99-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke Speaks Out After Shocking Wildfire Evacuation
|The 99-year-old actor had to leave his home last month when wildfires got close to his area in Malibu.
Wildfires have caused a lot of destruction in Los Angeles, made worse by strong winds and dry weather.
Van Dyke was one of thousands who had to leave their homes in December as the fire got near his Malibu mansion. Friends say the experience left him feeling “shaken” and “traumatized.”
When the fires started in Malibu on December 10, the Mary Poppins star tried to fight the flames himself with his wife, Arlene Silver, 53.
But their efforts didn’t work because they got tangled up with a fire hose.
Van Dyke told Radar Online: “I pushed myself too hard. I forgot how old I am, and I ended up crawling to get out.”
He said he tried to get to his car while saving some of his belongings but became too tired to get off the ground.
Luckily, three neighbors came to help him. They carried him out and also worked to put out a small fire in his guest house.
He explained: “I was crawling to the car because I was so tired. I couldn’t get up. Then three neighbors came and carried me out. They also helped save the guest house.”
Just days later, Van Dyke turned 99 years old, but sources say the event left him “shaken.”
The Emmy-winning star celebrated his birthday with a small family dinner organized by his wife, Arlene, whom he married in 2012.
The Daily Star reported that Van Dyke is now focusing on reaching his 100th birthday, though the evacuation left an emotional impact.
A source said: “Physically, Dick is fine, but he’s still upset. It’s hard for him to admit that he can’t fight fires at his age. He needed his neighbors to rescue him.”
“Dick’s goal is to make it to 100, but it’s tough for him to rely on others more and more. Hopefully, as things settle down, he’ll enjoy the time he has left!”
Despite his age, Van Dyke hasn’t fully retired. Last month, reports said he was talking with a big movie studio and hopes to start working again this year.
Speaking to NBCLA, he said: “I’d like to get a job… Maybe play someone’s grandfather in a sitcom, just to stay busy. And I’m not expensive.”
His wife joked: “Yes, you are!”