California wildfire: How this Malibu mansion of concrete defeated inferno

As relentless wildfires in California swallowed everything in their path, reducing forests and neighbourhoods to smouldering ruins, a USD 9 million, three-story mansion in Malibu was found surprisingly intact and unscathed after the raging flames subsided. This, even as the entire area, including houses next to it, was reduced to cinders.

The reason for the white mansion standing tall, with all its neighbouring ones burnt to ashes, that looked like a miracle, was actually concrete, is the buzz on social media. The owner, David Steiner, believes that sturdy construction measures were likely the key to its survival.

TYCOON FINDS HIS MALIBU MANSION STANDING TALL AFTER CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

The mansion, owned by David Steiner, a retired waste management executive, was initially believed to be a total loss when he received footage of smoke and flames engulfing his property and those of his neighbours.

However, as news spread and people began contacting him saying, “your house is all over the news”, it became clear that his home had miraculously survived.

“It looked like nothing could have possibly survived that, and I thought we had lost the house,” 64-year-old Steiner told The New York Post, adding, “I started getting pictures and realised we had made it through”.

“My wife sent me something this morning that said, ‘Last house standing’. And it brought a pretty big smile to my face at a pretty bad time,” Steiner, the Texas-based waste management tycoon told The New York Post.

The key to the mansion’s survival lies in its ultra-sturdy construction, according to Steiner. He told The New York Post that the building was made of stucco and stone, materials known for their fire-resistant properties.

Additionally, the mansion boasts a “fireproof roof”, a feature that might have helped it withstand the intense heat and flames of the wildfires.

NOT A MIRACLE, BUT CONCRETE, SAVED HOUSES IN WILDFIRES

While Steiner said his mansion was built with “stucco and stone walls” along with a “fireproof roof”, it helped the structure withstand the fire, another building in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, with a “solid concrete perimeter wall” survived the wildfire too.

The architect of the Pacific Palisades property, which was found to be “totally liveable”, was due to some design choices, reported the Sydney-based ABC.

“[The] solid concrete perimeter wall probably saved us there,” architect Greg Chasen, was quoted as saying by the ABC.

WHY AMERICANS PREFER WOOD TO BUILD HOUSES

Wood is a preferable building material when it comes to construction in coastal California, a region frequently hit by hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. Wood is preferred in the region because it is lightweight, cost-effective, and readily available, making it easier and faster to build houses and villas with, especially in areas prone to earthquakes.

People on X pointed out that houses in Europe were built of brick and mortar, while Americans stuck to timber.

People on social media also claimed that the US was historically a country of carpenters, and not masons. However, a Reuters report of 2013 claims that the US was seeing a major shortage of carpenters.

The shortage of skilled carpenters, the report said, was so acute that builders were finding it difficult to get projects off the ground. The shortage was delaying housing projects by as much as two months.

The National Association of Home Builders, in 2013, told Reuters that the shortage was not just of carpenters but also extended to roofers, masons, sheet rockers, and electricians, all vital to completing housing projects.

And, in the recent wildfires, wood’s susceptibility to fire proved to be a drawback, as it fuelled the flames and contributed to the destruction of homes and structures. Non-wood materials like steel and concrete offer fire resistance, durability, and lower long-term costs.

Homes in the US remain stubbornly attached to timber, said a 2021 report by TIME.

Wood is the primary material for new-home construction in the region, with 90% of homes built in 2019 featuring wood frames, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Reacting to the visuals of the Milabu mansion standing tall, Israeli author, Saul Sadka questioned why new homes were being built with timber. “To be honest, I don’t really understand why people build beautiful new homes with timber adjacent to forests that combust at regular intervals,” said Sadka on X.

“It’s not a miracle. It’s called ‘concrete’,” added Sadka. When some argued that wooden houses were earthquake-resistant, others pointed out that Japan, one of the most quake-prone countries, relies on concrete. The tensile strength of steel is higher than that of wood.

People also discussed how insurance rebate played a role in residents going for wood, ditching concrete.

Sharing an old picture of the neighbourhood, Sadka added, “The house on the left of the survivor might also not be wood, but as we can see, the survivor is brand-new construction, while the one on the left is 25 years old plus. It’s a matter of luck too”.

There could be multiple factors as to why the Malibu mansion survived the worst wildfires, with concrete and fire-proofed roof being just the two of them.