Famous Hollywood actor Dick Van Dyke and his family were saved by their neighbors during the Franklin Fire in Malibu. Van Dyke, who is 98 years old, as well as famous Star Wars actor Mark Hamill’s properties were affected by the fire.
Fires fueled by these winds have destroyed more than 4,000 acres. Firefighters are working day and night to put out the fire which started late on Monday night. Thousands of people have been evacuated to safer places.
Experiences of Dick Van Dyke:
Dick Van Dyke had seen wildfires four times before, but this time he got to experience the shocking form of fire more closely. “This time I missed it,” he said in an interview. “I have a water hose attached to the swimming pool, which throws water 70 feet long. But, it was not ready in time. When I got out, the hose was coiled. I was lying on the ground trying to make it easier, and the fire was coming towards us from the top of the hill.”
Van Dyke said he exhausted himself and forgot his age. “I was out of breath. I was crawling towards the car. But I couldn’t stand,” he added.
Neighbors help:
Van Dyke said that if his three neighbors hadn’t rushed in on time, he and his house might have been badly damaged. The neighbors picked them up and carried them outside and then put out the fire in the guest house of the house. No danger reached their main house.
Safe migration:
Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene, said in a post Tuesday morning that they had relocated to a safe location. They spent the night at a local hotel, but could not take their beloved cat, Bobo. He had informed that Bobo had run away from his house.
“We are praying that Bobo will be safe and that our community at Serra Retreat will survive this fire,” Van Dyke wrote.
On Wednesday, Van Dyke posted again to say that they were back home and that Bobo had been found and brought safely with the help of Animal Friends.
Contribution of firefighters:
Van Dyke thanked the firefighters for the work they did to get the fire under control. “They took me out of the house in no time and started pouring water on my house. But the fire was so big that even they couldn’t contain it,” he said.
“You don’t even think about how tired they must be, but they deserve every credit for what they did,” Van Dyke noted.
Surviving the crisis of nature:
Dick Van Dyke’s experience highlighted the importance of neighbors and firefighters in emergencies. Although Van Dyke and his family escaped unscathed this time, the value of humanitarian aid in such natural disasters became clear again.