California woman wondered if she was going to die as she fled fire with baby

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Ellen VandenBerg didn't know if she was going to make it out of Paradise, Calif., alivewith her five-month-old son on Thursday as she fled a wildfire.

"At one point I thought: 'Should I be pouring water on my son? Are we going to die in our car?'" VandenBerg toldAs It Happenshost Carol Off.

• Paradise lost: California community 'destroyed' by wildfire
• California wildfires cause 'loss of life,' state says

Vandenberg was fleeing the Camp Firea devastating blaze that officials say has destroyed the majority of the northern California town of almost 30,000 residents.

It was one of three major blazes burning across California Friday that officials were concerned about. At least five people have been found dead in their scorched cars, according to The Associated Press.

Grabbed her baby and fled

VandenBerg was at home waiting for her husbandRyan Johnson as the sky darkened and ash started falling from above.

She realized at that moment that she had to flee.

She gathered important documents, her cat and dog, clothes, a diaper bag and her son Knox, thenjumped in the car.

"As soon as I turned onto my street, out of my little side street, I was stuck in traffic," she said.

VandenBergestimates it took her three hours to travel only 24 km.

'Just go and run'

During all of this, VandenBerg had to take care of her baby alone.

When Knoxwoke up, she was able to put her car in park and breastfeed him. She spent the rest of the slow journey, with smoke billowing around them, with Knox on her lap.

"I just kept him with me because I actually thought that I was going to have to get out and run," she said.

The one thing keeping her calm was talking to her husband, who was meeting them in the nearby town of Chico, on the phone.

Then the cell service went out.

"I was just trying to stay calm, really. I took a couple of videos of myself just to kind of have something to talk to and just tell my loved ones that I love them," she said.

The ominous smoke eventually turned to flames.

"I saw flames on one side of me at one point, and the other side at one point, and it really did feel like we were being engulfed. And we were just all sitting ducks. I mean, it was just terrifying," she said.

Officialsopened up both sides of the skywayto allow cars to get out.

"I just took off and had nobody in front of me, and I did way over the speed limit I'm sure, but I made it down to Chico," she said.

'My house is gone'

In Chico, VandenBerg reunited with her husband. They are now staying with his family in Rocklin and trying to come to terms with everything they lost.

"My house is gone," she said.

She also can't stop thinking aboutwhether all the people on the highway with her escaped.

"I just wonder how many people didn't make it, and how many older folks and people with children in their cars didn't make it," she said.

What gives her hope is the firefighters who were rushing toward the fire.

"I'm just so grateful for them," she said.

Written by Sarah Jackson with files from The Associated Press. Produced by Katie Geleff.