Los Angeles wildfires: How a $9 million mansion became the ‘last house standing’ in Malibu

The wildfires tearing through Los Angeles have left unimaginable devastation in their wake, destroying homes and turning neighbourhoods into ashes.

Tens of thousands of families have been forced to flee with little more than hope, as the relentless flames devoured everything they held dear. Insurance companies are bracing for billions in claims, and the fire hasn’t spared anyone. Even the rich and famous, like Paris Hilton and Mandy Moore, have seen their homes reduced to rubble in what’s now the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles’ history.

But amid the widespread devastation, a $9 million (77 crore) mansion somehow survived the inferno, standing tall while everything around it was reduced to ashes. How? Here’s what we know.

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‘Miracles never cease’

David Steiner, 64, a retired waste-management executive from Texas, couldn’t believe his eyes when he learned that his Malibu mansion had survived the devastating wildfires. Speaking to The New York Post, Steiner admitted he was stunned to find his three-storey property still standing after the smoke cleared.

Steiner, a father of three, had feared the worst. His stunning California home, which was vacant at the time, appeared doomed when a local contractor sent him a video showing flames and smoke engulfing the area.

Recalling the heart-stopping moment, Steiner said the contractor told him, “It looks like your house is going, too.” The footage also revealed his neighbour’s property succumbing to the blaze.

However, when the flames that destroyed over 10,000 structures finally subsided, Steiner’s mansion miraculously stood tall amidst the ashes of neighbouring multimillion-dollar homes.

Soon after, Steiner began receiving messages from people telling him, “Your house is all over the news.”

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“I started getting pictures and realised we had made it through,” he said. The extraordinary images of his house, untouched in the middle of destruction, quickly went viral.

“It’s a miracle — miracles never cease,” Steiner said.

The New Orleans native added that his wife had sent him a message that read, “Last house standing.” He admitted, “It brought a pretty big smile to my face at a pretty bad time.”

How did the ’last house standing’ survive fires?

According to David Steiner his property’s ultra-sturdy construction — likely designed to protect it from earthquakes — saved it from the Palisades fire that destroyed the homes all around it.

Pointing out the features that protected the property, Steiner explained to the New York-based news outlet, “It’s stucco and stone with a fireproof roof.” He also noted that the structure is supported by pilings that extend “like 50 feet into the bedrock” to stabilise it against the powerful waves that crash into the seawall below.

Steiner admitted he never imagined wildfire would pose a threat to his home. “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,” he 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,” he said of the 4,200-square-foot, four-bedroom home, which he bought from a producer. “ And it was.

“The architecture is pretty nice. But the stucco and fireproof roof are real nice,” he continued.

Since the property wasn’t his family’s primary home, Steiner expressed empathy for others who suffered greater losses. When well-wishers sent prayers his way, he said, “Don’t pray for me — what I lost is material goods…I lost a property, but others lost their homes.”

“My heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he added.

LA fires to get worse?

Wildfires in the Los Angeles area have already claimed at least 24 lives, displaced thousands of residents, and destroyed over 12,000 structures. The fires have scorched an area larger than San Francisco, according to an AFP report, and the danger is far from over.

As firefighters race to contain the flames, forecasters have issued fresh warnings of worsening conditions with the return of strong winds this week.

“You’re going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there,” said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson at a community meeting on Saturday night.

The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings through Wednesday, predicting sustained winds of up to 80 kph and mountain gusts reaching 113 kph Thompson noted that Tuesday, January 14, 2025, is expected to bring the most dangerous conditions.

The fierce Santa Ana winds , notorious for fuelling wildfires, have been blamed for transforming last week’s blazes into massive infernos that levelled entire neighbourhoods. So far, the Palisades fire has razed almost 24,000 acres and was just 11 per cent contained.

In preparation for the heightened threat, Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony Marrone confirmed that additional resources, including dozens of new water trucks and reinforcements from across the country, have been deployed.

The six ongoing wildfires have already caused economic losses estimated at $150 billion, according to AccuWeather, and could become the costliest fires in US history.

With no immediate relief in sight, Los Angeles braces for what could be its most challenging week yet.

With input from agencies