Amid the deadliest and most destructive fires in California’s history, stories of incredible bravery and heroism are emerging. One such real story came from the hospital in the destroyed town of Paradise, where paramedics, doctors, and nurses continued to treat patients in the parking lot as the Californian wildfires consumed the hospital and raged around them, before finally getting the clearance to evacuate.

One of the nurses, Allyn Pierce, who refuses to be called a hero as it was a group effort of people just doing their jobs, lost his house and his workplace in the fire. His truck, a Toyota Tundra which he used in the wildfire evacuation, is heavily burnt, showing just how close a call it was. As can be expected, Allyn is not in a good place right now. However, he is finding support in his close-knit community. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my team that was trapped up there with me,” he told Bored Panda. “That helps. They truly understand what we went through.”

Allan clearly has a lot of love for his pick up truck and took to social media to praise Toyota for the hardy manufacturing of the vehicle that saved his life. What happened next was a win/win for both Allyn and Toyota, and is a small piece of good news among the ongoing tragedy of these horrific wildfires. “The reaction has been so positive and supportive,” he told us. “Starting with the truck community and spreading out to the world. It’s surreal. My contact at Toyota has been so compassionate, supportive, and understanding of my scattered state of mind.”

It’s impossible to imagine what it must be like to try to rebuild your life after such a devastating event, but Allyn and the people of Paradise are determined to work together to get back on their feet. “We’re doing what everyone else is doing. Finding a rental, finding a job (now that my hospital burned down), making sure our kids get to meet up with their friends and teachers that have also been displaced. My heart hurts for Paradise.”

Scroll down below to see how this true story unfolded for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments.

This is Allyn Pierce, a nurse from Chico, California

He posted a picture of his fire-damaged truck to social media with a message of gratitude

To which Toyota responded

New York Times reporter Jack Nicas posted a thread about Paradise’s hospital, revealing the heroism of Allyn and his colleagues

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

Image credits: jacknicas

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Image credits: jacknicas

This is how the truck looked before

Most people praised Allyn

However, some saw Toyota’s offer as a genius PR opportunity

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