they say they are here until the morning -- first morning light just to make sure there are no hot spots that flare up. the good news from fulton street is that this fire was put under control around 12:30 this morning. so, i'm told by people who are here at the scene that eight total row homes have been devastated. from those eight row homes, seven families were living here, a total of 23 people are right now being assisted by the red cross in terms of food, shelter and lodging. again, there is one engine on scene. this fire broke out just after 8:00 last night and the flames quickly spread through the entire block. so much so that the allentown fire department had to quickly call for backup. dozens of firefighters were on scene fighting the blaze. we'll have another update and show you more video from the scene at 5:00. reporting live in allentown, katy zachry, nbc10. we brought you breaking news last night. one man died in the fire in cobbs creek at 64th and callow hill. witnesses heard a loud boom before the flames broke out. firefighters found compressed gas cylinders in the building which likely ignited and also found the body of a man in a second floor apartment. >> unfortunately, an outcome we would not have wish and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. >> the guy who lived there are breathing problems. >> some families who evacuated their homes were returned after the flames died down. recount push for election recount in pen pep. that's just a fraction of the precincts across the state. the green party is calling for recounts in pennsylvania. a court hearing on the statewide recount is set for monday. lawyers for donald trump are blocking a recount that was set to start today in michigan. a recount is already under way in wisconsin. president-elect trump won all three of those states. from our delaware bureau, wilmington's fire department is mourning one of their own. artie hope, one of three firefighters who died battling flames at this row home in september. hope was listed in icu and listed in critical but stable condition earlier this week. captain christopher leech and lieutenant were two others killed in the fire. one other firefighter left the hospital last month. police arrested a woman in the case who is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and arson. she lived in the home with her father and stepmother. she admitted to setting the fire. critics say a wilmington policy of temporarily closing fire houses on a rotating bases put the firefighters in greater danger. this morning we're getting a look at more pictures and video the fbi calls a person of interest in a center city home last month. police caught this man on surveillance cameras on pine and lombard streets two days before the blast. someone left a package containing an explosive at jim aldon's home, leaving him with shrapnel scars on his hands, face and chest. >> this device was a very dangerous device, a disruptive device, caused significant injury to the person and could have resulted in death. so, obviously, we're taking this very seriously. >> philadelphia police are offering a $10,000 reward in this case. they say the victim was targeted but they still don't know why. high schools in ocean county have a new tool to prevent drug overdose. nurses are armed with narcan nasal spray kits. they got training, which can reverse overdoses from heroine and other opioids. school nurses say it's something they never imagined they would need. >> frightening. i've been a school nurse for 20 years and i've never seen anything like this. >> some schools in pennsylvania and delaware already carry narcan. happening today, hundreds of middle school students in camden county will get a taste of high school theater 101. eighth graders interested in singing or theater will take a field trip to see "the miracle worker" on stage. it's to mentor rising freshmen just getting interested in on or off stage careers. the director says it's an exciting way for students to experience live theater. >> high school theater program is all about building confidence. they'll ask very poignant questions about the content of whatever show they just saw. coming up in our next half hour, you'll hear from students participating in this program. cracking down on tow trucks across philadelphia. ahead, find out why city council wants to change the way companies operate. plus, learn what that could mean for your car or truck. also staying warm for less. hear about a temporary rate cut for national gas customers in philadelphia. it is a temporary heat cut we're feeling this morning. it's colder outside. about 15 to 20 degrees colder than yesterday. 41 degrees in the city, but many suburbs are in the 30s. neighborhood forecast is just ahead. good morning. jessica boying ton with a check on the roads. our checking on the i-95, betsy ross bridge and we're seeing lane closures. you can see the right side blocked. a slowdown moving through the construction joan this morning. watching 95 and the northeast extension of the pa turnpike. we're seeing on-ramp stoppages around lansdale. that on-ramp was stopping every couple minutes or so to move through a project. also watching that construction on the skrine street expressway, both directions closed between broad street and schuylkill this morning, so you might see slowdowns. right now it doesn't look like it's reflected on our map but it's closed between those two points. local vine is a great alternate for you. no big problems or delays, as you can see. eastbound into center city, a 12-minute trip from vine street and speeds in mid-60s. more updates in ten. 41 degrees. look at this. we have ice. the rain that fell yesterday, a huge puddle at penn's landing. it's frozen and we'll be there for the free lighting. you can come down or tune in. this morning, you have to bundle up because the temps are in the 30s and low 40s. we will see sunshine, but it will be a bit breezy. it will struggle to get near 50 degrees this afternoon. a cold breeze blowing this evening for the christmas tree lighting. it will feel like it's in the 30s this evening. wind at 9 mild an hour. not a strong wind but that wind will be picking up. sunshine will warm from the low 40s to near 50 degrees this afternoon in philadelphia. 36 degrees in the suburbs. still cold at 8:00. into middle 40s this afternoon. winds out of the northwest. lehigh valley a westerly breeze will limit the upper 40s. at 2:00, 48 degrees. a long way to go before we get there, at 36 degrees. that goes for new jersey, too, 41 degrees. likely fall into the 30s in many neighborhoods. there is that 8:00 number. back into 40s near 50 degrees so bright sunshine this afternoon. we will see the wind picking up during the afternoon hours. 13-mile-an-hour breeze at 2:00. it will still be going as the sun is getting ready to set. it will feel a lot chillier this evening with that wind blowing. sunshine will be right at the jersey shore. right now clear skies. 33 degrees into low 40s at 8:00. getting so close to the 50-degree mark at 2:00 this afternoon. there are some changes ahead for the weekend. i'll take a look at the weekend forecast when i come back in ten minutes. >> excellent. see you then. 4:41. what's old is new again for the philadelphia phillies. >> a live look at citizens bank park. up next, a fan favorite coming back to the team starting this spring. also, tow truck crackdown. hear by the city of philadelphia wants to change how the men and women who tow your cars do business. philadelphia city council wants to crack down on the action of some private towing companies. council members will vote on two bills next month. one requires police to ticket a car before it is towed away from a private lot or driveway. the other penalizes drivers who don't follow established law after a car accident. >> if the police are called or respond in any way to an accident, the -- only one company, the company that's on the rotational list, can deal with the vehicle. >> some private towing companies are fighting the proposed laws. one business owner told us the bill unfairly targets companies that unfairly follow the rules. state by state and county by county for a look at some stories across our area. today the health network is partnering with cumberland, salem and gloucester county to cut down drug addiction. they will launch in vineland for a drug deactivation product. it can neutralize active chemicals in drugs to be disposed of safely. more than 500 cumberland school kids will be treated to coats for holidays in millville. elementary and middle school students selected by heir school will choose a new winter coat, gloves, hat and scarf. and enjoy a visit with santa. montgomery county trees for troops in lansdale. christmas trees are donated to u.s. military across the u.s. it runs through sunday at buster's. the annual winterfest in newark runs from 6:00 to 8:00 at main and academy streets. you can get into the holiday spirit with christmas tree lighting, snacks and a live visit from santa. in camden county, how about scuba santa. they'll welcome santa at 10:30. he and two elves will arrive on jet skis before plunging into the exhibit at the aquarium. in suffolk county a plan to replenish the shoreline in rohoboth county. it's the equivalent of moving hundreds of dump truckloads of sand but doing it quicker and cheaper. >> we're very fortunate. this is the best quality of sand we've used -- found in the last 15 years. >> there's no timetable yet for completing that project. it looks as if a philly's fan favorite is back on the team. >> sources with csn reports john clark will be a philly's commentator for next season. he was a member of the phil's pennant winner in 1993 and spent eight years with espn as an analyst there. kruk will replace matt stairs, who is the phillies' new hitting coach. philly fans, your two cents. do you like the retro move? share thoughts with us on twitter. our addresses are right there on the screen. 4:47. let's get you to work with a check with jessica boyington with her eyes on 76. >> in gloucester city. we look on the this side, that's headed northbound and the traffic that moves toward philadelphia. our cameras around market street. you can see no big problems or delays. if you are moving to philly, you'll be fine. once you get there we're dealing with construction on vine street expressway, closed in both directions between broad street and schuylkill expressway. local vine is a good alternate to get by that this morning because we have another 10 to 15 minutes or so until that cleans up and gets out of the way. on 22 eastbound from 29 to the schuylkill expressway, average speeds into the 60s with no real increase in that drive time yet. of course, we're about another hour and a half away from that with an eight-minute trip there. more updates when i come back in ten minutes. 12 minutes before 5:00 a.m. on this friday. we could deal with cooler weather because it's dry. >> and it is december after all, right? tell us about the temperatures, bill. >> they are coming down this morning. to make it feel even colder, there it is, the wind is still blowing. check out the flag in front of the art museum this morning. temps have dropped into 30s for lehigh valley. delaware at 40 degrees. south jersey is just shy of the 40-degree mark. milder at the shore. 45 degrees. but there are some neighborhoods at the shore that are colder. in philadelphia, too, that's 41 degrees at philadelphia international. low 40s in center city and into port richmond, fox chase. just a couple degrees colder. just enough to make west mt. airy and bustleton drop into the 30s. temperatures are still coming down. it will be a chilly but sunny start at the bus stop. quakertown, philadelphia, trenton will see 30s at that hour and dry. we'll also see the wind blowing. a few scattered clouds moving through this morning but no sign of any wet weather with the clouds. any showers will stay way to the north. that's a mix of rain and snow showers into western new york. right in the northern edge of pennsylvania. we'll stay dry but the wind, that will stay with us today, too. 14-mile-an-hour winds in philadelphia. just enough to make it feel chilly. it will be nice and sunny, so a nice warm-up today. the wind still around for the first half of the weekend. saturday will be even chillier than today. 49 degrees in philadelphia. low 50s in new jersey. a couple degrees chillier on sunday. the wind will die down. so, actually, it's not going to feel any colder than tomorrow. for today, 50 degrees the high temperature dropping down to 37 tomorrow morning and dry for saturday. breezy so a few clouds will be blowing through the area. turning partly cloudy, clouds 57, after 34 degrees. 50 degrees on monday, some sunshine, but tuesday clouds will be building during the day. i don't think we'll start with rain but later in the day into early wednesday we could see wet weather. 46 degrees the high temperature on tuesday. 53 on wednesday. mostly cloudy skies. then a storm heading into the area with rain for thursday, 56 degrees. that's a cold front that will swing through. look at the temperature drop and wind picking up on friday. 39 degrees. that chill will stay with us next weekend. morning temperatures in the 20s. highs in the very low 40s saturday and sunday. hey, bill, jess kashgs tracy, look at this. >> we're going on a field trip. >> live look at the blue cross river rink on penn's landing. you can see christmas lights there scattered around the rink. in a few hours it will be more festive because tonight at 7:00 we're hosting a live half-hour special as we light the holiday tro tree. >> our family, your family, celebrating the holidays. >> me, tracy, bill henley, jessica boyington, we'll be at blue cross river rink at penn's landing. join us as we broadcast live. if you don't -- >> you can watch us on tv. it will be great. flyers player scores off the ice. we'll tell you who's newly engaged. plus, he was medically evacuated from the south pole yesterday. all new on "nbc10 news" at 5:00 -- new information about how buzz aldrich is doing this morning. also a rate cut just in time for winter. next, hear how much less pgw customers will be paying and why. good morning, everyone. jessica boyington with a quick check on the roads. we're looking at mt. laurel, new jersey, route 73 around i-295, no problems there. if you're running into center steshgs you might run into small delays. the construction on the vine street expressway just starting to lift. that is closing both directions between broad street and schuylkill. i'll have updates on that and more of our majors when i come back. 5 before 5:00. "operation safe holiday" is under way with penndot teaming up with state and local police. the campaign is aimed at cutting down on number of drug and alcohol-impaired crashes, deaths across pennsylvania roadways. they'll use checkpoints, roving patrols and regular safety traffic patrols to keep drivers safe. >> please, don't be dead for christmas. this is the time of year to celebrate with family and friends. but if you've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel of what will be a couple thousand-pound missile going down the street. you could kill yourself. you could kill someone else. >> during the holidays last year, there were nearly 700 impaired driving crashes across pennsylvania. more than a dozen deaths. five minutes before 5:00 a.m. philadelphia gas works customers are getting a three-month break on their bills between now and end of february. pgw is passing along a decrease in the rate it pays for natural gas. if stretched out over the year, the average customer would save $22. pgw cautions it adjusts rates every six months so it may not last a full year. the state will give a pay raise next year to 600 civilian employees at mcguire-dix-lakehurst military base. they say it will offset the cost of living in the new york metropolitan area. a concert starting five finger death punch went off without a hitch after a game for the sixers was canceled because of condensation. crews tried to dry the floor after officials found it too slick to keep players safe. fans sat for an hour before sixers announced their game against the kings would be postponed. >> there's no reason we're sitting at a game and we should have to find out via, you know, the news or on our phones to figure out what's going on and we're sitting in your seats and we spent our money in your stadium. >> the 76ers say tickets for wednesday night's game can be used for the makeup game. no date has been set yet. the team also gave those fans a free ticket to another game. happening today, the last day of the campout for hunger. >> we'll be there this morning. wmmr morning show host preston and steve have hosted the event at xfinity live in south philadelphia all week long. they're collecting nonperishable food which helps to feed thousands of people who are facing hunger in our area. take a look at some video from our visit last year. tracy and i were there with first alert meteorologist sheena parveen. you remember this, tracy? >> oh, yeah, i do. >> left my stomach there last year. we even -- we got to ride at the amusement park. can you hear tracy, bill, preston on preston and steve's show in the 8:00 hour this morning. they told us, by the way, they were here last week, they told us they're going to have more of those rides. if you're up for us -- >> it's they're turn. >> this year? >> we'll cheer them from the ground. >> that's one of the absolute best events we do. >> it is. i just have to say thank you to preston and steve because they've been doing this for 19 years to feed hungry people across the delaware valley. we thank them. >> you're on the board of fill abundance which helps to those folks. more stories we're following on "nbc10 news" at 5:00 a.m. -- a block of row homes burns down in allentown. seven families are out of their home. election recount. we're breaking it down for you. what's happening today in philadelphia, wisconsin and michigan. plus, a thank-you tour. president-elect trump is back in new york today after a surprise announcement about his pick for secretary of defense. good morning. just about 5:00 a.m. welcome to "nbc 10 news today." i'm vai sikahema. >> i'm tracy davidson. we have bill henley with a check of your weather. >> yesterday we saw temperatures in the 50s. we are 15 to 20 degrees colder this morning than yesterday. 37 degrees in the suburbs of new jersey. 34 in lehigh valley. a little breeze at 6 miles an hour will keep temperatures steady at 7:00. the sun will just be coming up at 7:00. 45 degrees at 10:00. wind blowing throughout the day, enough to keep temperatures limited to 50 degrees. that's typical for this time of year. 49 degrees in the suburbs. 52 degrees in new jersey. in the middle 40s for the lehigh valley but with plenty of sunshine. delaware warms to 52 degrees this afternoon. we'll go through the forecast hour by hour when i come back in just ten minute. first, jessica boyington watching your first alert forecast. >> starting on the schuylkill expressway, checking in with drive times. our camera around montgomery drive, no problems or delays. everything is moving along. a 12 of my minute trip from blue route to vine street expressway. checking in with 95. watching for construction in addition to that ongoing construction we've had for several months there. 95 southbound around the betsy ross bridge area and those drive times are still good. you'll have no problem with that right lane. 13 minutes from woodhaven to vine street expressway. route 38 and nixon drive, not a car in sight, so a good drive there as well. breaking news in allentown this morning. a fire that destroyed a block of row homes i