Sometimes, fear can be too paralyzing to act in the middle of a disaster. However, terror wasn’t about to stop this father and son from escaping a forest fire—by driving directly into it.
Over the past several months, horrific wild and forest fires have been popping up across the country, but especially on the west coast. Many have forced people out of their homes, destroyed neighborhoods, and upended lives. However, this father-son duo didn’t expect to confront one of these terrifying feats of nature while on a simple camping trip.
On August 11th, 70-year-old Charlie Bilton and his son, Justin, set out to camp at Glacier National Park in Montana. That night, a lightning storm tore through the area and started fires in the massive forest. The next day, the duo was forced to face off with one of the most horrifying situations someone could ever find themselves in.
When Charlie and Justin first drove up North MacDonald Trail, the lightning fire was contained to a mere five acres. But 3 hours later, when they decided to head back down the mountain, it was too late to escape. The Howe Ridge Fire had expanded to 2,000 acres, and the pair found themselves completely trapped above the flames.
In a moment of panic, Justin wanted to stay put—but cool-headed Charlie had another idea. He decided that it would be best to hop in the car and dive into the belly of the beast with the hopes of making it to the other side. At first, Justin thought his father was completely bonkers. However, they soon set off into the scary landscape with hopes for a miracle.
As they drove directly towards a horrifying fiery landscape, Justin only grew more anxious. “Dad, what if the car blows up?” he asked. “Then we’re dead,” Charlie replied calmly. “Just keep driving. Not too fast. We’ll be okay.” And while the terrifying fire raging around them didn’t slip inside their vehicle, there were moments where it seemed impossible to get out.
The heat inside of the car intensified the longer they drove through the fiery woods, and Justin feared for the car’s collapse. He nearly gave up hope when they came across a heavy, burning tree in the road. Luckily, the duo managed to reverse the car all the way to a nearby lake for an intense water rescue. It’s nothing short of incredible that the persistent pair survived such a scary, harrowing event!