A nearly $9 million Malibu mansion miraculously survived the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, leaving its owner astonished when the smoke cleared, and the structure remained standing amid the charred remains of neighboring homes.
“It’s a miracle — miracles never cease,” said David Steiner, 64, a retired waste-management executive from Texas.
The three-story California home, vacant during the fire, was feared lost after a contractor sent Steiner a video of flames and smoke engulfing the property and neighboring houses.
“[The contractor] was watching the news reports and saw my neighbor’s house going down. He told me, ‘It looks like your house is going, too,’” Steiner said.
Upon receiving the video, Steiner said it seemed impossible that the home could survive. “It looked like nothing could have possibly survived that, and I thought we had lost the house.”
Photos of the white three-story mansion standing intact among the wreckage spread quickly, with people contacting Steiner to say, “Your house is all over the news.”
“I started getting pictures and realized we had made it through,” Steiner said. “My wife sent me something this morning that said, ‘Last house standing.’ It brought a big smile to my face at a pretty bad time.”
Steiner, a former attorney and executive, credits the home’s ultra-sturdy construction, designed for earthquake resistance, for its survival during the Palisades Fire.
“It’s stucco and stone with a fireproof roof,” Steiner said, noting the house also features pilings that extend 50 feet into bedrock to withstand powerful waves from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
“To be totally honest, 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 didn’t think fire would be the threat, but it was.”
The 4,200-square-foot, four-bedroom home was purchased from a producer and features design elements inspired by cruise ships, Steiner said.
“The fireplace chimney looks like the smoke stack of a boat, and the back balcony feels like a cruise ship because you’re right there on the water,” he added.
While grateful for the home’s survival, Steiner acknowledged the devastation faced by others in the area. “My heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he said.
Steiner also noted the house likely sustained smoke damage but confirmed he has insurance, though wildfire coverage is limited.
