Dick Van Dyke Celebrates 99th Birthday After Wildfire Escape

As if staying alive for nearly a century isn’t already impressive enough! Living legend Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 99th birthday on December 13 — just days after narrowly escaping a wildfire in Malibu. Speaking to NBC News, Van Dyke said he’s experienced four wildfires before, but “wasn’t ready” for the Franklin Fire. The actor recalled seeing flames coming over a nearby hill as he was laying on the ground outside and trying to untangle a fire hose that connects to his pool. “What I did was exhaust myself,” he said. “I forgot how old I am, and I realized I was crawling to get out.” According to Van Dyke, he couldn’t get up on his own, and three neighbors came to carry him to his car. “[They] got me out of here, or I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t think I would have made it,” he reflected. “They also came back, and my little guest house had started to flame up in the back. They put that out. So they saved my life and my house.”

The actor evacuated safely with his wife Arlene and all but one of their pets , he confirmed in a December 10 Facebook post. But the family was quickly reunited with Bobo, the cat who escaped during the process. “We found Bobo as soon as we arrived back home this morning,” Van Dyke confirmed on December 11 in a Facebook comment. “There was so much interest in his disappearance that Animal Control was called in to assist. But, thankfully he was easy to find and not harmed ❤️.”

Van Dyke has been publicly reflecting on his mortality as of late, so we know that he doesn’t mind peacing out during Trump’s next presidency and isn’t scared of death in general. “I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now. But I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it,” he said in Coldplay’s “All My Love” music video. “I have that feeling, totally against anything intellectual I have, that I’m going to be all right.”