The drive from Paradise to Chico is normally a brief 20-minute dash. During the fire, it became a four-hour test of survival.
Will Maule : Nov 13, 2018 : Faithwire.com
(Paradise, CA)—[Faithwire.com] More than 30 people so far have been confirmed dead as a result of the fierce wildfires that have been ripping through both ends of California in recent days. In addition, over 200 people are missing, as the flames continue to devastate rural properties and leave residents homeless and heartbroken. In some instances, however, miraculous escapes were possible. (Screengrab via Facebook video/Fox TV stations)
When Paradise resident Joe Allen sped through the flame-flanked roads in a bid to evacuate his local area, his 3-year-old daughter was understandably distraught. The scene was something out of a horror movie, as the inferno raged all around the family vehicle and threatened to block them from finding safety.
“There’s so much fire here. We’re gonna get on fire,” daughter Olivia can be heard saying on the video, as reported by NBC News.
At this point, sensing his daughter’s distress, Joe begins to sing the words, “Baby, it’ll be alright,” to keep her calm.
When he finally scrapes by the blazing flames, Olivia shouts out in delight, “You did it! You did it!”
“We did it together,” Joe responds.
According to NBC, Olivia celebrated her third birthday that evening. Her mother told the news outlet that the terrifying incident reminded her family what is most important in life…
Click here to watch the video and read more.