A Minnesota storm follower who was inside a burning Los Angeles home this week as California wildfires erupted spoke about how his faith was “instinctual” as he prayed on an ember-filled street during an evacuation. I told you what it was like.
Tanner Charles Scharf, who flew to Los Angeles to spend the holidays with friends, said God told him to extend his trip by a few days.
“I was praying about it [and] “We felt like we needed to extend it. The next day, the fire broke out,” Schaaf told Fox News Digital.
Tanner Charles Scharf shared a photo of the house he and a friend fled from during the California wildfires. (Tanner Charles Scharf)
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Schaaf said he has been following natural disasters for more than 16 years and has never seen a wildfire as large as the Palisades fire.
He met with a friend in the Los Angeles area who helped him gather his belongings, even though it meant he would lose a lot of money.
“We went [to his house] “Then I started hosing down all the plants because I noticed that a lot of the vegetation was going to burn first before the house was going to burn,” Schaaf said.[ing] We do our best to make it as fire resistant as possible. ”
He and his friend took positions in front and back of the house, each with a hose. They gathered indoors to check on each other and watched as hot embers engulfed nearby trees and fences in flames.
“In about 10 to 20 seconds, the entire fence was on fire,” Schaaf said. “I'm looking outside. [saying]“It's time to go. We can't do that. 'It was scary. ”
Tanner Charles Scharf shared a photo of the house he and a friend fled from during the California wildfires. (Tanner Charles Scharf)
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A video of the couple's escape from the house, posted by Schaaf, has received millions of views on the social media platform X.
In the video, Schaaf yells to his friend, “We tried, we're sorry.” “We did our best.”
He described hearing random explosions and likening it to a war zone.
Tanner Charles Scharf shared a photo of the house he and a friend fled from during the California wildfires. (Tanner Charles Scharf)
“You'll see embers falling, wind howling, smoke, and explosions,” Schaaf said. “You could hear the embers lighting things up right next to us. It was really loud. … It felt like we were in a giant oven.”
In another viral video, Scharf can be heard praying for the neighborhood as the two walk quickly out onto the burning street.
“God, protect this house in the name of Jesus,” he said, raising his hands toward the houses. “Please protect this neighborhood, God, in the name of Jesus, I pray, amen.”
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His friend responded in the distance, “This tree is going to kill us.”
Tanner Charles Scharf shared a photo of the house he and a friend fled from during the California wildfires. (Tanner Charles Scharf)
Schaaf said it's important to incorporate faith into everything you do, especially in situations where you know your life will be changed forever.
He recalled talking to an elderly man who had refused evacuation and was hunkering down with his young nephews.
“He was like, 'Oh, it's okay. My house is fireproof,'” Schaaf said. “Sometimes in the back of my mind I wonder, ‘Did they really succeed?’ I think it’s really important to take time to pray. [it] You can change many things in the world. ”
Scharf said a few years ago, while chasing a storm, he asked God to show him strength. He said God told him to start praying when he was in a dangerous situation.
Tanner Charles Scharf shared a photo of the house he and a friend fled from during the California wildfires. It was completely destroyed in the fire, Schaaf said. (Tanner Charles Scharf)
”[I started saying]”In the name of Jesus, I pray that this tornado dissipate right now, and I will see it dissipate right before my eyes,” Schaaf said. [me] It was just when I was praying. So to stop and pray [during the California wildfires]it was instinct. ”
While it's exciting to see the video go viral, he said he's focused on helping his friend escape the fire.
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“I love documenting real life events that people are going through and what it's like,” he said. “It just happened that millions of people ended up seeing this movie. Hopefully, people will watch it and understand the gravity of the situation and what's really going on… … Gaining fame is, so to speak, “humble.” [I’m] That's just what I'm trying to do here. [my] The best thing to do is to try to love others well. ”
