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Amid the rubble that is now Lahaina stands a beachfront home, seemingly untouched by the devastating fires that desecrated the town of Maui.
The home’s owners, Dora Atwater Millikin and her husband Dudley Long Millikin III, recently made relatively minor adjustments to the $4 million home that may have been key to its preservation.
Aerial photos show the red-roofed house with a gleaming white facade still in pristine condition, set against the gray, ashen landscape that surrounds it. The death toll in the fire is currently 114, and the number is expected to continue to rise.
“It’s a 100% wood house, so it’s not like we fireproofed it or anything,” Dora told the Los Angeles Time.
But the couple recently replaced the asphalt roof with a thick metal roof and trimmed the foliage around the house to reduce the risk of termites spreading through the house.
Atwater Millikin, 63, said none of the changes made were made with the idea of fireproofing in mind – but it was those changes that ultimately saved him from ruin.
Aerial photos show the red-roofed house with a stark white facade still in pristine condition, set against the gray, ashen landscape that surrounds it
Dora Atwater Millikin said she and her husband recently carried out relatively minor renovations that would likely prevent the massive fire from destroying the house.
“When all of this happened, there were pieces of wood – six, 12 inches long – that were on fire and almost floating in the air with the wind and everything,” she said. .
“They were hitting people’s roofs, and if it was an asphalt roof, it would catch fire. Otherwise, they would fall off the road and ignite the foliage around the house.
Roofs are the biggest contributing factor to a home’s flammability, as they are the largest surface on which embers can land.
The couple were visiting family in Massachusetts when the fire broke out a week and a half ago.
Atwater Millikin and her husband have lived on Maui for nearly 10 years and purchased the home about three years ago. She is an artist whose paintings focus on New England coastal landscapes, and he is a recently retired portfolio manager.
A day after the fire, the county called the Millikins to let them know their home had survived. Since then, many have dubbed their home a “miracle house.”
News of the latest death toll was announced on Saturday. Around 1,000 people are still missing – and on Friday DailyMail.com spoke to officials who say they expect the final number of people killed to be around 500.
Gov. Josh Green said he didn’t want to speculate on the final death toll, but he believes the number will continue to rise by around 10 people a day for the next few weeks.
The house, which opens to an expansive lower level and ocean-side backyard, is shown here with its old roof
On the left, the now red-roofed house is seen along the desecrated shoreline of Lahaina
Aerial view showing a fire truck driving through the destruction caused by the wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Cars and buildings marked with an ‘X’ can be seen across the city to indicate they have been searched, but hundreds more remain to be inspected
As the dust settles on the tragedy and dozens of burned buildings and charred remains emerge, questions have been raised about Hawaii’s emergency wildfire preparedness.
Search operations continue in Lahaina as hope fades for survivors – some 1,300 people still missing
The devastating wildfires have burned more than 2,200 buildings in the city of Lahaina, and questions have been raised about whether Hawaiian Electric – the island’s main power provider – was warned of the potential blazes before they don’t burst.
The company is also accused of failing to adopt contingency plans used by other providers, such as shutting off power if there is a risk of fire.
Investigators are still digging through the rubble in Lahaina, and FEMA officials said Sunday they had searched about 78% of the affected area.
Dramatic footage has captured the moment one of Maui’s wildfires may have been started. The video shows a power line failing during a storm, which could have started the tragic fire.
Video, captured at the Maui Bird Conservation Center near Makawao, appears to show a bright flash in the woods at the exact moment ten sensors registered a significant incident in Hawaiian Electric’s grid on August 7.
Whisker Labs, a company that uses a network of sensors to monitor power grids across the United States, said The Washington Post the bright light was likely an ‘arc flash’, which occurs when a power line ‘faults’.
Aerial view of people participating in a community paddle for victims of the Lahaina wildfires in Honolulu on August 19
On Saturday, a 500-person paddle took place in Waikiki as Honolulu residents showed their support for those affected by the fire.
The relatively last-minute event drew massive crowds of mourners and people seeking to help
Aerial view of wildfire destruction in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. August 14, 2023. The death toll has risen to 114 and is expected to continue to climb
On Saturday, a 500-person paddle took place in Waikiki as Honolulu residents showed their support for those affected by the fire.
The relatively last-minute event drew massive crowds of mourners and people seeking to help.
“Lahaina it’s just ground zero apocalyptic action and the smell is gnarly, the energy of people has been incredibly strong and resilient and I give them a lot of credit for banning together like they did,” said Duane Desoto, CEO. of Na Kama Kai, the company that organized the event.
Deanne Criswell, the director of FEMA, said Sunday she hoped Biden’s visit to Maui on Monday would provide a sense of “hope and comfort.”
Spokespersons for Joe Biden’s administration say the president will travel to Maui on Monday, when he was already on the West Coast for a family vacation at the former candidate’s $18 million home Presidential Tom Steyer.
Deanne Criswell, the director of FEMA, said Sunday she hoped Biden’s visit would bring a sense of “hope and comfort.”
‘He (Biden) is also going to be able to talk with people and hear their stories and provide a sense of hope and assurance that the feds are going to be with them as they were ordered,’ Criswell told Jonathan Karl from ABC on Sunday morning. .
“I think the most important thing is that he will be able to see what I saw when I went to Maui last week and really experience the complete and utter devastation that this town has suffered,” she said. added.