After Breaking Down Their Camp in Just 10 Minutes, Family Hikes 37 Miles to Escape Wildfire

After breaking down their camp in just 10 minutes, a family hikes 37 miles to escape a wildfire. They thought it would be three days of quiet—just the lake, the hush of pines, the tug of fish on the line, and the comfort of family gathered under canvas and stars. But sometimes the wilderness holds more than beauty. Sometimes it holds the unexpected.

Ana Weaver woke to the sound of rotors and the sight of smoke mushrooming like a storm rising straight from the earth. A plume, dark and urgent, filled the sky. Helicopters beat the air with warning, and texts from fire crews crackled through a fragile satellite connection: “Leave ASAP. It’s closer than 4 miles.”

They Packed Up the Camp in 10 Minutes

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“We packed up our camp in, like, 10 minutes,” Ana said. The ordinary mess of camp—blankets, pans, rods, shoes—left behind.  They left with only what they could carry. Their lives were on the line.

A nursing student, Caleb Cantwell, admitted the truth of that moment: “It just got more and more urgent and definitely scary.” Behind them, the Beulah Fire pressed forward, already consuming acres of the High Uintas wilderness near Bear Lake. Ahead of them stretched a trail that would take them more than 37 miles, round trip, out of danger.

They Prayed With Their Feet As They Escaped a Wildfire

They prayed with their feet, one step after another. Sometimes, God doesn’t part the sea; sometimes, He just makes a way through the wilderness through technology, prayers, and help. They checked directions through satellite messages to Ana’s mom, who gave them blessed breadcrumbs of directions. They would go North, walk for an hour, send a location, and walk again.

Ana said, “We would text my mom through the satellite connect and be like, where are we? Which direction should we go? And she would tell us, like north, south, east, west, and we would walk for another hour, send our location, do the whole thing again.”

Every step is a miracle. Every mile a mercy.

God Was With Them

While the wilderness went up in flames, the Weaver family walked out of fire and smoke and into safety because God was with them—guiding, protecting, and reminding them that even in the fiercest flames, He is still faithful.

When they finally reached the trailhead, weary but whole, they knew their story wasn’t just survival. It was a miracle they made it out alive and a reminder that God walks with us through the fires.

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“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2

WATCH: After Breaking Down Their Camp in Just 10 Minutes, Family Hikes 37 Miles to Escape Wildfire

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h/t: KSL.com

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Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.