And Billy Crystal joins us for his first interview since the death of his dear friend Robin Williams. Tuesday, september 16th, 2014. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a. Good morning. Welcome to today on a news morning. Im matt lawyer. Savannah remains on Maternity Leave and this is the highlight of my day. That really is. I took great care color on you. We have been having fun. Why dont you do this. It looks very nice. Its good to have you back for day two. Nice to be here. Savannah will be back soon. You really having that much fun . Let us turn to the top story this morning. A serious story out on the west coast. A destructive wildfire. Its just one of a dozen major fires now burning across the state. Nbc is there with the latest. Good morning to you. Reporter good morning to you. This was once the entrance to a hits rick and notable church in in community where once the bowl fire ripped across this area. It literally changed the face of this entire area. This church reduced to a pile of bricks. This blaze was relatively small, only 350 acres, but it leaves behind a huge mark of devastation. Flames didnt just race through, they exploded out of control shooting hundreds of feet into the air, this blow torch igniting this tiny town in minutes. Hopscotching from one neighborhood to another, at least 100 structures are gone. I seen the flames heading up towards the school. Reporter anna watched the inferno engulf her entire block. Im thankful im alive. Reporter whipped by 40 Miles Per Hour winds, its feeding on bone dry land ready to burn. Beneath the smoke, the blaze reportedly destroyed a church and a lumber mill. Theres a strong south wind right now. Its pushing the smoke and it definitely doesnt seem encouraging for a lot of this whole area. Reporter this Community Just the latest disaster zone in a region battling a brutal heat wave and a devastating drought. A dozen wildfires are now burning in california. The heat and humidities were expecting again today, it causes extreme fire behavior. Reporter nowhere is the threat more extreme than here in weed. This morning, the damage is still being tallied. In a fire like this, many have already lost it all. With this fire roughly 15 contained, crews are making progress. The head of this blaze is no longer a significant threat, though it is still burning. Assessment teams will be out here all day long. Matt . Thank you very much. That wind is not good news. No, its not. And the bone dry conditions. We are looking at heat advisories. Look at these temperatures. Its going to feel like other 100 degrees from riverside. This continues from today right on into tomorrow. There is no break. Bev got 93 in santa paula. San diego feeling like 95 degrees. And were going to be looking if we could just get some of this moisture from Tropical Storm odile. Right now northwest of mexico. This things coming right up over the gulf of california. Warm water, 90 degrees almost. So its not going to weaken. Its going to stay with all this moisture coming up into the southwest. It stays a Tropical Storm as it makes its way into the southwest, becomes a tropical depression, but it brings a ton of rain. So we have flood watches and probably see flash flood warnings coming up. This is odiles moisture. This is what odile did in cabo san lucas. They say the airport probablys not going to open up until around october 10th or so. Thousands of homes without power. It is a mess there. Were looking for moisture coming up from odile back into the southwest. Look at the ralph were expecting. 1 to 2 inches in a few hours. We could see 5 to 7 inches possible, record rainfall amounts on into southwest, into parts of new mexico. This areas cannot take this. Their soil is so pour rous. Were going to be watching this over the next 48 hours. Now to the Domestic Violence scandals dominating the nfl season. The league is bringing in new help to address the issue while one star is speaking out about his case. Peter alexander is here with us. Good morning, peter. Good morning. Viking star Adrian Peterson is going to be back in uniform even as his lawyer denies reports that peterson injured another son while disciplining him. The league itself tries to get a handle on what has become a Public Relations nightmare. On the day usually reserved for monday morning quarterbacking, nfl coaches found themselves talking about much more than xs and os. Adrian peterson will get the chance to score touchdowns again, announcing the runningback can rejoin the team, after benching him for allegedly injuring his 4yearold son. Peterson release add statement, saying i am not a perfect parent, but i am without a doubt not a child abuser. We have seen everything thats in the file and all the information that weve within able to gather as of today. This is the decision we felt was best. If they believed there was going to be such strong evidence, they might just cut their losses at this point. The general manager made it clear what Adrian Peterson has meant to the community has earned him benefit of the doubt. Greg hardy who is appealing his conviction is back practicing with the carolina panthers. The head coach will rate to decide if hardy plays this sunday. If you play him and you win, you dont have a conscience, you play him and you lose, hes a distraction. The nfl has hired three women. Among them, a former top sex crimes prosecutor in new york city. They had to do something. They took some women wellknown in the field who understand what theyre doing. This is a human being issue. Its also a business. Minnesota based rad son hotels announced it is pulling its sponsorship of the vikings. They said they take this matter very seriously particularly in light of our longstanding commitment to the protection of children. First sponsor to fall. See what happens. Thank you very much. Mean while, president obama traveling to the centers for Disease Control in atlanta today for a briefing on the Ebola Outbreak that is now spreading unchecked in africa. He plans to announce new steps the u. S. Will take to try to contain that violence including sending more military personnel to the region. Good morning. Hi, math mat. They are stopping to spread from beyond africa has become a u. S. National security priority. On the ground in west africa, the emergency grows worse by the day. The entire Health Care Systems in liberia, sierra leon and guinea have been overrun. With a 50 mortality rate, the death toll is now 2,400 and climbing fast. Patients cant get into hospitals. It was in his interview with chuck todd that the president said containing the outbreak is now a matter of national security. Were going to have to get u. S. Military assets just to set up for example isolation units and equipment there. Already the u. S. Has spent 175 million dispatching Health Care Workers, food, water, equipment and a 25bed military field hospital. Now president obama wants another 88 million to do even more and plans to send up to 3,000 military personnel with a command center in liberia, 1,700 more beds and global coordination. The situation on the ground is dire and growing worse by the day. So far, four americans working in africa who contracted the virus have or are recovering. Including dr. Kent brantly. I dont think they ever said, kent, i think youre about to die, but i felt like i was about to die. Later today, brantly will testify before congress. Meanwhile, this morning good news about another american being treated for ebola at the nebraska medical center. While he tires easily, hes getting sharper mentally and doctors are pleased. Doctors arent sure if the experimental drug is what helped them survive. The World Health Organization said the cost has ridsen to a billion dollars and will keep rising. Guys, back to you. All right. Natalie is here with the u. S. Led campaign to destroy isis. Thats right. And top u. S. Military officials are going to be appearing on capitol hill today in hopes of giving lawmakers a better feel for president obamas strategy. Andrea mitchel is in washington. Good morning. Reporter good morning. The u. S. Military says it went on offense against isis for the first time monday night striking targets near baghdad. This is the fist in an expanded mission that goes beyond humanitarian rescue or protecting americans. With intelligence that isis has grown to an army of 30,000 fighters and holding at least two more americans hostage, they carried out president obamas orders to escalate the fight. Today, they will meet with general john alan now putting together an Operational Plan for the campaign against isis in iraq and syria. But what is the end game . What happens after the fighting stops . What happens to the future of iraq and syria after the bombs are dropped . Thats what congress back from a long break is asking today. This wont be a blank open check. Were going to have to have specificity and a real understanding of what the strategy is. The Administration Even tried to forge a military alliance with iran against isis. At a war summit monday, kerry said the u. S. Had reached out to iran. But the Iran Supreme Leader rebuffed the u. S. He says u. S. Has corrupted its hands in this issue. But iran has dirty hands, infiltrating iraqs army and propping up assad. Kerry is flying home today to prepare for hearings tomorrow. Some leading Democratic Senators are telling me based on what they have heard so far, they are not going to vote for what the white house is proposing. Thank you. Meanwhile, a u. S. Military official confirms that two americans were killed in a car bombing near the u. S. Embassy in afghanistan today. The Suicide Attack targeted a military convoy about 20 soldiers and civilians were wounded. Two heros from the vietnam war have received the nations highest honor. President obama best stowed the medal of honor for exceptional bravery. His brother, william, accepted the medal. Also they were at the white house to receive award. He ran through enemy fire to rescue fellow soldiers. Some parents tend to bend the rules when it comes to kids and seat belts. One in five parents of Young Children admits they dont always enforce the rules when carpooling letting children ride without car seats, booster seats and sometimes even seat belts. They say parents are ditching seats too early. And a campfire song, one oregon man wont soon forget. Take a look at this scary incident. Yes, that is a bat. Camping there with family and friends. You see in the middle of the jam session, he was attacked by the bat. It tried a couple of times to attack him until a friend shot it with a bb gun. It indeed had rabies. Hes been on medication ever since. Thats my Worst Nightmare right there. And one extra strum after the bat bit him. Unbelievable. Way to end with a smile there, natalie. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Mr. Roker. Ive got a kicker with a snake attack. Lets show you where were at right now. Wet weather in the southeast, florida, gulf coast, into the southwest. Temperatures cooler in the paths fix northwest. Look for morning showers moving through Northern New England and lots of sunshine through the plains. Were going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. And a look at your forecast today shows temperatures right now in the 50s and 60s, clear skies toward San Francisco. Well see temperatures climbing in the 70 degree range. San jose should be near 80. Low 80s toward saratoga, mid 80s around morgan hill, mid 80s out toward the trivalley. We will see Cool Temperatures for the middle part of the week, mild with a chance of showers coming in. Heres a question, should scotland declare its independence from great britain. According to the polls, the answer appears to be too close to call. We have the latest on this. Kelly, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. If were just talking population numbers, this is the equivalent of texas breaking away from the united states. A lot of scotts have had it with politicians here in london and they think they can do it better. From rallies to catwalks, the highlands to the lowlands, the United Kingdom is a little less united this morning. In two days, scotland will decide whether to say yes to independence or stay part of the union. The polls are dead even. Were all biting our nails. Reporter and the Prime Minister is desperate. We feel passionately about this family of nations and we would be desperately sad to see it fall apart. Reporter celebrities are on both sides. Girard butler and the original 007 wanting them to break away. Scotland wanting to make its own decisions about how to spend the billions of dollars from offshore oil. If you were given a golden chance to change things and take the country in a different direction that you thought was better, would you not take it . Reporter but what would the uk be without scotland . Would scotland still pay its pills with the british pound. The kwen weighed in saying, i hope people will think very carefully about the future. On thursday, the world will be watching to see if this small country of 6 million will remain loyal to the crown or go its own way. Just about half a million scots are still undecided. Just like everything in this country, you can place a bet on this. The bookkies giving slight odds to the no vote. It is going to be a close one. Can we still drink scotch . The orange room will declare its independence from the rest of our show. Nice knowing you, folks. Thank you so much. I have one gu chi tie. Im wearing it today. Its the orange rooms birthday. Its my oneYear Anniversary too. We take the orange a little too literally around here sometimes. One year ago. Meet the orange room folks. This is courtney, she sleeps here literally. Heres matt. He hasnt seen his girlfriend in five years. Let me give you the menu for the big oneYear Anniversary party. We have surprise guests. We have music. We have behind the scenes. Were going to be live on the web cast. Go to today. Com and check us out. You can also check out some of your moments. Youre going to program the web cast today. We have bunch of options for you to select what you want to see. Were going to go back. Seeing orange, well take your photos there. Here is guess the gets. Heres your first clue. This person is really comfortable behind an anchor desk. Is that an easy clue . Its misleading. Its pop eye. Are we going to know this person . Yes. Its a famous person. More clues to come. Oh, i think i know. Dont say it out loud. Dont ruin it quite yet. Coming up, were going to talk about a massive man hunt intensifying for a gunman accused of ambushing two Pennsylvania State troopers. Plus, Billy Krystal will be here for the first interview since the death of Robin Williams. But first, this is today on [ male announcer ] welcome to no mans land. Its a place youve been before, but its not on any map. 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Nger. Try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. And zyrtec® is different than claritin. Because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. Zyrtec®. Muddle no more™. Youre watching today in the bay. A good Tuesday Morning, 7 26 on your tuesday. Updating a story weve been following all morning. Investigators are standing by, waiting for a huge pile of pallets to cool down so they can figure out how they caught fire in the middle of the night. This happened overnight near the 101, 880 interchange and oakland street. Crews knocked down those flames a couple of hours ago but the pile is still smoldering. This is near the intersection near the 101880 interchange. The video showing ungulfed flames this morning. Crews had to quickly call for backup because that fire grew so rapidly. 7 26 on this Tuesday Morning. Youre probably wondering is the rest of my week going to look nice . Can i enjoy some warm weather . I think today you could enjoy that, including in San Francisco. 67 around san jose. And were seeing clear skies. We should see temperatures climbing into the low 70s this afternoon. Well see highs near 80s downtown, through the south of downtown, down towards saratoga. South of san jose should see low 70s around San Francisco. For the north bay, highs in the low 80s this afternoon. Late wednesday to thursday, look at that, a chance of light rain at times, especially for the north bay, the temperatures rise and High Pressure returns to the weekend. Mike . Were looking at san jose 101 traffic coming up towards the overnight fire. The fire is not what caused the problem but there was a crash at oakland road. We see a slow drive continuing from highway 85 all the way up toward 101 and joining at the top of the screen. 280 and 85 not extraordinarily bad but a new cras