Dick Van Dyke praised the kindness of his neighbors for helping him evacuate a dangerous California wildfire.
Back in his Malibu residence, Van Dyke, 99, opened up to NBC News on Thursday, December 12, about escaping the property with his wife, Arlene Silver.
“I forgot how old I am, and I realized I was crawling to get out,” he recalled, noting that he tried to prevent the blaze by dousing his home with water using “a fire hose that hooks up to my pool.” His efforts, however, were to no avail.
“I thought, like, ‘I’m not gonna make it out of here,’ ‘cause I was trying to crawl to the car,” he shared. “I had exhausted myself. I couldn’t get up.”
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Luckily, Van Dyke said, “Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me. Thank God for them.”
The NBC News interview featured security camera footage showing Van Dyke, Silver, 53, and their pets evacuating their home with the help of their neighbors. Thanks to their fast actions, Van Dyke is back in his house full of Hollywood memorabilia for his milestone 99th birthday on Friday, December 13.
“I don’t think I would have made it,” he told the news outlet. “God bless them and thank you for saving my life.”
Earlier this week, Van Dyke shared via Facebook that he and his wife had safely escaped the wildfires but were missing their cat named Bobo. “We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Sierra Retreat will survive these terrible fires,” he wrote. The actor later confirmed in a post comment that the pair and their cat were back home and safe.
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Van Dyke is one of several stars affected by the wildfires, including Cher and Mira Sorvino. “All my Malibu friends and neighbors I pray that you are safe,” Sorvino, 57, wrote via X on Tuesday, December 10. “We evacuated in the middle of the night, kids and pets all accounted for! Scary times!!”
Jane Seymour also confirmed she and her family were safe after evacuating their home while sharing photos of the wildfires via Instagram. “My thoughts are with everyone who is still in harm’s way, the brave firefighters risking everything to protect us, and the many who call Malibu home,” she captioned a slideshow on Tuesday. “Let’s continue to support each other, stay informed, and remain hopeful. Our community is strong, and together we’ll see through these challenging times.”
Seymour, 73, went on to thank first responders in a follow-up Instagram post on Wednesday, December 11. “We are deeply grateful for the amazing firefighters and the incredible band of Malibu volunteer firefighters who are risking everything to protect our homes and our community,” she wrote alongside more wildfire pics and clips. “This fire reminds us of the strength, the bravery, resilience, and compassion that bind us together in the hardest of times. Let’s continue to support and uplift one another, as we always do.”
She concluded: “To everyone fighting the flames and keeping us safe, thank you. Your courage is extraordinary.”
According to NBC News, the wildfires have burned over 4,000 acres of land and destroyed several homes, and 30 percent of the fire was contained by Thursday night.
