By Bond Robertson 
It appears that a single home along the beachfront was undamaged after the fire that swept through the Hawaiian island of Maui.
- A catastrophic fire broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui two weeks ago. 114 people are confirmed dead and about 850 people are missing after the fire.
- It appears that only one white house with a red roof was undamaged after the fire.
- The homeowners aren’t sure how the house will survive, but they recently renovated the house – maybe that’s what saved it.
We started crying, says homeowner Trip Milliken Honolulu Civic Victory After he saw the picture and understood that the house was still standing.
The image of the red-roofed White House went viral after the disastrous fire that devastated Maui, Hawaii two weeks ago.
114 people Confirmed deaths and about 850 People are still missing after the fire.
All the homes in the neighborhood were burned to the ground, except for Milliken’s house.
– The neighbors have lost everything
according to Los Angeles Times Many people have wondered if the photo is real.
– It looks like it was edited, says Milliken.
He says he and his wife feel guilty that the house survived. His wife, Dora Atwater Milliken, told the Los Angeles Times that they lost neighbors in the fire.
– And the neighbors lost everything.
She doesn’t understand how the house is still standing.
– It’s a 100 percent wooden house, and it’s not fireproof or anything, she says.
Completely renovated
The couple was on a trip to Massachusetts when the fire hit the island, and they were sure their house had burned down.
They bought the hundred year old house in 2021, and completely renovated it. Perhaps this is the reason why the house is still standing.
During the renovation process, they changed the roof to a steel roof, and it should be more fire resistant. In addition, the couple removed plants that had grown along the wall, and surrounded the house with gravel, the Honolulu Civil Beat writes.
Rocks are probably the most important, Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Wood Environment Institute, told the media.
He says firefighters often talk about a “zero zone” around homes, which largely determines whether homes will burn. Not having anything that could catch fire within a meter and a half of the house can help a lot.
Home will become a base for all of us
It is not certain when the couple will be able to return, but after that they plan to open the house to everyone in the neighbourhood.
– Let’s rebuild this together. Home will become a base for all of us. He says: Let’s use it.
– Many have died. So many people have lost everything, and we need to take care of each other, Dora Atwater Milliken tells the Los Angeles Times.