The wildfires that are currently choking the Los Angeles area have caused unimaginable destruction and loss of life. The Eaton Fire, in particular, has become one of the deadliest blazes in California history, with a death toll that sits at 11 and counting. It has also claimed more than 7,000 structures in the northern LA suburbs of Pasadena and Altadena, among them Brandon and Jillienne Sanders’ home. Yet sitting in the midst of the destruction was their trusty 2013 Toyota Tacoma that was parked in front of the house, scorched a bit by the flames but nonetheless in almost perfect running condition.
No Worse For The Wear
“It’s an absolute miracle it survived,” Brandon Sanders told CarBuzz. “The damage to the truck appears to be 100 percent cosmetic. The front grille and bumper cover are badly melted, as are the side molding and one of the rear tail lights.
A quick inspection under the hood revealed no obvious mechanical damage, with everything from the radiator back looking in excellent condition. However, since the keys to the truck were lost in the blaze, along with almost everything else the family owned, Sanders wasn’t able to verify if the truck would run. Armed with only the vehicle identification number, he went to have a key made at Envision Toyota in nearby West Covina, California. Once dealer employees learned why he was there, they made a new set of keys free of charge.
There’s not much better testament to this Tacoma’s durability. “I drove it out of the impacted area.” he said. “The windows were extremely dirty, but after half a bottle of glass cleaner and nearly two rolls of paper towels, they are good as new. We are now driving the truck as normal to help us get our lives back together.”
A Community Effort
“What has been most impressive about all of this is the huge outpouring of support from our friends, family, employers, companies, and even people we don’t know,” Sanders said. “Everyone’s natural instinct is to help, and that makes me really happy to be a part of all of these communities. We are very fortunate to be able to cover our basic needs, while others are not. I think donations of necessities are great, especially items that cost a little more, like shoes and jackets.”…