As the California wildfires continue to rage across the state, the order to evacuate has been spreading quicker than the fire. Most people hear the order to evacuate, pack up, load the car and get out of dodge. Some choose to stay, either because they are too stubborn to be moved by anyone's will other than their own, or because they have work to do before leaving.
77-year-old Peter Lang falls into the latter category. Lang owns the Safari West Park and Animal Preserve in Santa Rosa, California, and he wouldn't allow himself to flee to safety until he knew the animals under his charge were safe from harm. He refused to leave because the raging fires were looking to be a on a direct collision course with his safari.
Dressed in a hooded sweater soaked in water, armed with only a garden hose, he prepared for battle against the virtually unstoppable power of fire...
Lang ended up battling the flames overnight, running from fire to fire, soaking them with his trusty garden hose. A battle that would have looked hopeless to an outsider, wasn't as hopeless as you would think. Over the course of the night he single handedly fought the fires threatening his animals. When it was all said and done, not a single one of the animals living on his safari perished.
Lang's selflessness didn't end there. When the public found out about his act of bravery they started offering to donate money to help the park get back up and running, and he turned them down. Instead he asked those interested in donating to him to donate to other charities in the area helping those affected by the massive outbreak of wildfires.
In a world that needs role models, Peter Lang has led by example.