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Dick Van Dyke praised the kindness of his neighbors for helping him evacuate a dangerous wildfire in California.
At his residence in Malibu, Van Dyke (99) opened NBC News on Thursday, December 12, about escaping from the property with his wife, Arlene Silver.
“I forgot how old I was and I realized I was crawling to get outside,” he recalls, noting that he tried to stop the fire by dousing his home with water using “a fire hose that attaches to my pool.” His efforts, however, were not successful.
“I was like, ‘I’m not going to make it out of here,’ because I was trying to crawl to the car,” he shared. “I was exhausted. I couldn’t get up.”
Dick Van Dyke is in good spirits after canceling a series of public appearances. Van Dyke, 98, was spotted running errands with his assistant in Malibu, California on Monday, September 23. In a video posted by Page Six, the Hollywood legend smiled as he walked through the parking lot with a cane. “I’m quite old”, Van (…)
Fortunately, Van Dyke said, “Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a small fire in the guest house and saved me. Thank God for them.”
An NBC News interview showed security camera footage showing Van Dyke, Silver, 53, and their pets evacuating their home with the help of neighbors. Thanks to their quick actions, Van Dyke returned to his home full of Hollywood memorabilia for his 99th birthday on Friday, December 13.
Arlene Silver and Dick Van Dyke Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“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 which he and his wife had safely escaped the fires but they missed their cat named Bobo. “We pray that all will be well and that our community at Sierra Retreat survives these terrible fires,” he wrote. The actor later confirmed in a comment that the couple and their cat are back home and safe.
Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke is about to celebrate his 99th birthday – and he’s marking the occasion with a guest appearance on TV. The Mary Poppins star, who will turn 99 on Friday, December 13, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, December 5. Van Dyke was joined for TV by Chris Martin (…)
Van Dyke is one of several stars affected by the wildfires, including Cher and Mira Sorvino. “To all my Malibu friends and neighbors, I pray you are safe,” wrote Sorvino, 57. through Ks on Tuesday, December 10. “We evacuated in the middle of the night, the kids and pets got into trouble! Terrible times!!”
Jane Seymour also confirmed that she and her family were safe after evacuating their home while sharing photos of the wildfires via Instagram. “My thoughts are with everyone still in danger, the brave firefighters risking everything to protect us, and the many who call Malibu home,” she captioned the slideshow Tuesday. “Let’s continue to support each other, stay informed and stay hopeful.” Our community is strong and together we will get through these challenging times.”
Dick Van Dyke’s house in Malibu. APEX / MEGA
Seymour, 73, thanked first responders below Instagram post on Wednesday, December 11. “We are deeply grateful for the incredible firefighters and incredible group of Malibu volunteer firefighters who risk everything to protect our homes and our community,” she wrote alongside more pictures and clips from the fire. “This fire reminds us of the strength, courage, resilience and compassion that unites us in the most difficult times.” Let’s continue to support and lift each other up, as we always have.”
She concluded: “Thank you to everyone fighting the flames and keeping us safe.” Your courage is extraordinary.”
According to NBC Newsthe fires have burned over 4,000 hectares of land and destroyed several homes, and 30 percent of the fire was contained by Thursday evening.
