News of the devastating fires in the Lahaina area, Maui, Hawaii, in early August 2023 did not escape the public spotlight. Great fires that devoured hundreds of houses, destroying blocks into ashes are of concern to the citizens of the world. However, a photo shows that there was one white house that survived in the middle of a burning housing.
In the viral photo, the white house is still standing strong. Even the home owner thinks it looks like a photoshop. What do you think when you see it?
Newly Renovated 81 Year Old House
Whole Red Roof House amidst the Hawaii fires/via Gulf Today/ Photo: Whole Red Roof House amidst the Hawaii fires/via Gulf Today
The white house with a red roof turns out to be 81 years old, Beauties. Based on information from CBS News, the wooden house that was once occupied by sugar plantation employees stands on an area of more than a thousand square meters.
Trip Millikin and Dora Atwater Millikin, who have owned the house since 2021, also revealed to The Los Angeles Times and Honolulu Civil Beat that they had recently made renovations.
Repairs were made such as cutting the part of the tree that touches the house, arranging rocks around the house, and replacing the roof of the house with steel.
Luckily when the Maui fire happened, the Millikins were away in Massachusetts. The next day, they were sent photos by relatives that their house was the only house still standing. “This is a 100% wood house, so we didn’t make it fireproof or anything,” Dora Millikin told the Los Angeles Times.
Factors That Make Your House Untouched by Fire
A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Hawaii’s governor vowed to protect local landowners from being “victimized” by opportunistic buyers when Maui rebuilds from deadly wildfires that incinerated a historic island community. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)/ Foto: AP/Jae C. Hong
This incident was also analyzed by experts. It wasn’t because of luck or a miracle that the house survived, but because of the renovations the Millikin family had done. Pat Durland, former Wildland Fire manager, explained to Insider that the lock is in the yard area.
To keep the house free from fire, keep a dry or flammable vegetation-free perimeter at least 5 feet or about 1.5 meters from the house. Make sure the roof and drains are clean. Then, avoid placing flammable objects on the terrace of the house and install filters on non-flammable vents.
In the case of Millikin’s house, there is a fairly large yard that gives it distance from neighboring houses, the position of the house is next to the sea which helps protect the terrace area, there are no flammable plants around the house and branches close to the house so that fire cannot touch it.
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