Dick Van Dyke was rescued by neighbors during a fire in Malibu and reunited with his cat

Dick Van Dyke celebrates his 99th birthday on Friday with his wife and pets – including his beloved cat Bobo, who briefly disappeared – thanks to neighbors who helped rescue the legendary film and stage actor from his home this week, as a wildfire swept through Malibu.

Van Dyke and his wife Arlene were among thousands of residents forced to evacuate their homes due to the Franklin Fire, which broke out Monday evening and was driven by strong Santa Ana winds and eventually spread to 4,000 acres.

Van Dyke wrote on Facebook that he and his wife were able to safely evacuate their home. But the situation was more upsetting than the “Mary Poppins” star admitted. The six-time Emmy winner struggled to untangle a water hose as the fire approached his home in the Serra Retreat community in Malibu, Van Dyke told NBC 4 News.

“I’m laying out there on the ground trying to untie this fire hose and the fire comes over the hill,” he said. “I exhausted myself. I forgot how old I was and realized I had to crawl to get out.”

Several homes were destroyed in Malibu, including in the Serra Retreat area. But Van Dyke was saved by his neighbors.

“And three neighbors came and carried me out, and when they came back they put out a small fire in the guesthouse and saved me,” Van Dyke said.

The helpful neighbors led Van Dyke to a nearby vehicle as ash fell on his driveway, according to footage from a surveillance camera on his property. Then two firefighters arrived. His house was saved, Van Dyke said.

Although he and his wife were able to escape with their pets, one of their cats, Bobo, could not be found. But when the couple returned home, they received a welcome surprise.

“We found Bobo when we got back home this morning,” Van Dyke wrote in a subsequent Facebook post. “Interest in his disappearance was so great that animal protection authorities were called to help. But luckily he was easy to find and unharmed.”

The post received many congratulations from fans, and as with every holiday miracle in Southern California, members of British rock band Coldplay also chimed in to offer their support. The band recently released a video for their new single “All My Love,” which features lead singer Chris Martin at the piano serenading Van Dyke, who sings and dances to the tune.

“Dick – we send love and prayers to you, Arlene and everyone affected by these fires. Call us if there is anything we can do for you. I love Phil, Chris, Guy, Jonny and Will,” Coldplay wrote in a comment on Bobo’s photo.