David Steiner, a retired waste-management magnate, has described the survival of his $9 million Malibu mansion during the devastating LA wildfires as nothing short of a “miracle.” While homes on either side were reduced to rubble, his three-storey property remarkably remained intact.
A Neighborhood in Ashes amid LA Wildfires
The Palisades fire, one of eight wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, has already consumed over 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and businesses. It is being reported as the largest of the fires so far. While three fires have been contained, others continue to wreak havoc, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions.
Authorities suspect arson in the Kenneth fire, which has endangered homes near Calabasas and Hidden Hills. Police have detained a man believed to have intentionally started the blaze.
Amid the LA Wildfires and destruction, celebrities like Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Eugene Levy, and Billy Crystal are among those who have lost their homes.
A Surprising Survival
Steiner assumed his home was doomed when a contractor sent him a video showing flames engulfing the street.
“”[The contractor] was watching the news reports and saw my neighbor’s house going down and told me, ‘It looks like your house is going too’,
However, Steiner soon learned that his property had defied the odds. Photos and news reports revealed his mansion standing tall amidst the destruction.
“My wife sent me something that said, ‘Last house standing,’” Steiner shared. “It brought a pretty big smile to my face at a pretty bad time.”
Why It Survived
Steiner attributes his home‘s survival to its robust design. Built to endure earthquakes, the 4,200-square-foot mansion features ultra-sturdy construction and is built like a cruise ship, including a stucco and stone exterior, a fireproof roof, and pilings driven 50 feet into bedrock for stability.
“I never imagined a wildfire would jump to the Pacific Coast Highway and reach this area,” Steiner admitted. “I thought it might survive an earthquake, but I didn’t expect it to withstand a fire.”
Counting His Blessings
It’s stucco and stone with a fireproof roof,” Steiner explained, while adding that it also boasts pilings ‘like 50 feet into the bedrock’ which keep it steady when strong waves crash in.
“To be totally honest with you, I never in a million years thought a wildfire would jump to the Pacific Coast Highway and start a fire,” Steiner said. “I thought, ‘If we ever have an earthquake, this would be the last thing to go’. I honestly didn’t think that if we had a fire, this would be the last thing to go. And it was.
“The architecture is pretty nice. But the stucco and fireproof roof are real nice.”
Although he is appreciative that his mansion survived the LA Wildfires fire, he is well aware that he is one of the lucky ones in LA right now.
Steiner’s residence was not his family’s full-time home, as he purchased the pad when two of his sons previously attended school in the area.
Hesaid:
“I was getting texts from people saying, ‘We’re praying for you. It’s so horrible’. I said, ‘Don’t pray for me – what I lost is material goods’. I lost a property, but others lost their homes. I didn’t have my family’s mementos there. It wasn’t my family home. My heart goes out to those who lost their homes.”
