California continues to bravely battle against the most destructive fires in the state’s history. Between the blazes raging in the north and the south, the Golden State has been forced to deal with a natural enemy President Donald Trump has already afforded major disaster status.
And yet in the midst of catastrophe, all manner of stories are emerging that depict the fantastic deeds human beings are capable of when their backs are truly against the wall.
One such story comes from a hospital in the ruined town of Paradise, where – as per NBC News – doctors and nurses continued to treat their patients in the parking lot as the fire consumed their hospital. They were eventually given the all-clear to evacuate, but for many survival was a close-run thing.
One of the nurses at the hospital was Allyn Pierce. He lost his house and his workplace in the fire, and has since uploaded a photo of his truck – a Toyota Tundra he used in the evacuation – to show people just how serious the situation was.
Close call
Allyn is a man who loves his truck, so it was with a heavy heart that he took to social media to describe the damage it sustained. In doing so, however, he was sure to include praise for Toyota for making a vehicle robust enough to save his life from the inferno.
Toyota’s response not only proved that their PR team are earning their keep, but also went a long way to helping Allyn.
For the back and forth between Allyn and Toyota, see below:
And Toyata’s response:
Of course, in light of what has happened the gesture may seem small, but it’s still something that will make a huge difference to Allyn.
New York Times reporter Jack Nicas took to Twitter to go into more detail concerning the story. His series of tweets make for quite the eye-opening read:
Here's the crazy story of just one of the many heroes in Paradise, the town destroyed by California's deadliest fire ever. His name is Allyn Pierce, and he's the badass nurse who drove this truck through the flames. pic.twitter.com/xAL7zRf34H
— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018
Like many residents in Paradise, they quickly hit gridlock. But unfortunately for them, they were stuck in the middle of the fire. Flames licked at the side of his truck, and as Allyn watched other cars catch fire, he thought his was next. Here was his view. pic.twitter.com/2fACEWn4tu
— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018
Suddenly a bulldozer appeared & knocked a burning truck next to him out of the way. There was some room to maneuver. But instead of going forward toward safety, he turned around & drove back into the heart of Paradise. Here's the aftermath of his Tacoma. (The lights still work.) pic.twitter.com/LLUU1fDfYv
— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018
Doctors, nurses, paramedics & police started a triage center in the hospital parking lot. They broke into the hospital for gurneys, oxygen tanks & other gear & quickly went to work, treating about two dozen people while the fire raged around them. Photo: Noah Berger/AP. pic.twitter.com/SOOZidkfOF
— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018
Allyn stressed the triage was a massive group effort — and that they weren't heroes. “This is what we do,” he said. “Any nurse, any healthcare worker, any cop, they were there and they all did their jobs.”
Allyn's Instagram: https://t.co/GW2L2jS97w
— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) November 13, 2018
For reference, this is how Alyyn’s truck looked before:
Despite what Allyn says, we think he and all the brave men and women working to save others in the California fires are genuine, real life heroes.
If you agree with our stance then share this article on Facebook to pay tribute!
