'We got out and left everything behind': British father escaped California wildfires just in time after warning text

A British father whose home was destroyed in the California wildfires said he only just escaped with his wife and five-month-old baby after a warning text message from a friend.

Ben Colbeck, from Yorkshire, evacuated the family home in Paradise with his wife Jess and daughter Penelope on Thursday morning.

“We woke up at around 8am and saw that the sky was totally dark. It was pitch black because of the smoke,” he told Yahoo News.

“Then we checked our phones and saw that something was happening.”

Ben said the couple tried to find out more about the fire and saw reports that the fire had covered 10 acres. It was only after receiving a message from a friend warning them that the blaze had spread to 100 acres that they realised how serious the situation was.

He said: “I realised how bad it was when I first went outside. I let the dog outside and the sky was totally black but there was orange where the fire was coming from and it was raining ash.

“I went and turned the gas off, and as I was doing that I was seeing embers in the air and they were landing on me. That’s when I realised it was worse than we thought.”

Ben and Jess immediately began to drive out of the town, leaving their home and all their possessions behind.

They found that the usually quiet roads were packed with traffic as the community fled.

“We didn’t grab anything. We took the baby and the dog, got in the car and left,’ said Ben.

“We were lucky. We got out while it was still very well organised.

“We had a friend 10 minutes behind us and they were driving through flames. That was the point where cars were catching fire and people were running from their cars.

“One of our friends was surrounded by flames. She was calling 999 and they weren’t answering. When she did get through they said there was nothing they could do for her. Thankfully she did eventually get out.”

The family drove to Jess’s family in the town of Tuckee, where they are currently staying.

While they were there, they were told by officials that their home had been completely destroyed.

The couple had lived in the house, which was the first property they had bought together, for two years.

Residents of Paradise are not yet sure when they will be able to return to their devastates properties and begin to rebuild their community.

Ben said: “People think it will be be month before we’re let back to our property. The whole of paradise is a war zone. They’re still finding dead bodies. We wont be allowed back for a while.”

Ben’s sister Emily, who lives in England, has started a campaign to raise money for the family.

She said: “They are safe and well and in good spirits. However they need our help.

“They left their house with the absolute bare essentials with five-month-old Penelope and their dog Django their priority. They have lost everything else they own.”

To donate to the fundraiser, visit www.gofundme.com/ben-jess-amp-penny-emergency-fund.