Group known as isis is about to face a big setback taking control of tikrit. The battle raged for days between isis and iraqi forces. Even some americans are on the ground including former military trying to deliver a blow to the group that still controls huge parts of iraq and syria. Nbcs bill neal yea starts us off. Good evening. Good evening, carl. Weve witnessed the fight against isis firsthand today. Weve been with kurdish troops who are pushing isis back and theyre being helped by american volunteers. Iraqi militias are taking on isis and Iraqi Government source told nbc news isis is losing tikrit. Isis is under heavy fire. Rockets and mortars raining down on isis positions. These are iraqi militias armed and backed by iran and spearheading the attack on tikrit. Isis is dug into the city center, and surrounded. The militias are already celebrating, but they wont move in until they get reinforcements. Isis has boobytrapped buildings and roads. Iraqs defense minister is predicting victory, and isis is clearly being pushed back on many fronts. Kurdish troops are making gains. They took us to their front line with isis. From sandbag positions, we saw isis flags flying over two villages the kurds are attacking. Theres been sporadic firing from isis positions here in the last few minutes. But theres no doubt that the momentum of this war is against isis here, and for now. But the history of war in this part of iraq shows that can change, and change quickly. I just get a boom, and i duck down had glass go all over me. Reporter some americans have joined the fight against isis. Micky came from colorado. Not as an official u. S. Adviser, but as a lone volunteer. Im just here to help get rid of isis to hit them where it hurts, in the roots. Is that what youre doing . Thats what were doing. There are people being raped, beheaded enslaved executed thrown off of buildings. Im not cool with that. Reporter jeremy from mississippi is a retired u. S. Soldiers who served in iraq. Hes back another volunteer. How is it as an american to be fighting isis . Its something that needs to be done. Because isis theyre a cancer to the world. If it doesnt stop here, its going to keep on spreading. Reporter they claim more american volunteers are coming to join them as the battle for saddam husseins hometown reaches a decisive moment. Now, those americans insist they have not been sent here by the u. S. Government which has pledged no combat troops here. They say theyre not mercenaries because theyre not being paid. And theyre not terrorists certainly, they say isis are the terrorists who should be confronted here before they threaten the homeland. Back to you, carl. Big kneeley tonight, thanks to you. Incredible video of the little girl saved from the wreckage of a car that crashed into that frigid utah river. Were now seeing the rescue as it unfolded through the eyes of First Responders as they frantically tried to save the life of lily grossbeck. Reporter its a heartstopping look at the nine moments that saved baby lilys life. After she spent 14 hours upside down in a half submerged car. With no hesitation First Responders raced to the wreck, splashing into the icy river. On the body camera video, you realize the 18monthold is inside. Along with her mother who police say died when the car crashed. Straining to get the baby out, they do. Pass her up go go go reporter rescuers moving fast breathing hard. Come on baby. Reporter shes in trouble, and they know it. Shes definitely hypothermic. Reporter they sprint to the ambulance where they try to get her blood circulating. Come on sweetie. Reporter wrapping her in a blanket, performing cpr. Were almost there. Are you getting a pulse . Reporter finally they reach the hospital. The video ends with lily grossbeck in the care of the doctors who helped save her life. Underwater, yes. Reporter its a breathtaking firstperson perspective from the responders who jumped into action. Everybody knew what they had to do. Everybody was in the right position. Everything happened just right. Reporter baby lilys story has captivated the country. Her recovery and her return to her family, safe and healthy. Im just really blessed, and im just glad to have my daughter here with me. Im overwhelmed with joy right now. Shes just a miracle to me. Reporter from start to finish an incredible story of heroism and hope. Holly jackson, nbc news, los angeles. Tonight were learning more about the damage from one of the Pacific Oceans most powerful storms ever cyclone pam has brought casualty and damage with the brunt of the impact felt by a tiny nation just east of australia. Heres our report. Reporter the first images from the battered South Pacific islands of vanuatu, homes ripped apart, trees shredded sailboats shoved ashore. The island slammed by 168mileanhour winds. Glass, windows were smashed. Reporter the United Nations childrens agency said half the population was affected by cyclone pam. More than 100,000 people including 54,000 children. There are unconfirmed reports of remote villages wiped out and dozens dead. The wind was howling through my bedroom. My bed is against the door. Reporter unicef alice clemmons Im Just Holding on for dear life here. All i can do during this is think about people who have absolutely no shelter. This is going to be a horrific humanitarian disaster. We need your help. Reporter the president braced for the worst, is already asking other countries for aid. Im speaking with you today with a heart that is so heavy. Reporter this image from nasa was taken just before the category 5 storm reached the capital. The Pacific Island nation was a vulnerable target, with homes made of wood and tin and few places Strong Enough to survive the storm. With power out and phone lines down the full extent of the damage is not yet clear. The relief agencies are preparing for a major rescue operation. Nbc news, london. Thousands of people have been evacuated in chile, due to an outofcontrol forest fire. Residents scrambled to collect their belongings as the blaze spread. 4,500 people have been evacuated from the area. In this country, for many this weeks rising temperatures have been a welcome relief but thanks to all that record cold and snow the warmer weather has also caused a major problem flooding. Hereses ins stephanie gosk. Reporter what happens when you take all that ice and then add all this rain. Rivers cant handle the pressure. In vermillion ohio the water is spilling over the banks and it keeps rising. The high waters closing roads and invading homes. It came inside my house, about three feet in my house, destroyed everything. Reporter the peak is expected tomorrow morning when the river could reach six feet above flood stage. Im terrified. Yeah i am pretty scared. Reporter all along major rivers in the eastern third of the u. S. From upstate new york to louisiana, there are flood alerts. The region experienced recordbreaking cold, and now must deal with a potentially dangerous thaw. We havent seen things this bad in a very long time. Reporter river ice can be a formidable enemy, as the temperatures warm ice breaks up and large chunks can easily create jams. The water has no place to go but up over and over its banks. Ice on the move can be destructive. The biggest concerns are for the businesses and the homes directly along the ohio river. Reporter so far this year ohio is feeling the brunt of the thaw. The bitter cold may be over but the winter woes wont let go. Stephanie gosk nbc news new york. The 2016 president ial race hasnt even started yet, but two of the countrys top potential candidates are engaged in a political showdown. As jeb bush continues to hit Hillary Clinton for her use of personal email while secretary of state, hes finding himself at the center of a similar controversy. Nbc News White House correspondent Kristen Welker has the latest. Reporter jeb bush making his first 2016 foray to New Hampshire. He found himself quickly on defense. We complied with the law. Reporter having to explain using a personal email account when he was floridas governor after he criticized Hillary Clinton for using her personal email when she was secretary of state. Weve now made all of my emails long before mrs. Clintons issues came up we made them public for you to see. Its totally different. Reporter there you new revelations about clintons emails. Until recently the department of state had no way of saving senior officials emails, suggesting mrs. Clintons emails may have been lost. But clinton insist all of her files have been saved. Those emails would be automatically saved in the state Department System to meet Record Keeping requirements. That indeed is what happened. Reporter still, the email flap is a distraction for both potential candidates. Hillary clinton and jeb bush actually launched their campaign that would by them both substantive things to talk about. Reporter the race inside the gop is heating up with other potential gop contenders descending on New Hampshire today. Wisconsin Governor Scott walker tried to burnish his conservative credentials, suggesting unlike president obama, he could support sending american troops to fight isis. Im not proposing to engage fullscale boots op the ground but im not taking that off the table. Reporter Tea Party Favorite ted cruz and former Texas Governor rick perry are also paying a visit this weekend. According to independent voters who make New Hampshire the first in the nations primary so critical. Walker also rejected criticism that he flipflopped on key issues like abortion. For example, today walker said hes still pro life. Walker also took a swipe at bush saying the party needs a, quote, name from the future to win. A sign that even though the New Hampshire primary is about a year away the race is on. Carl. Were learning in the past few minutes a united regional jet had to make an Emergency Landing this afternoon at chicagos ohare airport. Despite the incident no injuries were reported. When nightly news continues on this saturday why are so many homes in colorado suddenly exploding. And later, teens taking to the water to learn lifes lessons. [ r b slow jam playing ] yeah, girl you know, ive been thinking about us and, uh, i just cant fight it anymore its bundle time bundle mm, feel those savings, baby and thats how a home and auto bundle is made. Better he learns it here than on the streets. The miracle of bundling now, thats progressive. Ugh. Heartburn. Did someone say burn . Try alka seltzer reliefchews. They work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. Mmm. Amazing. Yeah, i get that a lot. Alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. Enjoy the relief. Meet the worlds newest Energy Superpower. Surprised . In fact, america is now the worlds number one natural gas producer. And we could soon become number one in oil. Because Hydraulic Fracturing Technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. Supporting millions of new jobs. Billions in tax revenue. And a new century of American Energy security. The new Energy Superpower . Its red, white and blue. Log on to learn more. A different kind of marijuana boom is hitting colorado. Home explosions. Ever since the sale of recreational pot became legal last year authorities have been dealing with blasts caused by the production of hash oil. A new and dangerous effort to produce a more potent form of pot. Our report tonight from nbcs gabe gutierrez. Fire in the hole reporter its an explosive problem. One that can tear through a home in an instant. Captain Siegfried Cline with the Aurora Fire Department organized this demonstration to show how butane can ignite when amateurs use it to extract hash oil from marijuana plants. A new and dangerous effort to produce a more concentrated form of pot. At home. And thats the attraction. The purity. Its got a more potent high from it. Reporter windows blown out, kitchens ripped apart. In 2013 colorado saw just 12 of these explosions. But last year that number jumped to 32. Dozens of people have been hospitalized. Amazingly, no one has died. That goes up in a split second. Very fast. Very quick. Its not going to allow people to get out of the area in time. Reporter here at the state capital no one would argue that the Hash Oil Extraction isnt dangerous, but given that colorado voters have legalized marijuana, the question is is it a crime. I think some districts believe we can already prosecute people for trying to create hash oil at home. Reporter the governors socalled marijuana czar supports lawmakers who are right now trying to regulate hash oil processing. But some feel this is a civil issue, not a criminal one. We voted on it. Its legal. It shouldnt be in the criminal system. Reporter paul is charged with arson and manufacturing marijuana, after one of these explosions in denver. Hes pleaded not guilty. The people were doing this were following colorado law, and accidents do happen. But in this country, an accident does not mean that a crime has necessarily occurred. Reporter either way, police and firefighters here are on alert. Is this one of then intended consequences of Marijuana Legalization exploding houses . Yeah it is. Its a very dangerous consequence. Reporter a consequence no one expected during colorados marijuana boom. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news, denver. When we come back nerd alert. One more reason to love pie today. woman the constipation and belly pain feel tight like a vise. How can i ease this pain . man when i cant go, its like rocks piling up. I wish i could find some relief. announcer ask your doctor about linzess a oncedaily capsule for adults with ibs with constipation or chronic idiopathic constipation. Linzess is thought to help calm painsensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. It helps you proactively manage your symptoms. Do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. It may harm them. Dont take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. Get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain especially with bloody or black stools. The most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. If its severe stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. Other side effects include, gas, stomacharea pain and swelling. Bottom line, ask your doctor about linzess today. What makes thermacare different . Two words it heals. How . With heat. Unlike creams and rubs that mask the pain, thermacare has patented heat cells that penetrate deep to increase circulation and accelerate healing. Lets review heat, plus relief, plus healing, equals thermacare. The proof that it heals is you. The Hoover Floormate deluxe. Washes. Scrubs. Dries. Floormate deluxe. Starting at one thirty nine. Hows this for a birthday celebration. Greatgrand mother georgina turned 100 this week and celebrated by jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. This is the third sky dive for the South African native. She completed her first jump at the tender age of 92. A birds stunning flight from the worlds tallest building was captured on video today, thanks to a small camera placed on the eagles back. The birdseye view recorded the flight as the bird flew from the top of the skyscraper in dubai to his trainer standing on the ground 2,700 feet below. Math lovers and foodies alook have a reason to celebrate today. March 14th, otherwise known as pi today. It has a special significance this year. Kevin tibbles has more on what all the fuss is about. Reporter using the theory of smellatith weve determined who is your mamas pie shop in chicago is the perfect way to celebrate. Yes, folks, its pie day. Lots of offices do big pie day parties, like 15 pies 17 pie orders. Reporter but pie day is not named for the treats concocted here. Its for the mathematical delight, pi spelled simply pi, or this greek letter and its kept number crunchers munching for mill enya. Take any circle no matter what size, and divide the length around it by the length across it and you always end up with the same number. 3. 1415 and on and on for infinity. Pretty cool says university of chicago mathematician amy wilkinson. What we would call fundamental constant. It comes up in everything you do in mathematics. You cant get away from pi. You cannot escape pi. Pi is always there. Reporter the Massachusetts Institute of technology put out this video, telling applicants they could log in on pi day 3 14 15 at 9 26 to see if they were accepted. Students count down to the moment of pi. Of course here in chicago, what would pi day be without deep dish. At my pie pizza, a slice and a drink today will cost you 3. 14, of course. And our facebook friends are sending out all kinds of pie filler to show how theyre celebrating. Pi deserves a day. Especially if its pumpkin. Reporter so do the math, and have a slice. 3. 1415 wont come around again for another 100 years. Kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. When we come back a swim Team Making Waves in more ways than one. Wow, ive been claritin clear for 10 days when your allergies start, doctors recommend taking one nondrowsy claritin every day during your allergy season for continuous relief. 18 days 17 days 22 days of continuous relief. Live claritin clear. Every day. In Small Business you have to work hard, know your numbers, and stay focused. I was determined to create new york citys first selfserve frozen yogurt franchise. And now you have 42 locations. The more i put into my business the more i get out of it. Like 5x your rewards when you make select business purchases with your ink plus card from chase. And with ink, i choose how to redeem my points for things like cash or travel. Hows the froyo . Just peachy. Literally. Ink from chase. So you can. Fact. When you take advil you get relief right at the site of pain. Wherever it is. Advil stops pain right where it starts. Relief doesnt get any better than this. Advil. We end tonight with a story of a swim team. There are a lot of those, but this one isnt made up of elite athletes and theyre accomplishing what many wouldnt dare to try. Theyre succeeding out of the water, too. Heres nbcs almaguer. Reporter the swim team the zombie patrol beat the sunrise and the sea lions to the ocean. The waters here a bonechilling 60 degrees. They faced it headon three days a week. This is no ordinary swim and these students will tell you theyre no ordinary teens. Youve got to know mentally that youre going to be able to do this. Reporter the 14 students coping with everything from autism to behavioral issues to learning disabilities put all of that behind when they hit the open waters. I hadnt been in a bathing suit for the past like i dont know two years. Reporter Betsy Lindbergh who battled a severe eating disorder now has the confidence to do what most would never dare. Feeling of empowerment. Once i never thought i would do this. Reporter coming to this cove for over a year now, their rigorous training is paying off. Last june the teens swam the waters off alcatraz followed by a relay race that lasted 12 hours off catalina island. The team is just getting started. Their biggest challenge is still ahead, a 21mile relay at the english channel. With each stroke in every swim lives are changing like 16yearold laura. I remember when i first went to alcatraz i went over to my mom and i just cried of the she was like whats wrong . I was saying im just so happy. Words cannot describe how proud i am of her. Shes healthy, shes happy. Reporter their strict discipline carries over to the classroom, where the students at arch academy attend year round have to agree to stay off social media, and where no dating is allowed. Its founder said it gives struggling students the structure they need to thrive. Its really about reaching kids who havent been able to be reached in other places that theyve been. Reporter back in the open ocean, the students have proven theres no limit to what they can achieve. We did it reporter winners in the water, and now in life. Miguel almaguer, nbc news, san diego. That is nbc nightly news for this saturday. Im carl reporting from new york. From all of us here at nbc news, good night. Announcer the following is a paid advertisement for omega xl. My names larry king. A few years ago, i had to have openheart surgery. When i recovered, i established the Larry King Cardiac Foundation to help people like me avoid heart problems with proper foods medication, and a healthy lifestyle. Well, i recently met ken meares, a man with similar goals. Hes the founder and c. E. O. Of great healthworks and, for 25 years, has been active in creating and promoting good health. Well, ken has developed and tested a product called omega xl. Now, weve all heard about the benefits of a daily dose of fish oil, but they tell me that omega xl takes a giant leap forward towards maintaining good health. Now, were also gonna speak to dr. Sharon mcquillan, a boardcertified in family practice, specializing in antiaging and preventative medicines. When we return, the doctor and ken will explain how omega xl can help you. Announcer if youve been living in pain and youre tired of trying products that just dont work, you are not alone. Today, 1. 5 billion people worldwide are living in chronic pain. Dont let pain deny you the life you deserve. Join hundreds of thousands of