Tundra Owner Melts Truck Evacuating Patients from Camp Fire, Toyota Will Replace

Allyn Pierce, a registered nurse, risked his life and sacrificed his truck to save lives while his hometown of Paradise, California burned. Toyota steps up and offers a brand new Tundra.

California wildfire season is upon us, and those of us who call the Golden State home are reeling from the images of the wake of destruction coming out of the Woolsey Fire in the south and the Camp Fire in the north. The Camp Fire death toll stands at 42, making it the deadliest fire in state history. Sadly that count is expected to climb. Out of the tragedy are tales of harrowing escapes, and for at least one resident of Paradise — a step toward rebuilding.

Allyn Pierce is a registered nurse at Adventist Health Feather River in Paradise, California. He and his co-workers put themselves directly in the path of the fire to evacuate patients out of the burning hospital, in a truly heroic display of bravery and selflessness.

Pierce shared a picture of his thoroughly scorched Toyota Tundra, which has gone viral in the off-road community and beyond. If a picture says a thousand words, this one tells the tale of just how dangerous the escape was for Pierce and his patients.

Like many gear-heads, Pierce set up an Instagram account to cover the build of his truck, which  he cleverly named “The Pandra” due to its white and  black color colorway. His post as he pointed out, was the ultimate “Toyota commercial” and has since resonated with Toyota owners and now, off-roading fans of every stripe. Respect for heroism is beyond any make or model preference.

With fans calling for Toyota to help, they stepped up in a huge way by offering a replacement Tundra for Pierce. While Pierce could not be reached for comment, Toyota HQ shared their admiration for his heroic acts:

Our hearts go out to the victims of the devastating California wild fires. We are extremely grateful to all of the emergency crews who are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires and helping people to safety. We are especially thankful to one hero in particular, Allyn Pierce, for risking his life and sacrificing his Toyota Tundra to drive people to safety. Toyota is so humbled by Mr. Pierce’s selfless act that we’re pleased to offer him a brand new Tundra.

Toyota’s offer has helped to open the floodgates of support to help Pierce rebuild his treasured Tundra. At the time of this publishing several shops including the Rockstar Garage, RPM Garage and many others have publicly offered to cover the rebuild. Countless accessory manufacturers have also offered to lend a hand. (Update: A representative from BFGoodrich has confirmed they will also offer Pierce his choice of a set of BFG or Michelin tires.)

Rebuilding a truck will not erase the abject suffering or loss that the fires have subjected to their victims. However, celebrating the heroism of Pierce and helping him to start over feels like a triumph of the human spirit. Those of us who have lost loved ones or experience extreme loss know taking action of any kind often helps with  the grieving process.

A GoFundMe page has been set-up for the Pierce Family,  and can be accessed here.