A nearly 100-year-old “miracle house” survived the devastating Hawaii wildfires

Aug 22, 2023

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One house in Lahaina, Hawaii, managed to survive the wildfires, earning it the nickname “miracle house.”

The home, owned by Trip and Dora Millikin, stands in contrast to the others around it, which have been destroyed by the wildfires. “It looks like it was photoshopped in,” Trip Millikin told the Honolulu Civil Beat, referring to the house’s appearance in images of the wildfires’ aftermath. 

The wildfires started on August 8 and have killed at least 115 people, left more than 800 people missing, and destroyed nearly all of the town’s infrastructure. The morning after the fire started, the Millikins received a call informing them that their house had survived. 


“We started crying,” Trip Millikin told Civil Beat. “I felt guilty. We still feel guilty.” 


Several factors likely contributed to the house's survival. The Millikins said their house was constructed with California redwood, a wood known for being fire resistant. They had also replaced the roof with a commercial-grade steel one. 


According to Michael Wara, the director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Wood Institute for the Environment, replacing the existing landscaping around their house with river stones likely helped the most. By doing that, the Millikins ensured there was nothing combustible directly around their house.

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The Millikins have been in Massachusetts since before the wildfires began and haven't been able to return, but they said that they intend to establish their home as a community support center of sorts. “Let's rebuild this together,” Trip Millikin said. “This house will become a base for all of us. Let's use it.”