Hospital. My mom is going to die. My mom is going to be swept away. Reporter more than 60 patients were evacuated by helicopter. All making it out alive. The nurses, the staff made sure we got out. Reporter amid so much desperation, stories of survival, heroism and hope. In North Carolina, onlookers watched in horror as this home was swept away with a woman still inside. Armed with a Life Jacket and i rope, Eddie Jumped in. I couldnt watch her die. Reporter pilots from around the country coming together to bring in critical supplies and get people out. We have had people from text texas to maine show up. Reporter heroes saved her and her mom. I want to thank them. If it werent for them, we would not have made it. Reporter priscilla thompson, Nbc News, johnson city, tennessee. There are always heroes among us. That does it for us today. Thank you for being here. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Andrea mitchell picks up with more news right now. Right now on Andrea Mitchell repo
behind one of the most iconic movie themes of all time announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening ancient history is facing an immediate and uncertain future tonight in one of the most cherished slices of america a wildfire roaring through parts of california s yosemite park, threatening hundreds of giant sequoias some more than 2,000 years old. tonight crews literally using a network of sprinklers to create humidity around the towering trees to give them a fighting chance. remarkable imagery revealing the spread and intensity of the fire, which doubled in size over the weekend. the fire fueled by the severe drought now affecting over 97% of california, along with extreme heat which is not just making things difficult in the west, but extending all the way to the gulf coast, leaving 36 million under heat alerts. miguel almaguer is in the fire zone tonight with late details. reporter: exploding in size again overnight, yosemite s washburn fire i