The destruction caused by the Camp Fire in Northern California is some of the worst in the state’s history. The entire town of Paradise, CA, is basically gone. The fire ripped through the town at an incredible pace. At its peak, when it burned through Paradise, it was burning an area the size of a football PER SECOND.
The residents of Paradise were forced to flee with little or no warning and tragically, at least 42 people have been confirmed killed in the blaze so far. One resident that did make it out, though barely, was Brynn Parrott Chatfield. Chatfield and his family made a terrifying drive through the fire to safety and the video of it is incredible as well as very, very scary.
Satellite image of the Camp Fire taken on November 8th, 2018. Image Source
The video was posted on November 8th after Chatfield and his family had escaped the fire and were safe. Chatfield says in the comments that his whole town “has been destroyed” and that he and “thousands of (others) have lost our homes.”
Chatfield filmed as his family escaped the fire and the footage is almost too hard to believe. In the video, someone, presumably Chatfield’s wife, can be heard praying as they dodge other cars making the same escape.
As they drive, the sky is as dark as night, the area only illuminated by the raging flames on all sides of their truck. You’d swear it was midnight. Near the end, in an incredible moment, Chatfield and his family emerge into a clear, sunny day. The contrast is stark.
Viewers will breathe a sigh a relief when it’s clear the family has escaped the fire with their lives, though it’s not lost on anyone that for the Chatfield’s and their neighbors, this is only the beginning of what will be a long, trying time as they rebuild their homes and their lives after such destruction. You also can’t help but think of all those that lost their lives, as well as all the heroic firefighters and first responders that have bravely fought all the fires in California.
Warning: The video has a happy ending, but it is very harrowing.
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