car engine caught on fire

Why do we tell stories?

There is something to learn or there is some relief to be had. For me, telling this story gives me relief.

I’m not one to sensationalize things. I usually only post positive things with good news to try and tip the balance towards good. I want people to be inspired to have a better day, or to go about their activities with kindness and compassion. I think it makes the world a better place.That said, I have a story to tell. I don’t tell this story because I want sympathy. Everyone is fine. but today my car caught on fire. Yes, everyone is fine.

But in a pandemic or post-pandemic world, where the headlines are full of inhumanity and drama, I wanted to share that today people were kind and showed neighborliness. It gives me inspiration that we can turn the corner if we share more stories like this.

My long time dear friend Cher (no, not the celebrity) and I were traveling on the freeway in the San Fernando Valley going west on the CA118, with her two young grandchildren age 10 and 6 in the backseat. I was driving and we were on our way to go shop for bathing suits, so the kids could run and play in the sprinklers and enjoy the sunshine, a fun thing to do on a hot California Sunday before the work week starts again. The car sputtered. After determining that it was not out of gas, we continued on. But the engine failed. So I safely coasted and took the freeway off-ramp to a neighborhood on Hayvenhurst, in Granada Hills, pulled to the side of the road, parked the car and then heard a “kunk”, followed by some smoke coming out of the engine.

Cher took the kids and immediately got them out of the car to safety and made the emergency call. I tried to open the hood, but was unsuccessful. More smoke, followed by flames licking the side of the engine hood! The engine was on fire!

People started to come out of their houses to help, and nearby cars stopped to check and see that we were okay.

Some locals, Vanessa Garcia and her brother Rafael pulled over with a small fire extinguisher he had to help put the fire out.

But it was not enough and the flames escalated. Somehow, keeping my cool I used my camera to take photos and videos. Maybe that’s my coping mechanism. As long as I’m documenting and telling a story I can be distracted from my own emotions.

The fire trucks arrived,

and the LA Fire Department quickly controlled the fire and put it out. The flames and smoke were dramatic for me to see.

Even more exciting was that they had to use a blade saw to cut open the hood to get to the fire to put it out.

Los Angeles City Firefighter Nick Pellegrini put me at ease.

I don’t know what it is that makes this so emotional for me. We were safely out of the car. The fire was put out. The car is now gone, but that’s minor. No one was hurt. A kind lady offered to drive us with all our stuff to my house.

I realize that what got to me was the kindness shown by the neighbors and passersby in that community, and the competence shown by the firemen.

We are living in a world where too many stories of hatred and violence and attacks on political and religious leaders are dominating the news feeds. I wanted to share this story, because I feel that kindness was shown to me and my friend and her family, and we are grateful.

I’m a casting director, working on commercials and films in Los Angeles. I never thought that I would find myself also being a filmmaker and story teller in this way. But it’s made me feel even more strongly that we need to open up things more and more so that the real true filmmakers and story tellers can get out there and do just that - tell more stories.

Hopefully, my little experience will inspire others to help a stranger in need. 

It may seem like a small thing that a few neighbors stepped out of their house to come help a couple of strangers whose car caught on fire, but it’s those small things that bring us a positive perspective on how get through things. Tell your stories! #inspire others!

And now the kids are happily playing in the sprinklers in the sun!

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