Hitchhiker Loses All Possessions To Violent Fire – Kind Stranger Restores Hope And Transformation

The inferno caused widespread destruction, sadly leaving many without homes, as the flames consumed most of their properties. One affected individual was Wayne Williamson, who tragically lost all his possessions. Nonetheless, amid the chaos and the loss, he had the fortune of meeting a kind-hearted individual.

Considering the fire started on an unpaved mountain track, the location made it even more challenging to contain the situation. When fire officer Captain Matt McKenzie realized the severity of the condition, he immediately called for water tanks and firefighters. Unfortunately, despite the evacuation efforts of nearby communities, the fire continued to rage.

Speaking to STL News, Captain Scott McLean of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stated, “These firefighters were in the rescue mode all day yesterday.”

Many people were left with only the clothes they wore and a few belongings they could grab as they evacuated. For example, a high-school teacher had nothing left but a pile of essays from her students and a blanket, while another woman grabbed some food but left behind a sentimental old mandolin.

As if that wasn’t enough, Kevin tore off his shirt to create breathing filters for the kids, ensuring that all of them made it out alive.

The driver had been advised to leave the area, but he chose to stay behind to check on the elderly people living on his route. Thanks to his selfless act, he rescued Margaret, who otherwise would have been unable to help herself.

As soon as the fire approached the parking lot, they quickly made their way to safety. Nonetheless, the situation worsened on the road, and firefighters rescued Jolly after abandoning her vehicle. When she eventually met Karen again at a hospital triage center, both were relieved to find the other was safe. However, there was no time for celebrations as the influx of injured escapees from the fire kept them busy.

She said, “There were maybe 50 patients that weren’t admitted but came because they had no other place to go, and there were about five or six dogs, so we filled bedpans with water for the dogs.” Even as the firefighters were busy tackling the flames, the nurses continued to assist those in need.

Davis told NBC, “When we got everyone evacuated, Nichole and I got in a doctor’s car, and we drove. It was thick smoke where we had to look at the stripe on the road to make it through, and there was a downed power line we had to drive over… and then the air opened up.”

“Nichole and I, we stuck together and people go, ‘You’re a hero.’ Yet, when we got back to hospital after losing our vehicles, we just kicked into that mode,” Davis said to NBC. “It wasn’t anything heroic. It was just: we have to do this, we’ve got to do that.” Apart from that, the nurses’ homes were also consumed by the flames.

The dwellers of Chico town took in their Paradise neighbors, welcoming them with open arms, ensuring that they were taken care of during their time of grief.

Denise quipped, “It’s unreal, the people who have helped us in Chico, restaurants we’ve gone in and eaten and they could tell I’m in tears. They’ll buy our meal and then the next day, go in again and try to pay them and they’re like, ‘Nope, as long as you’re here, you’re not going to pay us.’ Everybody’s been really, really kind.”

Apart from that, he also received requests from neighbors who were unable to return to the town and wanted to know the status of their houses. Unfortunately, in most cases, the homes did not survive the raging fire.

In another incredibly heartwarming gesture, the Paradise Adventist Academy’s rivals, the Forest Lake Christian School, surprised them with new clothes, equipment, and a generous monetary donation (thousands of dollars) during a volleyball game.

News teams interviewed some of the displaced residents, and one of them was Wayne Williamson, who had lost not just his home but also his employment. He was facing unemployment in the near future, a consequence of the fire. The displacement and loss of livelihoods caused by the inferno had a far-reaching impact on the affected individuals and their families.

Wayne had to face these issues as he set out to hitchhike to a job interview, traveling from Yuba to Chico with no car. He felt overwhelmed at the time and said, “I can’t think. I can’t formulate thoughts. A million things are on my mind. So, I tell myself, ‘Just keep walking a little further.”

The encounter turned out to be even more than he had expected. The driver was not a stranger but his former neighbor from Paradise. Wayne later shared the story on Facebook, posting a picture of himself and his savior, commenting, “This man is amazing!”.

Williamson mulled, “He takes me all the way to my interview and waits for me, buys me lunch, asks me for my phone number. I explain somehow in all the confusion I lost my phone during evacuation. He buys me a new phone after I tell him please no. I wish you the best Greg in your new adventures, I’ll never forget today and your kindness… and I have a new job.”

Greg himself had received kindness from a stranger while evacuating the town. He said, “I told people I ran out of gas, and one lady pulls up, and she’s like, ‘You need a lift?'” “Yes, I do.’ And we rode all the way down the left lane.” Greg was paying forward the kindness he received by helping Wayne.

The post also caught the attention of a woman named Judy Ann Cortez-Garcia, who recognized Greg Beyelia as one of her veteran clients whom she had helped in 2012. She wrote, “I know Greg personally. He was one of my veteran clients whom I met in 2012, helped him get his VA benefits, helped him get back on his feet, etc.”

When I first heard of the fires in Paradise, I thought about Greg, I was able to hear from him the Monday following the breakout of the fires, and boy it was such a relief knowing he was alive and well. He did lose everything in the fire.”

Wayne, on his part, responded gracefully, “Well, basically he is my dad now, and I’m telling him all the time, anything I can do for him I’m there until the end,” Williamson wrote.

The event helped Williamson to begin moving forward and putting the past behind him. In January 2019, he shared a picture of an object he had recovered from the fire, which was incinerated. Williamson wrote, “This was at my work, emotions all over again.”. He also changed his profile picture to “Paradise Strong” to show that the community was still strong despite the tragedy.

The water supply in the town was also contaminated by the fire, making it unsafe to drink. While an aid station was set up at the Magalia Baptist Church that distributed bottled water to the residents, it is not a sustainable solution. The rebuilding process will take time and effort to make Paradise a livable community once again.

Bob Oslin, a survivor of the wildfire, told NPR, “I don’t know if I could sleep well if I woke up at two o’clock in the morning and heard the wind blowing 40 miles per hour and it’s 80 degrees out.” Another survivor, Brook MacKay, told the L.A. Times in November 2018, “I feel guilty for not being happier that it’s still standing, but what use is a home in a destroyed community?”

However, those determined to stay are determined to make it work, as evidenced by the first permit for rebuilding a house issued in March 2019 to Jason and Meagann Buzzard, a couple who never considered leaving. Yet, even with this progress, there is still a long way to go, with over 10,000 homes destroyed.

In addition, steps are being taken to prevent a repeat of the disaster, such as using the National Guard to remove dead trees and other potential sources of wildfire spread.

Essential places like schools, shops, and gathering spots have been destroyed. Nonetheless, small gestures of kindness, such as the one given to Wayne Williamson, demonstrate that the sense of community has not been wholly lost. It’s a reminder that despite the depredation, there’s still hope and humanity left in the affected area.