A distressed California family forced to exit their home amid the deadly wildfires returned back to the absent land with the most shocking and welcoming surprise awaiting.
The parents of Beckyjean Widen were utterly devastated last weekend when the deadly catastrophe arose that since left 38 dead and hundreds of others missing – as they were left with no choice but to depart their home and leave most of their treasured belongings behind.
Sadly, this included their beloved dog, Izzy, who suddenly escaped their sight just moments before the wildfire broke out and left her owners’ sight.
Widen’s parents knew they had to get to safety and before long, were forced to make the nerve-racking commute ‘through walls of fire and over a burning bridge’ to safety, Widen shared of the horrific moment to her Facebook page Thursday.
A distressed California family forced to exit their home amid the deadly wildfires returned back to the absent land with the most shocking surprise awaiting
The parents of Beckyjean Widen were utterly devastated Sunday when the deadly catastrophe arose that since left 38 dead and hundreds others wounded – as they were left with no choice but to depart their home – leaving their missing dog somewhere behind
Widen said: ‘My brother and husband were determined to try to get back to my parents property to see if by some miracle Izzy survived’ – and to their disbelief, she did
Widen explained that her parents were forced ‘to get to Mark West Springs road and to safety’ as quickly as possible, adding that while they lost everything, her mother ‘was most devastated about leaving Izzy.’
Fast forward to later on in the week – Widen’s brother and husband were determined to return to the barren area to search for the lost dog, and trekked three miles up and down a nearby hill in anxious attempts to locate her.
‘My brother and husband were determined to try to get back to my parents property to see if by some miracle Izzy survived,’ Widen said.
‘They were turned away by police officers, but if you know my brother or husband … neither one likes to be told no. They ended up hiking just under 3 miles to my parent’s property.’
The pup can be seen strutting up to the family members, seeming to be in good spirits
Widen shared: ‘No singed hair, no burned paws … They took her to a vet right after they found her, and she was checked out’
In the roughly four minute video clip from their trip, the men can we heard clapping and calling out for Izzy several times as they pass by the desolate land the family used to call home.
Toward the end of the clip, one of the men is heard saying, ‘the tractor made it … the tractor is totally fine,’ just before he made the shocking discovery.
He then screamed out in relief when catching a glimpse of her: ‘Izzy’s here! Izzy, Izzy, come here baby!’
The pup can be seen strutting up to the pair at the end, seeming to be in good spirits despite the horrendous conditions she endured.
‘No singed hair, no burned paws … They took her to a vet right after they found her, and she was checked out,’ Widen explained further.
‘She was dehydrated and very tired, but other than that she was perfect. We were all in disbelief.’
She said to the miracle that Izzy was ‘dehydrated and very tired’ but other than that doing ‘perfect,’ adding, ‘We were all in disbelief’
The tear-jerking Facebook video received 1 million views as of Saturday night, including 25,000 reactions and likes as well as nearly 13,000 shares.
Most of the viewers joined in on the family’s excitement – writing things like ‘Omg.. so sorry about your home .. but IZZY!!! I was crying..’
Another said: ‘This is such a great moment! I don’t know what we would do without our pets! Glad to know the weavers are safe…and Izzy!’
The California wildfires forced thousands of other residents to evacuate their homes Saturday – nearly a week after the natural disaster initially took place.
According to a new report by Reuters, today, more ‘fierce wildfires spread due to constantly shifting winds’ as officials said they are expecting the death toll of 38 to rise as ‘hundreds of people’ are yet to be found.
The deadliest fire in California history left ‘some 100,000 people forced from their homes, including 3,000 evacuated on Saturday from the city of Santa Rosa, and another 250’ from the city of Sonoma.
‘It’s an unwieldy beast right now,’ said Dennis Rein, the information officer at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.
As as many as 300 missing persons have been reported, as officials said they are doing the most to bring the concerning numbers down.