cleveland county is the next county south of oklahoma county and oklahoma county is where oklahoma city is. looking at the picture, winds blowing about 20 to 30 miles per hour. they are not keeping up with the fire. they just can't. you see people out there with shirts and pants that are trying to beat the fire down. this is way beyond that. this is into trees. they are in the cedars and the scrub little oaks in there. i lived up in edmond. this will go for a while. in will go until the winds start to calm down. that may not be until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. if you smell smoke right now in cleveland county, we're talking not that far from moore. you can see this is even far out. if you smell smoke right now, you may be in the path of the wind coming from that direction. that's the direction that the embers would come from. it's time to take those precautions. get the cars inside and get your stuff packed up. >> if people are not being evacuated yet, is that because this happened so quickly? this is something at a certain point you may have to take matters in your own hands in terms of mak

cleveland county is the next county south of oklahoma county and oklahoma county is where oklahoma city is. looking at the picture, winds blowing about 20 to 30 miles per hour. they are not keeping up with the fire. they just can't. you see pele out there with shirts and pants that are trying to beat the fire down. this is way beyond that. this is into trees. they are in the cedars and the scrub little oaks in there. i lived up in edmond. this will go for a while. in will go until the winds start to calm down. that may not be until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. if you smell smoke right now in cleveland county, we're talking not that far from moore. you can see this is even far out. if you smell smoke right now, you may be in the path of the wind coming from that direction. that's the direction that the embers would come from. it's time to take those precautions. get the cars inside and get your stuff packed up. >> if people are not being evacuated yet, is that because this happened so quickly? this is something at a certain point you may have to take matters in your own hands in terms of makin

and further south in oklahoma, the animals too. s this horse struggling to escape the quick-moving blaze. we begin with mike boettcher. on the front lines of the fires just outside oklahoma city. mike. >> reporter: david, i live in oklahoma, when the temperatures hit 113 and winds started kicking up, it was clear that trouble was coming. and sure enough, it was. the extreme conditions turned brush fires into firestorms across several oklahoma counties. at least 100 buildings burned to the ground.

wild fires continue to burn across the parched state of oklahoma. manual bojorquez reports from the scene. >> young chinese athletes already in training for the next o lument-- olympic games, barry petersen takes us inside the metal factory and curiosity countdown. john blackstone is looking a a new generation of rover on the surface of mars captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> and good evening, i'm jeff glor, police are calling it a case of domestic terrorism, a gunman opened fire during a service this morning at a sikh temp nell oakcreek, wisconsin. 12 miles south of milwaukee. the gunman killed six people and wounded three others before being shot and killed by police. law enforcement sources tell our homeland security correspondent bob orr this evening they are trace a semiautomatic pistol used in the shooting. president obama said this afternoon he is deeply saddened by what happened. >> reporter: the shooting occurred just before the start of a religious service at the sikh temple of wisconsin which

the oklahoma county sheriff's department it looking for a person in a black pickup truck. that person was seen throwing newspapers out a window after setting them on fire. manuel bojorquez for cbs news, luther oklahoma. >>> a deadly lightning strike at the pocono raceway. one man killed, nine injured including one in critical condition. a severe line of thunderstorms forced officials to call the pennsylvania 400 yesterday. track officials say the victim was in or near his car in a parking lot behind the grandstand when the lightning struck. >>> strorm ernesto dumped heavy rain. caused little damage. ernesto about 235 miles east of the nicaragua honduras border. forecasters say ernesto could become a hurricane later in the week. >>> southwest airlines has begun refunding passengers overcharged because of a computer glitch. southwest says the trouble began with a half price fare promotion. passengers were accidentally billed multiple times for a single flight. in some cases 20 times. southwest says it will also pay customers for any overdraft fees. they better. >>> coming up

a monster wildfire in oklahoma spreads across an area already baked by this summer's historic drought. >> touchdown confirmed. >>> and happy landing. nasa scientists celebrate as the multibillion dollar mars rover lands safe and sound on the multibillion dollar mars rover lands safe and sound on the surface of the red planet. captioning funded by cbs. >>> this is the cbs morning news for monday, august 6, 2012. good morning everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. the fbi heading up the investigation into a deadly shooting at a temple in wisconsin. one said the gunman didn't say a word. he just started shooting. it happened in oak creek just south of milwaukee. member of the congregation were preparing a sunday meal when the unidentified gunman opened fire yesterday morning. six people and the gunman were killed. the alleged gunman's home is being searched right now. no motive so far. drew levinson is there. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. investigators spent much of the night inside the temple and inside the suspected shooter's home looking for clues.

the oklahoma county sheriff's department is looking for a person in a black pickup truck. that person was seen throwing newspapers out a window after setting them on fire. manuel bojorquez for cbs news, luther, oklahoma. >>> a tedly lightning strike at the pocono raceway in pennsylvania. one nascar fan was killed. nine injured, including one in critical condition. a severe line of thunderstorms forced officials to call the pennsylvania 400 yesterday. track officials say the victim was in or near his car in a parking lot behind the grandstand when the lightning struck. >>> tropical storm ernesto is headed toward honduras. it brushed past jamaica yesterday dumping heavy rain. it caused little damage. it's about 235 miles east of the nicaragua border. forecasters say it could become a hurricane later in the week. >>> southwest airlines has begun refunding passengers who were overcharged because of a computer glitch. southwest says the trouble began with a half-price fare promotion. passengers were accidentally billed multiple times for a single flight. in some cases, 20 times

. >>> coming up next, a wildfire roars through oklahoma. what witnesses saw that leads firefighters to believe the flames were deliberately set. >>> and another sizzling day could lead to more storms. >>> firefighters in oklahoma are hard at work tonight battling a series of wildfires. earlier today the governor there visited the area. he promised assistance to those who lost their homes as well as justice since at least one blaze appears to be arson. brian mooar has the story. >> reporter: touring a community reduced to ashes by a wildfire, oklahoma's governor offered aid and comfort. >> one thing about oklahomans, neighbor helps neighbor, and we're good at overcoming bad circumstances. >> reporter: and it doesn't get much worse. many of these residents are left with little more than memories. >> we are able to salvage some of our stuff. i'm still pretty numb from it. this is the house i grew up in. so -- it's pretty hard. to see everything gone. >> reporter: the luther fire is one of dozens burning in oklahoma. nourished by gusting winds,

on the frontlines of the fires just outside oklahoma city. mike. >> reporter: david, i live in oklahoma, when the temperatures hit 113 and winds started kicking up. it was clear there was trouble coming. and sure enough, it was. the extreme conditions turned brush fires into firestorms across several oklahoma counties. at least 100 buildings burned to the ground. almost half of them homes. a day care center was turned to ash. hundreds were evacuated in advance of the flame. >> when i left, the fire was right at my back door. >> reporter: arson was expected in this fire near the small central oklahoma town of luther. at day break, oklahoma governor mary fallin spoke to families who lost everything. emergency managers told her this year could bring one of the worst wildfire breakouts in the state's history. >> this has been a very, very tough situation. over 110 degrees and you have huge flames and massive fires. >> reporter: this family saw the frames roaring toward them. daughter jessica snapped these shots of advancing flames as the family a

has hit oklahoma especially hard. then the parched land caught fire. state officials say 18 wildfires have already burned more than 90 square miles. manuel bojorquez is in luther, oklahoma tonight. >> reporter: the largest of nearly 20 fires burned in east central oklahoma creek county known as the freedom hill wildfire it has burned over 58,000 acres, destroyed at least 40 structures and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. >> it's certainly been a very tough week for the state of oklahoma. just numerous fires throughout the state, major fires, a lot of small fires. it has really taxed the resources of the state of oklahoma. >> reporter: while there are no reported deaths, officials are concerned there may be victims given the fire's broad path. in a summer where severe heat has baked the state, parts of oklahoma have suffered through temperatures exceeding 110 degrees and according to the state forestry service have created ideal wildfire conditions. while today oklahoma saw lower temperatures, officials are warning that fires can flare ag

. >>> a very different situation going on tonight in oklahoma. very hot, dry and windy conditions helped spread more than a dozen wildfires that have destroyed at least 121 homes and other structures in that state. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in the hard-hit town of luther, oklahoma, tonight. gabe. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the winds have died down here a bit but dozens of families are returning to see this, their homes destroyed. and police say that one of these fires appears to have been set on purpose. along miles of scorched earth in oklahoma today victoria was almost speechless. >> just nothing. i can't say nothing. it's just really sad. >> reporter: this rubble used to be the home she shared with her seven children in luther outside oklahoma city. >> everything is there. i didn't take anything. nothing at all. >> reporter: the fires burned some 80,000 acres throughout the state. hundreds had to evacuate. >> i feel like if there's a tornado, at least there would have been a little hope to search around and try to find some of our stuff.

michael seiden from affiliate koco joins us from luther, oklahoma. you're standing in front of a burnt out building. first, i want you to tell us, crews making any progress or are the fires getting worse? >> reporter: don, we are about 30 miles northeast of oklahoma city, out here in the city of luther, a small rural community, firefighters have knocked out the flames. right now they're just monitoring hot spots, but i can tell you that in the last hour or so, a little bit of here north of here in the city of stillwater there's a raging wildfire there so a lot of the resources here are headed up there. down here in the city of luther, everything is okay. >> and let me ask you this real quickly before you show us around because i'd love to see it. we've heard these reports about an arsonist, maybe an arson linked to that. are you hearing anything more about the sear for a suspect in this? >> reporter: my photojournalist brian dixon and i were out here all night and day, been in close contact with authorities and what we're hearing is yes, they believe

oklahoma city of 100 plus. they finally get a little reprieve. 99 by tomorrow. >> you said some relief. a little rain. that's also bringing severe weather with it? >> correct. this cold front extends all of the way to chicago. that's a place we find pictures today out of chicago. 100,000 plus people in grant park evacuating. they had to. this strong storm hit downtown chicago and that place would have been an absolute disaster, had you had all of the people outside with lightning and now 60-mile-per-hour winds. >> you're also following tropical storm ernesto. this is heavy rains, winds we're seeing in parts of the caribbean. what is the latest tract for earnesto? >> it will pass yucatan peninsula and become a hurricane. we'll call it a hurricane until it hits yucatan and then go back into the gulf. south texas may get rain if not some hurricane action out of this. we're watching this very carefully. >> at least the rain. zinger zee on all of this thank you. >>> we move to other new, yet another close call in th

northeast of the oklahoma city people in the town of luther comeback to burned out rubble. on saturday firefighters able to gain control of the wild fire outside of town, and then tore through it when wet flams estimated 60 homes and buildings this resident lost everything. >>> you come back to this and say at all destroyed, everything you touch is ash nothing you can save. >>> investigators suspect the luther fire intentionally set. oklahoma county sheriff's department looks for a person in a black pickup truck that person seen throwing newspapers out the window after setting them on fire. >>> deadheads reunite in san francisco what makes this jerry garcia day so special. the dark night rises tops the box office for a third weekend and a row. the finality of the batman trilogy has made $355 million domestically this take was more than $36 million. a total recall remained opened in second place. ice age and a watch round out the top earners. grateful dead music and lots of tie dye it must mean it is jerry garcia day in san francisco. today the 10th annual celebration of the

i want to show you oklahoma's pattern. it's going to shift again. a blilt of rain and not as hot today. mid and upper 90s versus the 100, 110 plus. the cold front moves on and the warm front again, 100s and gusty winds this week. >> you have before covering this drought and a new report bay scientist who has sounded an alerm before. >> james stanton is known as the godfather of global warning. but the new report links individual events including the 2003 and 2010 eastern heat wave and the brought in oklahoma last year to climate change. >> a lot of people are beginning to ask w the drought we are seeing this summer. while you are here, tropical storm ernesto. why is the route now? >> a lot of phoenix want to know, does it come to texas? it's still a tropical storm. it looks to become a hurricane and hit the yucatan peninsula. it's disorganized and right now, it looks like a mexican storm but one turn and we could be talking about texas. we are keeping our eye on it. >> ginger zee, thanks very much. >> we turn to the vote for president, your voice, y

today in oklahoma saw lower temperatures officials warned fires can flare again. 25 mi. northeast of all of the city people and lose their comeback to the burned out rubble used to be their home during firefighters gained control that erupted and outside of town, lines decimated nearly 60 homes and buildings residents lost everything. >>> you come back to this and see it all destroyed everything you touch is ash. >>> investigators suspect the luther fire may have been intentionally set. the oklahoma county sheriff's department looks for a person in a black pickup truck seen throwing newspapers out of the window after setting them on fire. >>> southwest airlines gives out refunds after a computer glitch overcharged hundreds of customers on half-price ticket promotion and up with customers build multiple times for their flights some people charge as many as 20 times for one booking the promotion designed to celebrate southwest getting 3 million " likes " on facebook the airline may scud on all charges including bank charges. baby news for the monterey bay aquarium the baby

we're in luther, oklahoma, about 20 miles northeast of oklahoma city. i want to show you the command post. i don't know if you can see it because of the glare but this is a map and they are looking at the hardest hit areas that the fire has affected and you can see a list of all of the volunteer fire departments who are here. they have them out here battling hot spots. we saw huge, intense flames yet. people when they think of wildfires think of grass fires, we saw these move from farm fields into towns. the flames were rolling over city blocks. this morning we have about 60 firefighters at the scene, they're getting ready to go out for the day ahead. and the big problem here is the weather. so much of the country dealing with such an extensive drought for a long period of time. but here in oklahoma, we're experiencing unusual dry conditions and the wind. ed winds were whipping around 4 sclk, 5:00 this morning. i'm going to walk you here where the manufacturers are get going rest this morning. they have r.v.s hooked up over there so firefighters can sta

. >> wildfires across oklahoma as people grab what they can from their homes. we'll tell you why police are getting involved. >> and clint eastwood announces his big endorsement for president. >> live and in h.d., this is abc7 news at 6:00, on your side. >> days after a close call involving three planes at reagan airport, it's happened again. >> this time in detroit involving two planes on approach to the airport there. it is our top story tonight. >> it was too close for comfort in detroit last night. scary landing at the detroit metro airport at delta 737 and small regional jet came within two miles of each other horizontally. safe flying calls for three miles of separation. >> really scary. tons of live at risk and whether it's miscommunication or whatever, they should be on top of that type of thing. >> the problem the air traffic controllers headset jack wasn't fully operating so the pilots couldn't hear air traffic instruction. the f.a.a. says the pilots were aware they were too close andener at risk for colliding. elizabeth cory with the f.a.a. said in a

kelly, very, very impressive images coming out of oklahoma and the reason for these wildfires is that conditions have been favorable so far this summer for sparking wildfires, over this part of the nation and there has been a stalled ridge of high pressure sitting over the southern plains and beneath the high we have seen very little to no rain, for example, oklahoma city, since may 1st only received 5.5 inches of rain. so far this summer. also, it has been very, very warm. we're talking temperatures so far this summer, averaging up to 10 degrees above normal with the core of the heat gripping north texas, oklahoma, into extreme southern kansas. now, recently, there has been some relief. the ridge has broken down some and has shifted a little farther to the west. allowing for the latest frontal boundary to head south and it has been producing some spotty showers and thunderstorms, but, only across northern oklahoma and it has been very, very light, so, unfortunately, it looks like that ridge will be strengthening again as we head into monday. and, the heat is on, once again, over the

that's the way do you it in oklahoma. we help each other because we are prone to tornadoes and disasters and fires. >> certainly take care of yourself. >> just glad they're safe and we didn't lose anybody around that area. there were people a lot worse off than we were. those are the ones that really need the help, you know, we come together as oklahomans for that reason. my wife is the real hero. this morning at the hotel she looked me up and said we need to go out and check on our house. we went out there and this is where she alerted me to the fire that was going up in the ceiling in the back bedroom. she is the one that really found the fire that damaged our master bedroom and that corner of the house because i put the fire out yesterday and the fire department did too when they showed up. they were fighting a big north fire, the really big one. this south fire they weren't even aware of until i called them about it. they had no idea. >> they've got their hands full, christopher. boy, you've had an experience to tell

everything's gone. >> reporter: the fire in luther, oklahoma, just 25 miles northeast of oklahoma city, literally swallowed streets and homes holes. and it's believed to be the work of an arsonist. this morning, a manhunt is on for a black pickup truck and the driver they say is to blame for day care structure. >> i'm 82 years old. i have never seen anything like it before. >> reporter: as the firefighters gain some measure of control, families are beginning to struggle what remains after smoke clearance. >> in a tornado, you pick things up. you find things that are salvageable. you come here, you move anything and it turns to dust. >> reporter: conditions have definitely improved as a cold front moved through overnight. rain moved in. behind that front, you got some moisture and cooler air, they'll drop into the mid and upper 90s. they have been above 100 for 18 days. in oklahoma city. it's still going to be a pretty tough fight. even know the winds will be slightly lower. we're watching another story, multiple in the tropics. we got florence and then ernesto, a little bit more intens

i want to show you oklahoma's pattern. it's going to shift again. a little bit of rain and not as hot today. mid and upper 90s versus the 100, 110 plus. the cold front moves on and the warm front again, 100s and gusty winds book by this week. >> you have before covering this drought and a new report bay scientist who has sounded an alarm before on global warming. but a report tonight. >> james stanton is known as the godfather of global warning. but the new report links individual events including the between and 2010 european heat wave and the drought in oklahoma and texas last year, to climate change. he is a say is saying now we a in science. >> a lot of people are beginning to ask with the drought we are seeing this summer. while you are here, tropical storm ernesto. why is the route now? >> a lot of phoenix want to know, does it come to texas? it's still a tropical storm. it looks to become a hurricane and hit the yucatan peninsula. it's disorganized and right now, it looks like a mexican storm when it makes land fall but one little turn and we

>>> oklahoma burning. a ferocious, fast-moving fire burning out of control, right outside oklahoma city. dozens of homes destroyed. many more threatened. and this morning, mandatory evacuations. more heat on the way. and this question, was it arson? >>> plot foiled. did this man try to fake his own death? the angry wife who was planning his funeral is now speaking out. accusing her husband of pretending to drown. he is nowhere to be found. but their son seems to also be involved. >>> and the price of gold. that was quick. gabby douglas is already beaming out from a cereal box. and this is just the beginning of her endorsement gold. how much does this 16-year-old daughter of a single mother stand to make? >>> you know, it really isn't fair to have to wake up so early after such an amazing night of the olympics. >> ron was up until 3:00 in the morning. >> watching the olympics, yeah. i didn't sleep last night, dan. >> look at this. each of these american swimmers winning gold. and getting them all in 13 minu

a fast-moving wildfire destroyed more than 60 homes near oklahoma city. and now investigators believe it was set on purpose. as drew levinson reports for wjz, it is one of many wildfires spreading across oklahoma. >> people living in parts of luther, oklahoma, came back saturday, to find their homes reduced to rubble and ash. >> this one right here. >> oklahoma governor mary fallen toured the area with residents and saw some of the dozens of homes. destroyed by the massive wildfire. she called it heart breaking. many of the people here lost everything. >> lost everything else. it is just ash. i come back, early, thinking that i would pick something up and be able to find some things underneath that were protected but you can't pick anything up because it falls apart. >> overnight, firefighters got the upper hand on the fire that charred four square miles. the oklahoma county sheriff is investigating reports that someone in a black pick-up truck friday tossed out newspapers that had been set on fire. in crete county, fires have forced residents from their

>>> oklahoma burning. a ferocious, fast-moving fire burning out of control, right outside oklahoma city. dozens of homes destroyed. many more threatened. and this morning, mandatory evacuations. more heat on the way. and this question, was it arson? >>> plot foiled. did this man try to fake his own death? the angry wife who was planning his funeral is now speaking out. accusing her husband of pretending to drown. he is nowhere to be found. but their son seems to also be involved. >>> and the price of gold. that was quick. america's gymnastics sweetheart gabby douglas is already beaming out from a cereal box. and this is just the beginning of her endorsement gold. so, how much does this 16-year-old daughter of a single mother stand to make? >>> you know, it really isn't fair that we have to wake up so early after such an amazing night of the olympics. >> ron was up until 3:00 in the morning. >> watching the olympics, yeah. i didn't sleep last night, dan. >> look at this. each of these american swimmers, eac

manuel bojorquez is in oklahoma. he talked to a homeowner who lost everything. >> reporter: brandi west was one of dozens who returned to see what was left of her home. >> i mean, i'm more worried about everybody else than i am myself. >> reporter: officials have contained roughly half of the 50 fires that raged through the state. the largest was described as a monster fire that devoured nearly 90 square miles. arson is suspected as the cause of one of the fires but the severe drought is also to blame. according to the u.s. drought monitor, 100% of oklahoma is in drought, 70% of it is extreme. nationally, more than 60% of the country in moderate or exceptional drought. three months ago it was less than 40. >> come on! >> reporter: lyle mackey is a farmer in luther, oklahoma. >> it is a tinderbox. i mean, it's... the grass crunches under your feet. >> reporter: he says the drought has scorched the grass his cows eat. the cost of corn to feed them has skyrocketed 25% over last year. he had 30 cows then. this year he ca

he and his children had to make a run from noble, oklahoma. you're safe in norman now i'm told, christopher. tell us about your harrowing experience. >> well, yes, rob. i am safe. my family is safe at the moment. thank god. we were watching the north fire. there was a major wildfire north of my house. it started out there and it was going north so i wasn't too concerned with that. about an hour later, my wife called me and told me there is a major fire north of us, which i already knew. i went out to look at that and i noticed there was smoke and embers blowing from the south across my vision. i'm like, okay. what's going on there? so i went to the back of the house and went out the back porch and walked into literally a forest fire in my back yard. the entire neighborhood behind me was engulfed and all the forest around me was on fire right up to my porch where i was standing. >> what went through your head and what did you do next? >> the very first thing was to get my step son out of the house. i have two step sons. only one was there at th

practically wiped out home the city of luther, oklahoma. two dozen homes burned. residents returned finding nothing but smoldering ashes they're given minutes to evacuate. >>> you cannot get everything in 30 minutes, you practice fire drills at school but not at home you don't know what to get. >>> more than 60 homes burned in fires across the state police said in a fire that destroyed homes in luther may have been deliberately set. reports that someone deliberately tossed burning newspapers from a pickup truck during >>> a beautiful day in the bay area skies blue, the beach might be a good destination inland especially by wednesday and thursday. >>> i know least one part in the east bay was part people enjoyed cool temperatures. it was lovely it is about to change. >>> it may change for the better, if you're in the mood for warmer weather. right now it is pleasant is we go out side it is 76 in concord 68 in concord. 66 at sfo. santa rosa and 72 per eye and take away. visibility has improved. the storm did drop a little bit of rain in the a

. >>> a different situation in oklahoma. very hot, dry and windy conditions helped are spread more than a dozen wildfires that have destroyed homes and structures in that state. >> reporter: good evening. the winds have died down here a bit but dozens of families are returning to see this, their homes destroyed. police say one of these fires appears to have been set on purpose. along miles of scorched earth in oklahoma today victoria was almost speechless. >> it's very sad. >> reporter: this rubble used to be the home she shared with her seven children in luther outside oklahoma city. >> i don't have anything, nothing at all. >> reporter: the fires burned some 80,000 acres throughout the state. >> i felt if there was a tornado at least there would be hope to search around and find our stuff. with this you know it is gone. it's demolished. >> reporter: the fast moving flames fuelled by hot, dry and windy conditions in a state already ravaged by a historic drought. >> we are thankful we haven't had loss of life. >> reporter: t

one of many wildfires spreading across oklahoma. >> reporter: people came back to luther, oklahoma, to find their homes reduced to ash. saw some of the homes destroyed by the massive wildfire. she called it heartbreaking. many of the people here lost everything. >> most everything else was just ash and dust. i come back early thinking that i pick something up and be able to find some things underneath that were protected but you can't pick anything up because it's falling apart. >> reporter: firefighters got the upper hand on the fire that charred four square miles. the oklahoma county sheriff is investigating reports someone tossed out newspapers that had been set on fire. in creek county, firefighters forced residents from their home. >> i never seen anything like this before, i'm 84. i've lived in this community all my life. >> reporter: bone dry temperatures at 113 degrees. conditions are treacherous for the firefighters. >> the wind comes up and the cedar trees look like dynamite coming off. it's scary out there. >> reporter: it will take days to put out the blazes. drew, wjz eyew

the same cannot be said about wildfires in oklahoma. firefighters are dealing with a half-dozen wildfire's there. the evacuations are underway thick and a red flag warning remains in effect. authorities are now searching for an arson suspect. >> at least six fighters are blazing away to the state of oklahoma burning dozens of structures and is serving homes. ifs and firefighters are battling the flames which are fueled by dry weather and strong winds. dangerous fire conditions existed much of the state, residents scrambled to eventually bring belongings that me most. >> everything else can be replaced except my babies. these belong to my grandmother, and i brought my sister's wedding dress. >> in some areas the view of the blaze was blocked by smoke and road closures. some residents were reluctant to leave. >> when i left, the fire was at my back door. i do not even know what to think right now. i am numb. >> meteorologist say humid weather conditions which are not expected this weekend are necessary in order for the fires to be contain

county, just outside of oklahoma city and that one had about eight. so it depends on what it is, but for people around the country who are watching and they're having a hard time getting in touch with their loved ones you can visit redcross.org/safeandwell. when families are coming into our shelters we encourage them to sign up on this website and it's a way of letting family know i'm okay. i'm at this shelter and it's how you are able to let your family know that you are doing okay. >> all right. ken garcia with the red cross in oklahoma, as the red cross always is in these sorts of situation. thank you, ken. >> you're welcome. >>> oklahoma is the latest victim in this hot, dry year, but it has plenty of company in the drought, that's for sure. look closely at this map. it's the latest version of the drought map, the drought monitor. right now more than half of all u.s. counties have been desing nated disaster zones because of the drought. i spoke with ernie goss and he had a new study that shows how the drought is dragging down the economy. >> what

manuel bojorquez is in oklahoma. alkealked to a homeowner who ryst everything. >> reporter: brandi west was one of dozens who returned to see what was left of her home. >> i mean, i'm more worried about everybody else than i am orrie myself. >> reporter: officials have contained roughly half of the 50 fires that raged through the state. argestrgest was described as a monster fire that devoured arlyly 90 square miles. arson is suspected as the cause son is of the fires but the severe drought is also to blame. tcording to the u.s. drought 0% otor, 100% of oklahoma is in itught, 70% of it is extreme. nationally, more than 60% of the country is in moderate or exceptional drought. three months ago it was less than 40. >> come on! >> reporter: lyle mackey is a farmer in luther, oklahoma. >> it is a tinderbox. i mean, it's... the grass crunches under your feet. >> reporter: he says the drought has scorched the grass his cows eat. ce cost of corn to feed them has skyrocketed 25% over last year. he had 30 cows then. this year

michael seiden from affiliate koco joins us from luther, oklahoma. you're standing in front of a burnt out building. first, i want you to tell us, crews making any progress or are the fires getting worse? >> reporter: don, we are about 30 miles northeast of oklahoma city, out here in the city of luther, a small rural community, firefighters have knocked out the flames. right now they're just monitoring hot spots, but i can tell you that in the last hour or so, a little bit of here north of here in the city of stillwater there's a raging wildfire there so a lot of the resources here are headed up there. down here in the city of luther, everything is okay. >> and let me ask you this real quickly before you show us around because i'd love to see it. we've heard these reports about an arsonist, maybe an arson linked to that. are you hearing anything more about the search for a suspect in this? >> reporter: my photojournalist brian dixon and i were out here all night and day, been in close contact with authorities and what we're hearing is yes, they belie

they've been 18 days in a row at oklahoma city at 100 plus. tomorrow their first 99. >> upper 09s now. >> you said some relief. a little rain. that's also bringing severe weather with it? >> correct. this cold front extends all of the way to chicago. it's kicked off severe thunderstorms. now in west indiana and beyond. what i want to emphasize, places in chicago. 150,000 without power and lalapalooza, where hundreds of people were outside, were evacuated. that's a good thing before something disastrous happened. >> you're also following tropical storm ernesto. this is heavy rains, winds we're seeing in parts of the caribbean. showing the heavy rains and winds. and you say this is on the move? >> it is. it's still a tropical storm but by late tonight early tomorrow it will become a hurricane. it will slam into the yucatan peninsula and once it gets past there. see the timing, thursday at 2:00 p.m. it has an open gulf ahead. that's where we worry, does it hit the u.s.? and a couple computer models take it close to us. will it be a hurricane stil

forecasters says strong winds fueling fires over oklahoma are starting to die down. at least 25 homes destroyed so far and forcing hundreds of people to pack up and get out. >> rick: nasa scientists are now on edge as they await the new mars rover big landing tomorrow. one of the most difficult in space history. >> arthel: and oscar of south africa, the first amputee to compete at the track in an olympic event here. it's so amazing, the story is. he's a double amputee and runs on carbon fiber blades and second in the 400 meter heat to advance to the next round. >> back to one of the top stories today. iran says it's successfully test fired a short range missile capable of striking any of its regional targets, including israel. israel was considering a preemptive attack on iran's nuclear facilities. does it put the state closer to a strike. and a four star general, former vice-chief of the army and military analyst, so good to have you here and help us understand the importance of the story today. are we to believe that iran's missile test as successful as they say it

oklahoma, was deliberately set. they're looking for a man in a black pickup truck who reportedly threw newspapers out of the vehicle, then set those newspapers on fire. >>> a kensington maryland woman is saved tonight after being trapped on an island in rock creek. montgomery county fire and rescue responded to a call around 9:30 tonight for a report of a woman stranded near beach drive and cedar lane. firefighters used a rescue boat to bring the woman to safety. she wasn't injured. no word on how the woman became trapped in the first place. >>> coming up later on 9 news now this sunday night, all eyes are on mars. >> tonight's it. superbowl of planetary exploration. one yard line, one play left. >> it's white knuckle time for nasa engineers as their $2.5 billion mars rover project is just a couple of hours from touchdown. >>> is virginia governor mcdonnell moving up on mitt romney's short list of running mates? we'll hear what the governor has to say about it. >>> a little light drizzle on the weather terrace, but

he was told to only where an oklahoma university or an oklahoma state university shirt. school officials say they will review the policy i'm barack obama and i approve this message now mitt romney's attacking the president on medicare? the nonpartisan a-a-r-p says amobamacare "cracks down on medicare fraud, waste, and abuse and strethens guaranteed benefits." and the ryan plan?n? a-a-r-p says it would undermine medicare and could lead to higher costs for seniors... and experts say ryan's voucher plan could raise future retirees costs more than six thousand dollars. get the facts. >> the historical mars rover is headed for another first. >> they will extend the rebecca arm for the first time since landing on the red -- read -- robotic arm for the first time since landing on the red planet. to a kit includes a drill, a camera -- it is a batman utility belt. >> it reminds me of the inspector gadget. curiosity will have some company on mars as a nasa plans to launch a relatively low-cost rover, searching for signs that life once existed on mars. >> i do not know what low-cos

still ahead tonight, oklahoma on fire. the battle to calm the flames forced hundreds of people out of their homes. wait until you hear what started these fires, plus, the full five-day forecast from gwen. that's all coming up when we come back. this is the plan for back to school. introducing share everything, only from verizon. a shareable pool of data to power up to 10 different devices. add multiple smartphones to your plan, so everyone in your family can enjoy unlimited talk and text. the first plan of its kind. share everything. get your student a samsung galaxy nexus for $99.99. real big deals of the week. or how to keep from driving all over for the best deals. you don't need to run around. safeway gives you real big club card deals each week. this week get whole seedless watermelons fresh off the farm for only $2.98 each. skip the warehouse. 24 rolls of charmin are just $11.99. and kellogg's frosted flakes are a buck 88. real big deals this week and every week. only at safeway. ingredients for life. >>> fire crews

it's a dire situation in oklahoma right now. wind-whipped fires across more than a dozen counties fueled by extreme drought conditions. mix that with temperatures today into the 110-plus zone. more than 60 buildings burned so far. right now the fire threatens at least 100 more homes and people in at least four counties being told to run. >> i stayed as long as i could and i had to get out of there. when i left the fire was right at my back door. >> i don't even know what to think right now. i'm -- i'm just numb to the whole deal. >> take a look at this picture. people driving away from home as smoke and flames engulf nearly everything. listen to evacuees tell what they managed to escape with. >> everything else can be replaced, but my babies can't be replaced. they just can't. >> it's my mom's mom's and and these were real important to her, my sister's wedding dress in the back. >> i have oklahoma's governor on the phone right now. mary fallon who just finished touring some of the hardest-hit areas. what's the toughest challenge

well, it's oklahoma within the state. [ indiscernible ] >> it's oklahoma and oklahoma state. oklahoma state is orange. >> but oklahoma school. >> oklahoma schools -- >> that kid may not be from there. let him wear it. >> you know what? >> you're wrong on this. >> overboard. give me a break. what if the kid wore a blue shirt with a donald duck on it? >> the donald duck disney gang or something. >> come on. >> i find it -- there are so many other issues that we're faced with. >> if they're worried about it, go to uniforms. >> i agree with you on that! go with uniforms and be done with it. >> i just got done with school shopping. please! go to school uniforms. >> i lose that one to the ladies. >>> how much is too much? we are talking about these nike shoes. these are the lebron james 10. initially when they said they were coming out they were going to be $315. that's absurd. then you have the president of the nafta urban league which mark more yoel this is ridiculous. nike should get a conscience and do this. you know who is going to line up, young people who can't afford them a