California wildfire almost catches cameraman
Darren Smith posted a hair-raising four-minute video of a California wildfire to show just how fast a fire can spread.
Smith wrote that the video is for “educational purposes” and warned not to try this scary stunt. “This is an example of what not to do during a fire,” he wrote on YouTube.
The Clover Fire began burning Monday in Happy Valley in Shasta County. At its peak, the flames spread at 500 acres an hour, according to ABC News. Some residents were given only minutes to evacuate.
Smith saw smoke from the backyard of his home in Happy Valley and drove a few miles over to Cloverdale Road to investigate, according to Redding.com. He stopped to help a family that was scrambling to create a firebreak and move things from the house.
In the video, a bulldozer can be seen pushing brush back from the property. At first there seems to be enough time to capture some footage and move out. Instead, the flames appear by the house within minutes.
“Unfortunately the family's property that caught on fire were still packing as things got real and their house burned down and they lost everything left behind,” Smith wrote on the description of his video.
“Having an evacuation/safety plan is key and if you don't have one, then make one for you and your family's safety,” he added.
