Napa fire survivors thank CHP officers who came to their rescue

Phillip Dahan and Linda Savoie stopped by the Napa Air Operations Hangar to thank the officers for saving their lives the night the Atlas Fire tore through their community, CHP reports on their Facebook page.

On the night of Oct. 9, Phillip Dahan and Linda Savoie were awakened by the alarming sounds of CHP helicopter H-30 sirens and a PA system warning about the Atlas Fire tearing through the county. The couple realized they needed to evacuate immediately.

As they attempted to escape from Atlas Peak, they saw that the fire had surrounded them. With both Soda Canyon and Atlas Peak roads blocked, they had no way out. The flames were so close, their only option was to lie down and allow the fires to burn over them.

The couple called their sons to say their goodbyes, thinking their time had inevitably come. Their fate changed when a CHP helicopter landed near them. The couple were rescued by Officer Lowe, who placed them into the H-30, and Officer Gavitte, who flew them to safety.

Ten weeks later, the grateful couple came to the Napa Air Operations Hangar

and shared about the tremendous impact these officers had on their lives, and thank them for their heroic actions.

"It's amazing to hear these stories of survival and how close so many people came to perishing," CHP said.