Suspenseful bodycam video shows dramatic wildfire evacuations: Video

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ABCNews.com(SANTA ROSA, Calif.) — Suspenseful body-camera footage of last year’s deadly Santa Rosa wildfires shows officers racing to evacuate residents in the middle of the night as flames destroyed the surrounding neighborhood, according to The Santa Rosa Police department, which released snippets of footage on its YouTube page.

One video shows officers banging on a door and yelling for residents to exit a home as a wall of flames rages in the backyard.

Another video appears to show two officers carrying an elderly resident down the stairs, outside and into a squad car.

“There is a fire coming your way — you need to leave now,” another officer announced over a squad car loudspeaker.

In one rescue, a resident who appears to be disoriented, asks, “Is my home on fire?”

ABC News previously reported that more than 40 people died in the wildfires, which also destroyed thousands of homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Santa Rosa, a city of about 175,000 in Sonoma County, was among the hardest-hit areas, with at least 2,834 homes, businesses and other buildings destroyed. Critical infrastructure was also lost in the flames, including the city’s fire station, according to Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey.

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