The fires in Los Angeles are becoming some of the most destructive and expensive in the nation’s history.
Total damage and loss estimates are between $250 billion and $275 billion, according to AccuWeather. Meanwhile, Cal Fire says at least 24 people have been killed, more than 40,588 acres have burned and 12,300 structures have been destroyed.
But some houses – despite all the others around them burning to ashes – miraculously survived unscathed.
Shocking aerial photos of Malibu’s coastline revealed one residence that escaped the fire’s wrath, despite everything else burning to the ground on either side of it.
The contemporary three-story residence belongs to Waste Management CEO David Steiner.
While his white mansion remains standing without any visible damage, the houses on either side and along the shoreline were nothing but smoldering, smoldering ruins.
“I don’t use the word ‘miracle,'” Steiner told ABC13 Eyewitness News about his home’s survival. He bought the home in 2015 and doesn’t live in it full-time.
“I say it’s great architecture, brave firefighters and maybe a little miracle,” he added, speculating that the house’s “concrete design” helped it survive.
Why do some houses survive massive fires?
“The survival of the houses, while others around them were destroyed, can actually be attributed to a mixture of careful planning, structural integrity, environmental factors and great effort,” says fire safety expert Daniel Vasilevski, of Bright Force Electrical.
First, surviving houses can simply be made better with fire-resistant materials such as stucco, metal and stone, and roofs of clay or metal. Windows can be double-glazed, keeping them from breaking from the heat and preventing flames from entering the home. Sealed gaps in walls will also stop smoke and fire from entering the home where it can spread and cause more damage.
“The choice of materials is not just an aesthetic or cost decision,” says Vasilevski. “It directly affects a structure’s ability to withstand even extreme fire conditions.”
“The main factors that affect whether a house will catch fire in a firestorm have to do with the materials it’s built from, its state of repair and the management of surrounding ornamental vegetation,” adds Wayne Whitney, fire investigator with Scene Analysis. The fire. .
“The houses featured in the stories provided online appeared to have fireproof roofs and exterior walls with plenty of ‘sheltered’ space in their immediate surroundings.
A stunning example of this is Tom Hanks’ mansion on the cliff. As the fire spread across his Pacific Palisades bluff, burning homes above and below it, Hanks’ $26 million home, which he reportedly bought with wife Rita Wilson in 2010, appears untouched by the flames or smoke.
“Tom Hanks’ Malibu mansion is a great example of how fire-resistant construction helps in fire-prone areas,” says Vasilevski. “Reports suggest the home has reinforced concrete and a fire-resistant roof, which both are very effective against embers and heat.â€
Aerial photos essentially show a “moat” around Hanks’ home without much vegetation, which is fuel for the fire.
“Limiting foliage away from the structure is another key to protecting against fire spread. The photo of the Hanks’ home shows this top of the landscape, although the single tree on the right could be a problem, says fire safety expert Jessica Lauren, of Fire Damaged House Aid.
As for Steiner’s oceanfront mansion, its structural design also played a big role in making the house stand out intact.
“David Steiner’s Malibu residence includes pillars driven 50 feet into the stone foundation,” Vasilevski explains. “While these are mainly intended to provide stability during seismic activity, they also make the houses more resistant to fires. A deeply anchored foundation resists heat-induced shifts or cracks in the ground, which could otherwise weaken the structure and expose it to flames or embers.
Fires can loosen the soil beneath a structure to the point where gaps and cracks form in the home, allowing embers to enter. A landslide-resistant building is much less likely to have this happen.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Hader’s Pacific Palisades mansion also miraculously survived. Aerial photos show a stunning scene of houses flattened by fire on all sides, while the “Barry” actor’s white, two-story contemporary home, with a guest house or garage to the side with solar panels on the roof, is eerily intact.
Stay up-to-date with NYP’s coverage of the devastating wildfires in the LA area
Environmental factors
“Fires are affected by factors such as wind patterns, topography and available fuels,” says Vasilevski. “In the Palisades fire, some homes may have been spared because of these environmental factors. Hills and canyons may pass fire differently, meaning some homes may sit in areas less affected by radiant heat or direct flames.
Alisa Wolfson, a journalist who lives in Pacific Palisades with her husband and two daughters, ages 7 and 10, told Yahoo News that her home was destroyed. She and her family currently live in a hotel.
However, she was shocked to see that two houses in front of her were not only intact, but their fences remained green.
Expert Institute fire origin investigator John Miller explains: “Some plants and trees burn more vigorously than others.”
As for why one side of the road might be destroyed while the other remains unscathed, he adds, “The wind may have shifted while a structure was involved next door, which directed the heat and flames in a different direction and away from the structure that it didn’t burn.â€
Some people are lucky
Then there’s the one thing no one can control: fate.
A change of wind, natural barriers like rocks or embers that just don’t land on a house can save a property when others around it aren’t so lucky.
“Luck plays a factor,” says Lauren. “My home in another geographic location further south was routinely spared when wild Santa Anas sent embers into other adjacent and nearby neighborhoods.
“Lucky. No other reason.”
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Image Source : nypost.com