PARADISE, Calif. (WSVN) — He risked his life to help rescue others from the deadly Camp Fire in California, and got out in the nick of time with the help of his trusty pick-up truck.
Allyn Pierce, a registered nurse at Feather River Hospital, had helped evacuate patients and staff before attempting to leave the area himself. But by then, he got stuck in gridlock, and ended up blocked by a truck that caught on fire next to him.
“I was just sitting in my car, and thought it was like, you know, we’re getting close to the end here,” Pierce recalled to KRCR. “Recorded my video for my friends and family, and put my phone away. And then a bulldozer came out of nowhere and knocked this flaming truck right next to me.”
The bulldozer moved the burning vehicle out of the way, leaving a path for Pierce to escape.
He posted a photo of his vehicle after he escaped the fire, showing the heavy damage sustained from driving through the flames. His Toyota Tundra was charred, with one door welded shut from the heat and his tail light covers melted.
Pierce had affectionately nicknamed his truck the “Pandra” — a combination of a panda with the truck’s model name.
“This truck literally saved my life today,” Pierce wrote in his caption on Instagram. “My little town of Paradise was literally burning down around me and @the_pandra got me to safety where I could help others… twice.”
The striking photo quickly went viral, soon catching the attention of Toyota. The automaker’s official account replied to his post, saying they would be “honored” to give him a brand-new Tundra.
“Very quickly we came to the conclusion that we just needed to replace his truck,” Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell told the Washington Post. “He was a hero, and we needed to do that.”
Pierce received his new truck Wednesday, and posted photos showing both vehicles side-by-side.
Toyota reportedly will display the burned Tundra in their showroom to demonstrate the truck’s durability.
While Pierce has a new truck, his family’s home was destroyed by the fire, and the hospital where he works sustained heavy damage. To donate to the Pierce family’s GoFundMe, click here.
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