There were children as young as five on that bus... they must have been terrified

Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera take us back to 2018's devastating California wildfires in The Lost Bus. LYNN RUSK learns more

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ON NOVEMBER 8, 2018, a faulty power line ignited the deadliest wildfire in California's history.

For two weeks, the Camp Fire tore through Butte County, destroying the town of Paradise and devastating the nearby communities of Magalia and Concow. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 85 people and displaced more than 50,000.

Among the many individual stories that emerged from this crisis is that of bus driver Kevin McKay and elementary school teacher Mary Ludwig, who navigated a bus carrying 22 school children through a raging inferno to safety.

Despite their overwhelming concern for their own families, the pair risked their lives, working together to save others.

This story of ordinary heroes has been brought to the screen in The Lost Bus, directed by Oscar nominated British filmmaker Paul Greengrass and starring Matthew McConaughey as McKay and America Ferrera as Ludwig.

Matthew, 55, recalls meeting Kevin and hearing him recount his experience.

"Listening to Kevin go through that day, he told me about three different moments when he felt in his gut that this was not your usual fire," says the Texas-born actor.

"That when he felt in his gut that it's every person for themselves, thinking 'I gotta do what I gotta do!

"How he felt, making that decision not to go back home and pick up his mom and son, to evacuate them, and instead choose to go pick up the kids.