Tonight, the race to contain the catastrophic wildfires in Southern California that have destroyed more than 9,000 structures.

The historic fires burning out of control in the Los Angeles area.

New images showing the scope of the destruction, at least five dead, including the first confirmed fatality from the Palisades fire,

the most destructive blaze in the city's history. Officials warning the toll

will likely rise. The flames burning tens of thousands of acres and now threatening critical communications

towers. A staggering 180,000 people forced to evacuate. Now families returning to find their homes

burned to the ground. Officials under scrutiny

for their preparation and response. Our team on the front lines as firefighters encounter yet another

failing hydrant. Also tonight the major winter storm slamming the south from New Mexico to Virginia

and causing travel chaos over 2,000 flights canceled across the country.

The farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, the emotional state funeral at the National

Cathedral, bringing together all five living presidents.

And then the late president's final journey to his hometown in Georgia.

And amid the utter devastation, the symbol

of hope still standing in the ashes of Southern California.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

Good evening and welcome. Tonight in Los Angeles County, the smoke plumes parting long enough to reveal the heart-crushing extent of loss,

stretching across neighborhoods in the eye of those deadly firestorms. In Altadena, two aerial images of a single neighborhood tell the story.

One, a before photo of treeline streets and modest homes. The other, what is now left,

block after block of utter devastation. Tonight, multiple major wildfires still burning across

more than 45 square miles of the sprawling county, from inland cities north and northeast of

downtown Los Angeles, to the oceanfront enclave of Pacific

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