Breaking news tonight, the explosive wildfires raging in Los Angeles as life-threatening winds spread danger across Southern California.

Homes are burning in the iconic Pacific palisades as officials order mandatory evacuations.

Thousands racing to get out. Vehicles abandoned in the gridlock. Firefighters rushing to reach those trap. The fire fueled by

Santa Ana winds burning hundreds of acres, gusts of wind up to 100 miles an hour. Our team in the fire

zone as the flames raged tonight. Plus the deep freeze and new winter storm warnings were

tracking right behind it. And just breaking in that Las Vegas cyber truck explosion, police now saying it was plotted using AI,

including chat GPT, why they're calling it a game changer.

President-elect Donald Trump suggesting he could use the military to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal.

And ahead of the second Trump administration, META CEO Mark Zuckerberg, announcing major

changes why he says Facebook and Instagram are getting rid of fact checkers.

Former President Jimmy Carter's final journey to Washington, where he's lying in state beginning tonight.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

Good evening and welcome. A windstorm is kicking up explosive and rapidly spreading brush and wildfires all over Southern California this evening.

Holmes are already engulfed in flames in the Pacific

Palisade section of L.A. forcing thousands to flee, creating an incredibly dangerous situation.

The fire emergency fueled by incredibly powerful Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour

and spreading for acres and acres. The plume of smoke

visible from LAX. Officials had warned of extreme fire danger, the highest alert, and tonight that

danger has become a reality for those caught in the past. As the flames and smoke spread today,

some drivers abandoned their vehicles causing gridlock for others,

including our own Liz Croyd to at one point found herself flanked by fire on both sides.

Liz joins us now from Los Angeles.

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