Dick Van Dyke has had a rotten start to the new year with wildfires causing chaos to domestic arrangements, but he’s soldiering on and making the best of a bad situation, much to the admiration of friends and family.
“He’s defying the odds, and everyone around him is in awe,” an insider exclusively tells Closer. “He’s always had a gift for looking on the bright side even when things were bleak. He’s getting through the mayhem and looking to enjoy his 99th year, count his blessings and get a sense of what’s on his plate in the months ahead.”
In December 2024, Dick, 99, and his wife, Arlene Silver, were forced to evacuate their Malibu home as the Franklin Fire ravaged their neighborhood. The Mary Poppins actor recalled leaving his home amid the blaze.
“I was trying to crawl to the car. I had exhausted myself. I couldn’t get up,” he said during an interview with NBC News correspondent Dana Griffin. “And three neighbors came and carried me out, and came back and put out a little fire in the guesthouse and saved me.”
In a Facebook post, Dick revealed that one of his cats, Bobo, had escaped during the evacuation.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” he wrote. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Luckily, Dick and Arlene were reunited with Bobo when they returned home after the fire.
“We found Bobo as soon as we arrived back home this morning. There was so much interest in his disappearance that Animal Control was called in to assist,” the legendary performer wrote on Facebook. “But, thankfully he was easy to find and not harmed.”
At the start of 2025, many celebrities were forced to flee their Malibu homes after fires ripped through Southern California. Arlene revealed on Instagram Live that their home was still standing but they did lose power.
“Keeping Dick warm and entertained has been the two things that have been my top priority, so, you know, we don’t have power […] or regular electricity, so we don’t have WiFi,” she said, revealing they were utilizing Arlene’s nearby camper to charge their electronic devices.
“Dick is more comfortable here than anywhere else,” she said. “It’s easier to take care of him here.”
Still, she said they had no plans of leaving Malibu and moving somewhere else after the devastation the area has faced.
The source tells Closer that Dick is counting his blessings after the harrowing experiences.
“His wife, Arlene, is caring for him, but he’s doing pretty well by himself,” the source says. “It’s true he’s had some scary times – remember he had to evacuate in December during the Franklin fire and completely exhausted himself – but he’s stronger than people know, and he wants to stay put in Malibu, and thankfully he’s got Arlene to help him up when needed.”
More recently, the Emmy winner revealed he’s been keeping himself busy by exercising regularly.
“Somebody said, ‘To what do you attribute your age and physical condition?’ I said, ‘I’ve always exercised three days a week,’” he said during a January 22 appearance on the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast. “We go to the gym, still, three days a week, and I think that’s it.”
