Homeowners Share Surprising Factor That Helped Their Homes Survive The Hawaii Fires
Note: This story, originally reported in August 2023, is being republished.
A distinctive house in Maui with a striking red roof has gained significant attention for its remarkable survival amid devastating wildfires. The homeowner has shared insights into the factors she believes contributed to the house remaining intact while the surrounding area was consumed by flames.
Last week, stunning aerial photos of the unharmed property circulated widely, leading to various conspiracy theories, including claims of a targeted laser attack causing the local destruction.
Dora Atwater Millikin, the owner, credits her home’s resilience to a series of renovations made recently, which were not specifically aimed at fire protection.
“The house is entirely made of wood, so we didn’t fireproof it or anything like that,” Millikin, a landscape painter, told the Los Angeles Times.
During the renovations, Millikin and her husband, Dudley, a retired portfolio manager, were unaware of the impending wildfires. Their goal was simply to restore the 100-year-old house they had owned for three years, driven by a passion for preserving historical architecture.
“We love old buildings and wanted to honor the structure,” Millikin explained. “We didn’t make any modifications; we just restored it.”
One decision that may have played a key role in the house’s survival was the replacement of the traditional asphalt roof with a heavy-gauge metal roof. Although this change wasn’t intended for fire resistance, it proved beneficial.
Millikin recounted that during the fire, “pieces of wood—some up to 12 inches long—were alight and floating through the air due to the wind.” These flaming debris could ignite roofs, but the metal roof provided a strong defense against them.
Their landscaping choices also contributed to the home’s protection. While initially aimed at deterring termites, their decisions aligned with expert recommendations for wildfire safety. They lined the area around the house with stones up to the drip line of the roof and removed flammable plants near the walls.
Susie Kocher, a forestry advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, praised their efforts, emphasizing the importance of keeping combustible shrubs away from homes to prevent ignition from embers.
The home’s location further aided its survival. Surrounded on three sides by the ocean, a road, and an empty lot, it was shielded from primary fire fuels.
While the house was equipped with sprinklers, power outages during the crisis rendered them ineffective. Nevertheless, the couple had cleared flammable materials from the area beneath the deck facing the ocean.
According to Kocher, embers rather than direct flames often trigger home fires, a concept that many still misunderstand, leading to unfounded conspiracy theories.
As Millikin and her husband prepare to return to Maui, they plan to assist their neighbors who lost their homes in the fires. They stress the significance of community support in challenging times.
“We lost neighbors, and many lost everything,” Millikin said. “In situations like this, we need to care for one another and rebuild together. It’s a collective effort to restore what has been lost.”
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