here's rob marciano. >> reporter: tonight, 43 wildfires in the southeast burning across 8 states, investigators saying some of those fires were intentionally set and already making arrests. including 21-year-old johnny mullins, who allegedly confessed he set the fire in eastern kentucky to draw attention to his facebook page. here warning people to be aware of flames, now facing a felony arson charge. smoke from the fires fanning out hundreds of miles. spreading a haunting haze across the southern sky. >> the smoke almost blocks out the sun. >> reporter: in lake lure, north carolina, this brush fire engulfing the entire hillside, forcing some families to flee their homes. >> it's devastating and heartbreaking. >> rob marciano joins us now. any rain on the way for south? >> there is some rain in the southeast, but not for the fire zone. it's close, in the carolinas, but the fires are in the dry air. it's going to go up the east coast, and tomorrow, along the i-95, not a lot of rain. but through the next five or eight days, not much rain coming >>> and the first responders describing that horrify

. >>> let's get right out to rob marciano. where i where is it heading next? >> it's in northern new england, but what's remarkable, how much snow has fallen away from the lake effect snow zone. it's still coming down in parts of the hudson valley. albany, over a foot of snow. piling up along i-80. here's what's going on with windchills. tomorrow, 23 in cincinnati. 28 in atlanta. so, a cold blast of winter after what's been a pretty mild fall. dan? >> rob, thank you. >>> adding insult to injury for any traveler worried about this, workers in chicago's o'hare airport are strike. here now, gloria riviera. >> reporter: tonight, fears an already hectic travel season could be even worse. 2,000 employees working at major hub, chicago o'hare, from baggage handlers to cleaning crews, are poised to strike over low wages. in a statement, american airlines said, "we are working to ensure there is no disruption to our operation." this thanksgiving aaa is hit the road. nearly 49 million travelers in all. passengers hoping epic lines like last spring aren't in their future.

. >>> let's get right to rob marciano with the track of this thing. >> it's a powerful, pattern-busting storm. severe storms, and rain turns to wind-driven snow and lake effect snow. warnings up for western new york already. lakes. will feel like the teens in chicago and pittsburgh, 20s in d.c. and atlanta. a rude awakening after a mild fall. david? >> thank you. >>> next tonight, chaos on a highway after a school bus driver loses control. at least 23 students among the injured tonight. two with critical injuries. this evening, the investigation. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: this was supposed to be a scholastic achievement trip for dozens of high school students from chester county, tennessee. but instead tonight, 23 of them are recovering from injuries on the highway, after one of their school buses lost control exiting onto this offramp. >> and it flipped back over to the left side and it turned over. >> reporter: first responders outside nashville needed a long line of stretchers. students who weren't hurt stood together, and prayed for those who were. there were three buses t

. >>> let's go right now to meteorologist rob marciano along the west side highway tonight, tracking the storms. rob? >> reporter: hey, byron. traffic is heavy here, but it's dry across the east coast. not going to last, though. we've got a large system that stretches from canada all the way to mexico. look at the radar. some wet snow across the noern great lakes. heavy rain from detroit back to chicago, south to i-70. and thunderstorms this morning across texas have weakened along interstate 10. tomorrow, that front moves off to the east, but kind of weakens. winter precip into western safe travels to everyone on this holiday. byron? >> rob, thank you so much. >>> next, president-elect donald trump and his family have already made their holiday getaway. arriving last night at the airport in palm beach, florida. they're spending thanksgiving at their mar-a-lago resort. for mr. trump, it is also a working holiday. he's named two new members of his cabinet. abc's mary bruce is in palm beach tonight. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump's luxury mar-a-lago resort, now a secure florida for

so, let's get right to rob marciano, tracking it all for us. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. another day here in the northeast of soaking rain. but the rough stuff is in the south. so, we begin there. severe line of thunderstorms a tornado warning out right now for charlotte, north carolina, a dangerous situation there. you certainly want to be taking cover. and these storms roll all the way down to florida. with the bad has come the good. five inches of record-breaking rain in knoxville. some of that getting into the fire zone, helping that situation for sure. tomorrow morning, the heavy rain moving into the northeast. wintry precip in through maine and heavy rain through boston. by tomorrow, it moves offshore, and finally, some quiet weather for two days. that will be good. david? >> rob marciano, thank tonight after that deadly plane crash. the horrific scene, that team celebrating a cinderella season, then almost every one of them dying on that flight. the charter flight going down in bad weather in colombia, with that brazilian soccer team on-board. this video from their

marciano, tracking it all for us. >> reporter: hi, david. another day here in the northeast of soaking rain. south.e rough stuff isn the soe begithere. thats.a tornado warning out rig for charlotte, north carolin a dangerous situation there. you certainly want t be takin cover. and these storms roll all the way down to fla. with the bad has come the good. fi inches of record-breaking rainknoxville. some of that getting into the re zone, helping that situation for sure. tomorrow morning, the heavy rai moving into the northeast. wintry precip in through maine and heavy rain through boston. by tomoow, it moves offshore, and finally, some quiet weather for two days. that will be good. >>> we also have new reporting tonight after that deadly plane crash. the horrific scene, that tea celebrating a cinderella season, then almost every one of them dying on that flight. thehagh gng in bad weather in colombia, with that brazili soccer team -boa this veo fmir sco knee we are now hearing recordingsf thes desper wordsn the final moments. here's abc's dav