of those pictures. what a pair. that's going to do it for us on a tuesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and goodnight.news at six." now at six. both doctors and family of a young taking a near- deadly hit in an eastern iowa street. an area business is rammed -- on a busy day of car crashes in the area. a legend on the gridiron passes on. remembering waterloo east's jerry moses tonight. good evening everyone, i'm amanda goodman "i cant tell you what it feels see a miracle..here's a

who nearly died after getting hit by a car, is making a truly miraculous recovery.... communicating with smiles and thumbs up. we check back in with young leighton pullin... leighton, nearly killed after being hit by a car. it happened in waterloo back in october. leighton didn't look both ways when hero and was hit by a truck... the seven- year-old was rushed to iowa city and has been recovering ever since. today - the family inviting kwwl's lauren moss into leighton's hospital room - to check in on his recovery. and this little boy's strength honestly brought me to tears. he was moved from university of iowa hospitals and clinics to covenant's rehab center.. where his smile and thumbs up...are worth a thousand words.