Actor Dick Van Dyke was carried away from the scene of his Malibu house after attempting to save his mansion during the California wildfires, it’s been reported.
The Mary Poppins legend faced losing his home as wildfires raged last month. Dick, 99, is said to have been escorted away by neighbours and the emergency services. The star has only just returned to his home after he was forced out of the house in early December.
Currently, wildfires are raging in Los Angeles, with mass evacuations taking place.
Dick Van Dyke almost lost house in fire
Sources close to the star have claimed he experienced heavy trauma following his first evacuation.
During the recent wildfires that surrounded Malibu on December 10, Dick attempted to fight the fire alongside his wife Arlene Silver.
I forgot how old I am. And I realised I was crawling to get out.
He tried to push back flames using an outdoor hose. Unfortunately, this failed when Dick’s outdoor hose became tangled.
Dick told RadarOnline that he tried his best to protect his home: “I’m out there laying on the ground trying to undo this fire hose, and the fire’s coming over the hill. What I did was exhaust myself,” he admitted. “I forgot how old I am. And I realised I was crawling to get out.”
Dick was left ‘exhausted’ after fighting off fire
The actor is said to have desperately tried to save some possessions but was left “exhausted”. Because of this, he was unable to get up from the floor. Fortunately, three neighbours helped the star and ensured he was evacuated safely.
Longevity expert Dr Gabe Mirkin said: “Most 98 or 99-year-olds would have never survived what Dick went through. You lose muscle size, strength and coordination in your waning years. But he’s tried to keep that at bay – with good results.”
Another source claimed: “Physically, Dick was fine. But he is still shaken up. There is some post-traumatic stress coming from it. In a way, it was hard for him to face that at his age, he just can’t take on battling a fire. His neighbours had to rescue him.”
The current wildfires in LA have seen more than 130,000 people ordered to evacuate. Five people have already died.
Hurricane-force winds are hindering firefighting operations and spreading the fires that began on Tuesday (January 7).
Many celebrities including Paris Hilton and Adam Brody have lost their homes.
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