Dick Van Dyke Celebrates 99th Birthday After Wildfire Evacuation
It's Dick Van Dyke's birthday!
The comedy legend is celebrating a big birthday on Dec. 13, and this year is extra special for multiple reasons.
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After "praying" he would make it to his 99th birthday, the award-winning actor is officially observing the landmark event—and to honor his special day, he reshared two very touching social media posts. On Friday, Van Dyke re-posted a Facebook montage that touted him as "incomparable" and "inimitable."
He later endorsed a carousel of images snapped at different points during his illustrious career that a fan shared on Instagram, which dubbed him "one of the most funny comedians and a great actor."
Milestone life achievement aside, shortly before ringing in the big day, Van Dyke was reunited with his beloved cat after the two were separated during the terrifying wildfire and evacuations that rocked Malibu, Calif., this week.
In an interview that first aired on Dec. 12, the Mary Poppins actor recalled how his neighbors came to his rescue and, ultimately, "saved" his life.
While appearing on Thursday's episode of Today, the actor provided the show with footage from his Ring camera that showed him and his wife, Arlene, making their way down the front steps with some of their pets as the Franklin Fire approached.
“It was coming over the hill; you could see it,” he said. “And, oh, my God. And we got out of here," Van Dyke went on, recalling how he tried to “crawl to the car” but his neighbors "came and carried [him] out."
“[They] saved me,” he said.
According to recent reports, over 4,000 acres have been scorched by the flames. As of writing Friday at noon, firefighters had only contained about 30 percent of the wildfire.
Next: Chris Martin Rushes to Dick Van Dyke's Side During Near-Fall on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'