Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 99th birthday by escaping the Malibu wildfire. Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke and his family are alive and well thanks to some quick-thinking neighbors, who sprang into action to offer assistance as the Franklin Fire barreled toward his Malibu home.

The 98-year-old actor and comedian was one of a handful of A-list celebrities, including Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, impacted by the wind-fueled brush fire, that has scorched more than 4,000 acres since it began late Monday night. Firefighters are still working around the clock to extinguish the blaze, which left thousands displaced.”

Dick Van Dyke, who won a Tony for his performance in Bye, Bye Birdie and six Emmies for his work on television, was born December 13, 1925 in West Plains, Missouri, USA. Friday, December 13, 2024 is his 99th birthday. His loving fans are hoping he emulates George Burns by lasting to his 100th birthday and still performing then.

Mr. Van Dyke saw the fire approaching. A longtime California resident, he’s been through wildfires before. He was attempting to wet down the outside of the hose with a garden hose before evacuating, but the effort was too much for him. He became exhausted as he was attempting to untangle the hose and collapsed. Some neighbors came and found him trying to crawl to the car.

As Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly said, quoting Martin Luther King, “if you can’t run you walk, if you can’t walk you crawl, if you can’t crawl, get someone to carry you.”

Mr. Van Dyke’s neighbors helped him up and out. They got him and Mrs. Van Dyke, actress Arlene Silver, out of the house with their dog. They were unable to evacuate their cat Bobo, but he was found later, alive. Mr. Van Dyke described his harrowing ordeal in an interview. Watch the video below to hear him tell the story himself.

Dick Van Dyke was declared a Disney Legend in 1998. He starred in the fantasy film Mary Poppins (1964). He starred in the dual role as Bert, Mary’s friend and as Mr. Dawes, Senior. He played Mr. Dawes, Junior in Mary Poppins Returns (2018). His other two Disney movies were Lt. Robin Crusoe, USN (1966) and Never a Dull Moment (1968)

Dick Van Dyke starred in the Ian Fleming fantasy Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang (1968), which is not a Disney movie, but many people think it is, A, because the music is by the Sherman Brothers, Walt Disney’s favorite composers, and B it is a light-hearted whimsical family comedy.

As long time fans of Dick Van Dyke’s career, we are pleased he escaped the fire and is alive to celebrate his 99th birthday. Mr. V?n Dyke has four children and seven grandchildren. After all the excitement yesterday, we hope he is able to spend a quiet birthday with his family.

Dick Van Dyke, like most men of his generation, served in the Armed Forces during WWII, protecting our country from the dangers of fascism. He was in the Army Air Corps before it became the U.S. Air Force. He dropped out of high school to enlist. Luckily for his millions of fans, he was assigned to the U.S. rather than Europe or the Pacific theater. Although he hoped for pilot training, the army trained him as a radio announcer before transferring him to Special Services, the entertainment branch of the army. Sgt. Van Dyke entertained troops in the USA to maintain morale. He received his high school diploma in 2004.

Dick Van Dyke is 75% of the way to EGOT status. He’s won six Emmies, one Grammy, and one Tony. He hasn’t won an Oscar yet, but he’s said he has no plans to retire, so it’s not impossible. In 1995 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. He received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2012. In 2017 he received the Britannia Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s been nominated twice for Golden Globe Awards, He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2020.

Please join us in wishing Dick Van Dyke a Very Happy Birthday! And giving thanks for his kindhearted, quick-witted neighbors.

Dick and Arlene Van Dyke are safe and well. They and their pets all escaped the fire. Their home was not destroyed. Firefighters are still battling the wildfire and expect to continue doing so for several days yet.