Kriti Mehrotra
With Lifetime’s ‘Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story’ revisiting the tale of the courageous titular EMS service provider, we get a biographical drama that is simply gripping. After all, she put her life at risk to help those trapped by the raging Camp Fire in 2018, which was later ascertained to be the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. She herself had two near-death experiences before she found herself at a triage point, and then her training kicked in to such an extent that she truly lost herself in helping others.
Nichole Jolly Helped Evacuate 67 Patients From Her Workplace
Although not much regarding Nichole Jolly’s background or early years is publicly available as of writing, we do know she developed an interest in the healthcare industry early on. She seemingly always wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps, who is a proud registered nurse. Therefore, she enrolled at Butte College to pursue a nursing degree as soon as she graduated from Paradise High School, all the while working at Enloe Medical Center as a Phlebotomy Technician. She then earned a Master’s in Nursing from Chamberlain University, specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner, before finally stepping into the industry as a full-fledged professional.
Therefore, by the time 2018 rolled around, Nichole had climbed up the ladder and was serving as a surgical nurse at the small 101-bed acute care Adventist Health Feather River Hospital. So, she went to work as normal early on the morning of November 8, 2018, only to see a terrifying orange blaze across the canyon, which her boss told her at 7:15 am was a wildfire. Little did she know that a mere 10 minutes later, the loudspeakers of this establishment would start blaring because the flames had managed to move in on them very, very quickly.
Nichole subsequently spent 45 minutes diligently working to transfer 67 admitted patients of their small hospital to nearby medical centers before doing a final sweep of the now smoke-filled ER and then sprinting away before the fire doors locked shut. Her initial plan was to make her way to Enloe Medical Center in Chico because she knew they would need all possible hands on deck, but within minutes, she got caught in a fire tornado. Her best friend and fellow surgical nurse Karen Davis was in the car in front of her, and they were both quickly surrounded by smoke.
Despite Facing Trauma, Nichole Jolly Dedicated Herself to Helping Others
Even though it was still morning, when Nichole was in her vehicle, she could see nothing but flames and dark clouds of smoke, so she called her husband, Nic Jolly, thinking he could help. The mother of three explained the situation to him, but as soon as he said he was coming to get her, she realized there was no way he could find his way into this packed two-lane road. That’s when she told him to get their kids and get them to safety because she doesn’t think she is going to make it out alive. She also told him to pass on her love to him, but he wouldn’t have it. Instead, he told her to run. Nichole heeded her husband’s advice and got out of her vehicle, only to run to her best friend’s car to help her out, but Karen’s door handles as well as her windows were already melted, and the car was filled with smoke.
The nurse believed it was too late for her, so she went ahead to another car and another person, not realizing her pants had caught fire, which only went out after she sat in the latter’s car to see if they needed help. Nichole then ran out in the dark again, still hearing her husband’s voice in her head, only to suddenly find herself facing a fire engine. She was immediately taken in by the firefighters inside, but soon, smoke started filling the engine too. The Fire Captain called for air support, but was told it was impossible for help to get there on time, so Nichole again started believing she was going to die. However, suddenly, a bulldozer came out from the side and started pushing the vehicles out of danger, enabling them to go into the only clear direction they could, back to the Feather River Hospital.
There, terrified residents were already seeking shelter, and a triage had been set up, so Nichole immediately got to work, dressing wounds and monitoring heart rates as best as she could. Thankfully, Karen had also managed to escape and was back at work, bringing both nurses an additional sense of relief. Since the former was one of the few employees there who had access to the codes to the locked ER and ICU, she and Karen even went as far as to brave the suffocating smoke to go back in for emergency supplies. The duo worked till around 4 pm before they were able to leave in a coworker’s car, and only then did they tend to themselves. Nichole had burns on her legs and had to be treated for severe smoke inhalation, but what finally brought her some peace was hugging her family at 5 pm.
Nichole Continues to Efficiently Juggle Her Personal and Professional Lives
Nichole undeniably deserved to have some time off owing to the ordeal she faced, especially as she also lost her beloved home in the wildfire, but she chose to return to work as soon as possible. As a trained nurse and EMS service provider who is also no stranger to wildfires, considering she is a native of Paradise, California, she knew people would always need help, and she wanted to provide it. However, she and her family did ask for help from the community to get back on their feet again by setting up a PayPal account as well as a GoFundMe page, even if doing so was harder than they ever imagined because of how new it was for them.
Since then, Nichole and her family have managed to settle down in their hometown to start a new chapter of their lives, all the while surrounded by a solid support system. She has even moved on from the Feather River Hospital to now serve as an Expert Registered Nurse at Butte College (from November 2019) and a Hospice Nurse at the Valley View Hospice and Palliative Care Center (from January 2024). The now 41-year-old travel enthusiast is also an endurance horseback rider. She did the Tevis Endurance Ride in 2021, which only made her even more thankful for the life she has now.
Therefore, today, Nichole lives her life to the best of her abilities alongside her family. Together, they’ve embraced their passion for horseback riding as well as having them, pigs, chickens, and dogs as pets. Sadly, they lost one of their dogs, Ellie Mae, to old age in June 2019 after years of having her unwavering love and loyalty. Furthermore, it’s imperative to note the family enjoys trips to local rodeos as well as fishing and hunting together, making it clear they are a really tight-knit group.
Read More: Nichole Jolly’s Husband and Kids Are Still Her Guiding Light Today
