The recent wildfires in California have been nearly unprecedented in terms of loss of life and property. According to USA Today, the Camp Fire has been especially devastating with currently 81 confirmed fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage. With all the despair and harrowing stories, once in a while, there is a story that can act as a slight diversion or small amount light amongst the darkness. Such is the photo that Ringo H.W. Chu captured: A pair of firefighters rescuing a 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 from a burning house. The photo was picked up by several publications and social media outlets including thedrive.com. Thanks to Patrick S. for the tip on this story!
There has been speculation regarding the story behind the photo. The image above was posted by @TeamShelbyClub on Twitter and appears to show the Shelby on the far right. Were the firefighters pushing the car away from the fire to prevent the gas tank from bursting into flames? Were they simply protecting property and saw an opportunity to push the car to safety? Or, are they car guys who couldn’t bear to see a cool vintage car lost to the fire? We’ll probably never know, but it doesn’t really matter. As long as no lives were at risk, the firefighters saved someone’s valuable property and a piece of automotive history.
Even though the Shelby appears to have had a positive outcome, there were plenty of classic cars that didn’t fare as well. Actor Gerard Butler posted this photo on his Instagram account. It shows his first-generation Ford Bronco that was lost along with his entire house. Unfortunately, besides Butler’s Bronco, there were several other vintage vehicles reduced to shells during the fire. You can read more about some of the classic cars lost here on journal.classiccars.com. Obviously, they are just possessions and the loss of life is the real story, but for those who were able to evacuate safely, coming back to nothing left is devastating. Those of us here at Barn Finds extend our thoughts and well-wishes to everyone affected by the fires.
This is a truly uplifting story in one of the saddest and most appalling events in modern times.
I am guessing that, with the firefighters who went in and dealt with these terrible fires there are likely more heroic stories like this, probably most of which don’t deal with vintage cars.
One story from the camp fire occurred when an ambulance loaded with patients evacuated from a hospital caught fire. Everyone took shelter in the garage of the one house in the area that wasn’t on fire. One of them texted the owner to let them know they were in their garage. The house and 18 people were saved that day but the ambulance burned to a bare hulk.
FYI: the “camp fire” was located in northern California , not Malibu California
He is mixing up the fires…….probably doesn’t realize they are over 300 miles apart. I am sure lots of great cars succumbed to the Malibu fire.
Good to see a Mustang GT 350 kept from the 🔥.
Owning a 67 mustang convert I would of saved it as it was seen in distress.
Montana,nice write up. You captured it perfectly.
Canyon fire was the Malibu fire, Camp fire was near Chico and it had the 87 confirmed deaths and 1000 purple missing. They are nearly 500 miles apart. Both have been seriously devastating…
Reminds me of the Dick Harrell 1969 Camaro owners garage caught on fire he went into the garage and suffered third degree burns rescuing that car! I would do the same for my 1963 Corvette. I would not let it burn.
Last year my friends entire subdivision burned, nearly 800 houses, it took less than 15 minutes to go from smelling smoke in the air until houses on both sides of his street was burning. When a fire is being pushed by 60+ mile an hour winds you run for your life. My friend did that, him, his wife and two kids got into in his wife’s SUV and they left, leaving his Mustang in the garage and his truck in the driveway to burn. There is a reason you have insurance.
Steve R
Over 10,000 homes were lost in the Camp Fire. The number of missing is down to 600. 90% of Paradise was destroyed. The death toll continues to climb as searchers comb the wreckage for remains, often just bone fragments. Thousands will remain homeless for some time. These weren’t the rich and famous in fancy houses but are regular folks, many retired, with very limited resources.
I know a couple of people that lost their houses in the campfire, from what I hear and have read it was really ugly. The fire moved fast due to the wind and there were only a few ways out of the area which quickly became gridlocked. The real tragedy is the loss of life, luckily, the list of missing people has been dropping rapidly. Unfortunately, like you said, many who died will never be recovered.
Steve R
Santa Rosa fire?
Rustin, if you type “Santa Rosa Fire” into any seach engine you will find stories. That was also a wind driven fire which occurred October 2017 it destroyed thousands of houses in and around Santa Rosa California.
Steve R
Whatever the situation was here,God Bless everyone that helped out in every way possible! Being a car guy,this is an awesome find too!
Link was to last yr Santa Rosa fire…2000 homes in upscale area had lotta collector cars…about 50 lost that I heard about. Malibu fire took 30 car collection of high end cars. Paradise/Magalia fire took 3 restored Edsel convertibles & a pair of early Mustangs..likely more not yet published. My buddies Model T escaped fire by 2 miles….he’s 70 & his dad bought the T before he was born.
Left out one possibility. Looters.
And they pushed it into the burned :) good job guys :) as a firefighter, I’ll say, you do what you can, everybody is equal rich or poor. You save the lives and the property you are able to through triage. I’m sure this made someone’s day, it certainly helped with mine!
Comfort and blessing to those who suffered loss in the fires.
Indeed…there will be more stories of vehicles that survived the fires in various stages in the years to come.Hopefully they will have attached to them stories of human survival.
I believe you meant the Woolsey Fire near Malibu.
I worked as a wildland firefighter until this summer and have seem way too much destruction of property in my career. It is one of the reasons I finally retired. I have great empathy for what homeowners, their neighbors and their town are/will be going through. Even those that didn’t lose their homes will suffer significant hardship, especially if they lost a loved one or pet.
Cutoes to the fire fighters. They some brave mothers.
1948 Norman Timbs Special. Lost in the Woolsey Fire.
That’s a beautiful car.
Steve R
May God Bless all of the people who were affected by both of the wild fires.
Having lived through a wildfire experience. It is n fun. Mine happened many years ago when there were many people in fires straights with mortgages and jobs after the last major economic recession/depression. Your mortgage lender is the loss payee. Those people that were behind in their mortgages only receive “Anything” that is left over. Also, all your landscaping is covered by a certain percentage of current home value. We were lucky that we only lost everything but the house. ( Only about $30,000 damage to the home) But our mortgage company went BK as soon as our check was sent to them by the issuance company. It took 3.5 years to collect due funds from the government assigned “new” mortgage company. So, there never is anything easy on major losses. In my case the fire travelled 3/4 of a mile in 15 minutes. My barns were fully engulfed when I split with the 5th wheel. And there were n firefighters on scene at the time.
I evacuated from the Woolsey fire that first night. Luckily we had plenty of warning and the wind our favor. I got 3 cars (2 Mustangs and a Vette) out and was pulling the last one down the street as the firefighters drove up my street. Fortunately for us the fire didn’t get into my neighborhood and my house was fine when we returned. The devastation of my surrounding area is severe. Very sad to see the loss of life, property and natural habitat. All this the day after the Borderline shooting. God bless the firefighters and police who have helped in these disasters.
These firefighters have a perfect mindset. Leave the house to burn and save the mustang. Good for them, and the owner.