We've all participated in the classic thought-exercise: if your house was on fire, and you could only grab a couple things, what would you choose?

For newlyweds Ishu and Laura Rao, the hypothetical question became very real recently, when a wildfire swept through their Southern California neighborhood and right up to their front door in the middle of the night. In the fast-moving blaze, the couple had just a couple minutes to wake Ishu's two daughters, find their pets, and get out of the house.

Among the many items that didn't make it out with them were Laura's engagement and wedding rings, which she had only gotten the chance to wear for a few months. Their house was entirely burned to the ground in the wildfire.

But Ishu and Laura didn't give up. The couple returned to the remains of the home to search for the rings, and after figuring out the most likely location for where Laura had left them, they caught an incredible lucky break: Ishu found both rings!

In the heat of the moment, Ishu felt a spark of inspiration. He got right down on one knee and "proposed" to his wife for a second time.

"I adore her to pieces, so if I can put a smile on her face I'm going to do it," Ishu said of his decision to present his wife with her the engagement ring.

His gesture totally worked. According to Laura, the proposal "put everything into perspective. It took all the pain away and reminded me of what matters in life: the people around you."

Photo via NBC San Diego. To read more miraculous stories like this one, check us out on Facebook, or sign up for our Only Good News Newsletter!