destroyed. most of the historic town of lahaina wiped out. and now an investigation into the emergency alert system, with residents telling us they had little to no warning of the raging fire. many now lining up for a chance to return home. some are finding a wasteland where their houses once stood. we meet a mother and daughter searching through the ruins. a family that may have lost four members. and a pregnant woman who fled the flames, due to have her baby any day, desperate for a steady place to stay. we're following the massive relief effort under way. donations pouring into maui. neighbors racing to help each other. gio benitez standing by. and our team coverage across maui. also in our news tonight, millions on alert for extreme weather. damaging hail in the midwest. severe storms sweeping into the east. including possible tornadoes. blistering heat as the pacific northwest braces for a dangerous heat wave. a deadly home explosion. the flames spreading to other homes in the neighborhood. tonight, the search for victims and a cause. the major faceoff in iowa. the gop presidential candidates courting voters. rachel scott with former president donald trump, boasting about his big lead. and ron desantis on what he needs to do to catch up. new questions after police looking for suspects in a hit and run arrest a man as he holds his baby inside an applebee's restaurant. the actual suspects hiding in a restroom. damar hamlin's amazing comeback. his return to the nfl months after suffering cardiac arrest on the football field. and maui strong. an island battered, but not defeated. from abc news, this is a special edition of "world news tonight," reporting tonight from maui. >> whit: good evening. thank you for joining us on this saturday night. i'm whit johnson, on the ground in hawaii tonight. at the scene of what is now the deadliest natural disaster in the state's history. the staggering toll, at least 80 people now confirmed dead, but that number is expected to climb, with hundreds still unaccounted for. once vibrant communities reduced to rubble and ashes. many comparing the scenes to a war zone. the state attorney general now opening an investigation into maui's alert system after complaints that there wasn't enough warning for people to escape the flames. many still desperately searching for missing loved ones. and four days after the disaster, we're hearing the harrowing stories of survival. this woman managed to survive eight hours in the water, and is now helping others at a shelter. over 80% of the nearly 3,000 buildings exposed to the fire were damaged or destroyed. and most of those were residential. leaving thousands homeless and an urgent need of shelter. disaster officials saying today that the cost of rebuilding maui county could exceed $5 billion. we have team coverage tonight. the devastation, the relief efforts, and the hope across the island. tonight, hawaii's raging wildfires are now the deadliest natural disaster in state history. at least 80 lives lost on maui, and officials are confident that number will rise. the attorney general announcing a comprehensive review of maui's evacuation policies, including systems for notifying residents to get out during emergencies. notifications many here say they never received. it's been only four days since firestorms, fueled by hurricane-force winds, torched entire swaths of this island paradise. and the efforts to contain those wildfires still continuing. we're in the kula neighborhood already ravaged by fire. and you can see the water-dropping helicopters working around the clock to still put out hotspots. for many who've fled the disaster zones, still an agonizing search for housing and supplies. did you guys get any alerts that a fire was coming towards your neighborhood? >> we didn't have any alerts about the fire. we just knew about the storm. >> whit: kevin campbell and his fiance tasha anderson, who is nine months pregnant, had no time to pack any belongings, as the smoke and flames roared towards their lahaina home. >> we grabbed our dog and the cat and our passports and friends. >> whit: the couple is now desperately searching for a steady place to live. tasha's doctor telling her their baby boy is due any day. >> doctor said yesterday he feels like he could come any time this week, just because of the stress. >> whit: this is a photo of their destroyed home. only a melted roof laying flat on the ground. historic lahaina town now a hellscape. our will carr getting an up-close look. >> reporter: the fire burning not only this courthouse, but also the historic banyan tree behind it, the tree that everybody comes to see. it's the largest in the united states, 150 years old. the flames burning everything on this block. >> whit: nearly 1,900 homes are damaged or destroyed, according to officials. just outside lahaina, some residents are frustrated that they can't return to their homes after being told they could. our melissa adan is there. >> reporter: hundreds and hundreds of cars are lined up along the road waiting for that opportunity to go back to their communities. it's been four days, and they're awaiting a grim journey to see what's left of their homes. >> i feel 100% that the county officials and the police and the fire department have blood on their hands. there's no way that those poor people who were stuck in lahaina did not deserve better communication. >> whit: and it wasn't only lahaina. flames from a different wildfire, 20 miles away, ripping through homes here in kula. >> i think that's my stove right there. that was my kitchen. >> whit: akane joseph and her mother mika fleeing with their family as the fire exploded in size. >> we had, like, maybe five minutes? >> whit: five minutes? you had five minutes to gather your family and get out. >> yeah. >> whit: akane's father spent decades slowly building this multi-generational home with his bare hands. this video shows the two-story house before the fire, made of eucalyptus and redwood. now, it's all gone. >> it felt like safety, and it felt like home. and, you know, there are things you think you'll always have. you know, like, things you think you'll give to your children. you know, pictures. you know, pictures of my parents. like, i grabbed one wedding picture of my parents from my wallet. i felt silly doing it, because i was like, we're going to come back. and now it's the only one i have. >> whit: but in their family and their community, they find strength and hope. >> this is done. so, nothing we can change. can't go back. but we have to go on. >> whit: that family, like so many here, insisting they will rebuild. now, to an incredible story of survival, and the urgent race to bring relief to maui. here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, one woman's harrowing escape from the fire, in the water, and clinging to a wall for more than seven hours. analise cochran telling me she is lucky to be alive. so, how did you survive? >> i climbed over the sea wall into the ocean and while the fire was happening and the cars were exploding, we would duck into the water and put our mouths as close to the surface as we could so we could breathe. >> reporter: we met today at a shelter, where she's now helping out and giving back. >> i've had a lot of people questioning, like, why are you helping people at the shelter, why you are giving at a time when you're hurt, and i don't feel hurt. i feel so blessed. other people are hurt. people lost family, they lost generational houses. i'm lucky i have a family that's going to support me through this, and so, it's my time to give back to my community. >> reporter: she is part of a community coming together amid a critical need. families helping to unload supplies for those who have lost everything. sorting through boxes of donations, from clothes to fresh produce. we drove along with rex sarbida of the maui food bank, as he delivered a truckload of supplies to a prep school turned aid center. we meet another man who's lived on the island all of his life, hyland corden, who's clearly moved by the outpouring. >> and as you're driving out, you're going to see a lot more of it, all the trucks coming in and all that. so, nothing but aloha, that's all you see. >> reporter: this is just an incredible scene here. you see students, their parents, teachers, everyone coming together to get everything from baby wipes to fruits and vegetables to snacks. everything right here in a time of need. everyone pitching in, trying to fill the immense need. and whit, right now, we are at the biggest relief center here in maui. you can just see all of those donations right there. and no doubt about it, these folks here say, they will not give up. they know that the next few months and even years will be very challenging, but they are relying on that true spirit of aloha to give them strength. whit? >> whit: absolutely. and so many people offering support in any way they can. thank you. we'll have much more from maui later on in the show, including ways that you can help make a difference. but we do turn now to other news, and the severe thunderstorms threatening millions in the east. a tornado watch issued for parts of ohio, pennsylvania, and new york. lighting may have caused this apartment fire in a suburb of nashville, tennessee. one firefighter was critically injured battling the flames. large hail hitting parts of minnesota and iowa, as powerful storms roll through. and millions on alert for dangerous heat. let's get to abc's meteorologist samarra theodore. and samarra, where are the biggest trouble spots right now? >> reporter: good evening, whit. that's right. saturday night plans will be disrupted from huntsville, alabama, to cleveland, ohio, all due to damaging winds, as well as large hail. but take a look at this. so, we are looking at an elevated risk that lies in the northeast for much of pennsylvania and upstate new york, isolated tornadoes are possible. tomorrow, the threat persists from texas to tennessee with a new system moving in. all this while high humidity means triple-digit feel-like temperatures in the south, and heat building to record status in the northwest. in fact, by monday, temperatures could be as high as 105 degrees in portland, oregon. and you know, heat this rare is very extreme in areas in the northwest, which could prove to be very dangerous. whit? >> whit: samarra theodore, thank you. next tonight, a deadly and fiery home explosion near pittsburgh this morning. at least one person is dead and several others unaccounted for. flames from the blast destroying or damaging nearby homes. emergency responders searching the rubble tonight for survivors. here's abc's jaclyn lee. >> reporter: tonight, a fatal home explosion rocking this pittsburgh suburb, flattening buildings and scattering debris across the neighborhood. >> this is the worst i've seen in 47 years, just due to the amount of damage. >> reporter: authorities in plum, pennsylvania, responding to reports of the blast just before 10:30 a.m. local time. >> report of multiple people buried under debris and at least one surviving victim. all units requesting fire department step up. >> reporter: firefighters arriving on-scene to find three homes engulfed in flames and dozens of nearby structures damaged. late today, authorities confirming at least one person was killed in the incident. three others rushed to the hospital for treatment. one in critical condition. officials say there are several others still unaccounted for. >> i heard this boom. it was so loud that it woke me up. i thought it was thunder from the storm last night. i was shaking, it scared me so bad. >> reporter: the blast so loud it could be heard at this youth baseball game roughly a mile away. >> what the hell was that? >> reporter: whit, officials say the fire from the blast has been contained, and there is no further risk to the area. the cause of the home explosion is under investigation. whit? >> whit: all right, jaclyn lee reporting for us tonight, thank you. now, to the race for the white house, and a critical day for presidential hopefuls at the iowa state fair. former president donald trump and florida governor ron desantis holding competing events, 11 days from the first gop primary debate. abc's rachel scott has more from iowa. >> reporter: today, donald trump and his closest rival, ron desantis, facing off at one of the most crucial political litmus tests, the iowa state fair. the florida governor still struggling to chip away at trump's commanding lead, was heckled on stage. >> what you're hearing and seeing across iowa. >> reporter: a plane over the fairgrounds even flying a banner teasing, "be likable, ron." and as desantis stopped to flip pork chops and burgers, voters chanted for his opponent. >> we love trump! we love trump! >> reporter: how do you close the gap with the former president? >> i think iowans want to see you, they want to be able to kick the tires, and they want to know that you'll fight for them as president. >> reporter: trump today making it personal, arriving with florida republicans who support him over their own governor. >> governor desantis is more like-minded, to where i think he can bring the united states together as a people. we don't need division, and that's kind of what trump does right now. >> we do know he can do the job. we just don't want to put up with all the controversy with him. >> reporter: the former president now bracing for a possible fourth indictment in georgia, and could be on trial in a separate case starting january 2nd, two weeks before the iowa caucuses. trump has denied any wrongdoing. can you hold onto your lead here in iowa? are you concerned about spending more time in a courtroom than campaigning? >> we have the biggest lead anyone's ever seen. >> reporter: trump leads desantis in iowa by 24 points in a recent "new york times"/siena college poll. no other candidate has double-digit support, including former vice president mike pence, still challenged by voters about certifying the 2020 election on january 6th. >> you're a traitor! >> i kept my oath to the constitution of the united states. and i'm confident that, in time, even people that didn't understand that then, may not understand it now, are going to come around. >> whit: rachel scott joining us now from the iowa state fair, and rachel, the caucuses, just five months away, but many candidates see this as an opportunity to test their message, especially before that debate. >> reporter: exactly, whit. several candidates have told me they see the timing of the iowa state fair as pivotal. it's an opportunity for them to test their message before that critical debate, now less than two weeks away. eight candidates have made the debate stage, but still unclear if the former president will participate. whit? >> whit: rachel scott on the campaign trail, thank you. new details tonight on the arrest of a man in kenosha, wisconsin, taken down and pepper sprayed at an applebee's restaurant while holding his baby. he's now facing charges. here's abc's morgan norwood. >> get the baby, get the baby, get the baby! >> reporter: tonight, authorities in kenosha, wisconsin, launching an investigation after video shows officers tackling a man with a baby in his arms as they search for hit and run suspects. >> a female black that's running, she has a baby with her. >> reporter: police say they were looking for a black man and a woman carrying a child back in july when officers entered this applebee's. according to a criminal complaint, the staff had reported a group matching that description inside the restaurant who "appeared nervous." officers approaching jermelle english jr., who was with his fiance and their baby, when police say english refused to answer the officers' questions. they detained him. english's baby still clinging to his shirt. >> we're not squeezing you. >> let me the [ bleep ] go! yes, you is! >> reporter: employees grabbing the child just moments before an officer strikes english. kenosha police say the officers also deployed pepper spray, but add, "the child was not in the immediate area when pepper spray was used so wasn't directly exposed. it's hard to say if the child was affected due to any particulates in the air." >> i just felt bad for the baby. >> reporter: applebee's manager jennifer harris later telling abc news that police found those hit and run suspects hiding in the restaurant's bathroom. tonight, though english was not involved in the crash, he still faces charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an arrest. >> i think they still felt like what they did to the first couple was justifiable, because he didn't answer their questions. >> reporter: whit, the kenosha police department says it's reviewing the incident to determine if the officers involved acted appropriately. applebee's says they're cooperating with that investigation, adding, the safety and well-being of its guests and team members is a top priority. whit? >> whit: morgan norwood, thank you. and there is growing outrage tonight after lansing, michigan, police detained a 12-year-old child while he was taking out the trash. the boy seen in handcuffs in this viral video. the police chief later apologizing for the incident, calling it an unfortunate case of wrong place, wrong time. police releasing this side-by-side photo, saying the teen matched the description of a suspect in a string of car thefts. we're following breaking news, as well, from arlington, virginia, tonight. multiple people have been rushed to hospitals, including a police officer, after several crashes on interstate 395. reports from the scene say a truck slammed into several vehicles. police say the driver then stole an ambulance and was chased down by officers. that driver now in custody. next tonight, a u.s. marine has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor at camp pendleton in california. this follows discovery of a missing 14-year-old girl at the base barracks in june. the marine, who has not been identified, could face a court martial. a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week. there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this saturday. he once joked on a game show about regretting his marriage. now he's been sentenced for murdering his wife. stay with us. rted. it's... the side hug. tween milestones like this may start at age 9. hpv vaccination—a type of cancer prevention against certain hpv-related cancers, can start then too. for most, hpv clears on its own. but for others, it can cause certain cancers later in life. you're welcome! now, as the “dad cab”, it's my cue to help protect them. embrace this phase. help protect them in the next. ask their doctor today about hpv vaccination. life, diabetes. each day is a unique blend of going, doing, and living. glucerna protein smart with 30 grams of protein to help keep you moving. uniquely designed with carbsteady to help manage blood sugar response. glucerna, bring on the day. bug spray works best... when your family actually wears it. ♪ get odor-free eight hour protection from mosquitoes and ticks without the ick. zevo on-body repellent. people love it. bugs hate it. ♪ when you have chronic kidney disease... there are places you'd like to be. like here. and here. not so much here. if you have chronic kidney disease, farxiga can help you keep living life. ♪ farxiga ♪ and farxiga reduces the risk of kidney failure, which can lead to dialysis. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, urinary tract or genital yeast infections in women and men, and low blood sugar. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may lead to death. a rare life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. farxiga can help you keep living life. ask your doctor for farxiga for chronic kidney disease. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ farxiga ♪ next t next tonight, an illinois man who once joked on tv about regretting his marriage has been given three life sentences for the murder of his wife. timothy bliefnick made his joke while appearing on "family feud" in 2020. he said nothing at his sentencing on friday. bliefnick's wife rebecca was shot multiple times at her home in february. the couple had three young sons. still ahead here tonight, the comeback story of the year. damar hamlin returns to the football field. these hands used to hold me as a little girl. would comfort me. but now, they've become aggressive. this mouth used to sing me lullabies. now, it's unrecognizable. if your loved one with alzheimer's dementia has become agitated, it's not their fault. they could have agitation in alzheimer's dementia, which can cause behavior beyond their control. help your loved one. learn more at agitationinalz.com. doors can lead us toward what's important. your dedicated fidelity advisor can help you open those doors. by working with you on a retirement-income plan designed to balance growth and guaranteed income. because doors were meant to be opened. want luxury hair repair that doesn't cost $50? 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