The state of California is ablaze yet again. Just months after the Northern California wildfires, the state now has uncontrollable fires spreading in the southern area. As of Dec. 6, Los Angeles County was under warning for “extreme fire danger,” after more than 300 buildings had been lost and nearly 200,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Videos of the flames have been circulating online, but one video in particular is a standout. A brave man risked his life to save a rabbit from the wildfires, and it was caught on camera.
The video has since gone viral, racking up over 15,000 likes and 7,000 retweets from the ABC7 Eyewitness News Twitter account alone.
See the man’s heroic effort below:
Man pulls over near La Conchita to save wild rabbit's life amid intense flames from the #ThomasFire https://t.co/e5UaqjzMhy pic.twitter.com/Qlk6oYWLs2
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 7, 2017
The response to this video has been overwhelming.
“Get that guy a cape,” one Twitter user wrote.
get that guy a cape
— Jen, RN, BSN (@standingingrace) December 7, 2017
“The world needs more people like this man,” another wrote.
I love this. I couldn’t take anymore stories of people leaving their animals behind. The world needs more people like this man
— Earth Mama🌹OutrageAgainstTheMachine (@LauraIsABerner) December 7, 2017
“Cool I’m crying a lot,” one animal lover commented.
Cool I'm crying a lot
— Hannah McCarthy (@hihello_hannah) December 7, 2017
And many others shared a similar emotions.
— Ashley Vendetta 😷 (@ashley_vendetta) December 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/x_stephanny/status/938663609198043138
— 🥱 (@sosadhannah) December 7, 2017
People were clearly touched by this man’s willingness to put himself in harm’s way to save an animal. It’s in tragic moments like these that the best of human nature shines through.
And there are many others also pitching in to keep the area safe. Thousands of firefighters are working to keep the flames under control. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl L. Osby told The Washington Post that many firefighters have been working since Dec. 4 without sleep.
“Our plan here is to try to stop this fire before it becomes something bigger,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news briefing. “These are days that break your heart. But these are also days that show the resilience of our city.”
The man who risked his life to save the rabbit and the firefighters aren’t the only examples of bravery and heroism here, either. A reporter also saved horses from a ranch while reporting on the fire, and many celebrities are doing what they can to help via social media. Jane Lynch even had a tip for keeping pets safe.
Here’s where to take you pets to keep them safe while the fire rage in So Cal. https://t.co/AsHvSQsX1j
— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) December 6, 2017
We’re sure there will be many more heartwarming stories to come. In the meantime, we’re hoping for everyone’s safety. If you’d like to donate to help victims, here are some organizations contributing to relief efforts.