As the Eaton Fire raged in Altadena, California, and her home burned, Julie Brockman fled east to Texas through Arizona, but disaster struck once more.
Even after losing everything except her car and one of her cats, Brockman suffered a flat tire along Interstate 10 in Arizona on Jan. 9. When troopers from the Department of Public Safety came to her aid, her cat “freaked out” and hid behind the steering column under the dashboard, according to a Facebook post from the Buckeye Fire Department.
For the 67 miles it took her to reach a Discount Tire in Buckeye, her cat still had not emerged from its hiding spot. Then, the Buckeye Fire Department stepped in.
“I was losing my mind! Then these guys showed up!!! Y’all have no idea how much I appreciate everything you did for me!!! I was seriously on the edge,” a comment from Brockman read.
A crew was able to wrestle the cat out from under the dashboard. With her cat safe and a new tire on her car, Brockman was ready to continue her journey. She made it to Kerrville, Texas, on Saturday afternoon.
“I want y’all to know I love ya and so appreciate your hugs and good hearts!!!!! You not only saved my cat but saved me too,” Brockman said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Buckeye fire rescues frightened cat as woman flees LA wildfires