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Man helped with Kincade Fire evacuations, then lost his car in the grass fire on I-5

Willie Hoskins had to make run for it as the flames devoured his car on Interstate 5 near Natomas on Sunday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif — Willie Hoskins works for a medical transport company and spent 18 hours helping hospitals evacuate in Santa Rosa as the Kincade Fire spread. 

On his way back home to Yuba City, Hoskins decided to spend the night in Sacramento to visit family and get some rest. But on Sunday, he found himself in the middle of a rapidly-growing grass fire along I-5 near Natomas.

"I don't know what's going on," said Hoskins. "It's just a lot of ambulances going by, and the traffic is at a standstill."

RELATED: I-5 reopened after grass fire ignites, torches several cars near Natomas

Hoskins pulled over to the shoulder to let emergency crews pass, but he had no idea a grass fire was growing there on the shoulder.

"Thank God I was aware of my surroundings because when I looked up it was a fire behind me," Hoskins recalled. "It was unreal. I had to doublecheck. Is this really real? Is there a fire behind me? It's getting real close. I'm getting hot. I can't see. I'm starting to panic a little, and I look again, and just that fast the fire is by my trunk."

Hoskins said he knew then that he was going to have to make a run for it.

"All I could hear is people saying, 'Run this way!'" said Willie.

RELATED: Man helped guide drivers off I-5 near Natomas as grass fire approached

Gerald Contreras directed people to safety. ABC10 spoke to him on Monday. He said he gave Hoskins a ride home after the scary ordeal.

"And he had just bought his car a week ago and he ended up losing that car," Contreras said.

Hoskins said he is just happy to be alive.

"I think had I been distracted. And as fast as the fire was moving I think it could have been a different outcome," Hoskins said.

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WATCH MORE: Sacramento man saves panicked freeway drivers as wildfire takes over freeway

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