The devastating wildfires and wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have almost completely destroyed the popular historic town of Lahaina. But one house miraculously defied the inferno of flames. While the neighborhood is in ruins, it has survived unscathed — renovations focused on something very different from fire safety may have saved the house.
The building with the bright red roof looks like it was copied from the photo that shows the devastation of the small town. Neighboring houses burned down, but the only remaining house in the area has a pristine white exterior as if nothing happened – it’s actually made of wood. But how is that possible?
Owner: “It’s a 100 percent wooden house”
Renovations could be responsible for the “miracle”. The home’s owners, Dora Atwater Millikin and her husband, Dudley Long Millikin III, have recently made changes to the building. “It’s a 100 percent wood house, so we didn’t make it fireproof or anything,” Dora told the LA Times. The asphalt roof was replaced with a thick metal roof and the foliage around the house was reduced. But all of this is actually done to prevent termites from spreading indoors, and not at all for fire safety reasons.
Metal roof apparently defies burning debris
“When all this was happening, there were pieces of wood – six, twelve inches long – that were on fire and almost blown through the air with the wind,” said the homeowner. She is convinced that if they had an asphalt roof, it would have caught fire. Even the leaves, which they luckily removed, would probably have set the building on fire.
The couple has lived on Maui for ten years and bought the house three years ago. The two were not home when the fire raged: they were visiting their family in Massachusetts at the time. A day after the fire raged, they received a call with the good news that the building had survived the fire disaster.
The forest and wildfires devastated the island about two weeks ago. More than 110 people died in the flames, but the number could increase dramatically: 1000 people are missing. The fire disaster is one of the most devastating major fires in the United States in the past 100 years.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
