One of the worst wildfires in California’s history has destroyed homes and sent people fleeing for their lives through flames, smoke, and hellish conditions.
The #campfire fires near Chico, California made it too dangerous to stay in towns such as Paradise, but the flames moved so quickly that in many cases, they also made it dangerous to escape.
Many people have been seriously injured as they tried to leave the area, and some have lost their lives. Videos of flames engulfing cars, trees, and homes have quickly gone viral.
Evacuating
One resident in Paradise, California took on a very heroic role. He knew that people needed help getting out of Paradise so he jumped into action.
Allyn Pierce works as a nurse and manages the ICU at Adventist Health, which is a hospital in Paradise. This story began when Pierce and his co-workers remained at the hospital to evacuate the patients.
Once all the patients were away from the hospital and on their way to safety, it was Pierce’s turn to evacuate. He got into his Toyota pickup truck and headed on his way out.
Two of Pierce’s co-workers evacuated with him. They were all just trying to get out of there safely. The flames were intense, which made it hard for drivers to see and navigate their vehicles.
The flames were licking at Pierce’s truck. Some of the other cars on the road caught on fire right in front of his eyes. Pierce held his coat against his window to try to deflect just a little bit of the unbearable heat as he struggled to find a way out of town.
During this scary escape, Pierce decided to send a message for his family. In the message, he said,
“Just in case this doesn’t work out, I want you to know I really tried to make it out.”
Then, a bulldozer came. It was able to knock a burning truck out of the way and give Pierce some room to drive. Surprisingly, Pierce didn’t continue on his way out of Paradise. He turned his truck around and headed back to the hospital.
Heroes
He and his co-workers began treating the patients who had arrived at the hospital injured. In the parking lot, they, along with other physicians and nurses, began treating around 20 patients.
The fire eventually spread to the hospital, but the hardworking medical professionals knew what to do. They were able to move the patients to the hospital’s helipad for safety.
Then, once a path was cleared, the doctors and nurses caravanned out of there with the patients. Everyone in this caravan was safe!
Later, Pierce shared on social media that his family had lost their home. Someone set up a GoFundMe for the family, which has raised over $27,000.
Because of Pierce’s bravery, his truck wasn’t in great shape. The fires had caused a lot of damage to the vehicle, but it was still running. Pierce and his colleagues remained safe through this escape because of his trusty truck. Without such a reliable vehicle, who knows what would have happened?
To show their appreciation for his effort, Toyota gifted Pierce a brand new truck. This was a perfect gift for the hero who helped so many lives while risking his own!
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