Red-roofed house inexplicably left nearly untouched on Maui coast surrounded by burned out rubble and destroyed properties
Only one house on a residential block in West Maui inexplicably survived and was left almost untouched – as nearly every property in the area burned to the ground after last week’s devastating fires.
New photos show the two-story, white-walled, red-roofed home, miraculously unscathed amid the apocalyptic devastation that surrounds it.
The garden of the oceanfront home also seems to have retained an appearance of green in contrast to the ashes and charred trees.
Social media users have dubbed the house “The Red House That Survived Hawaii Wild Fires,” giving it quasi-mythological status. The scene echoes that of the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in downtown Lahaina, which still stands among the rubble.
Many homes have been destroyed by the wildfires responsible for at least 110 deaths.
A two-story house with white walls and a red roof miraculously appears unscathed amid the apocalyptic devastation that surrounds it
The Catholic Maria Lanakila Church in downtown Lahaina still stands among the rubble
The Lanakila Catholic Church church, which has been standing since 1846, can be seen in a video posted to TikTok standing proudly with its stained glass and tower structure in place even as the ground around it smolders.
Church community members took to Facebook to express their gratitude that the building had been saved.
Jeffrey Chang wrote, “May she be the beacon of hope…to help the rest of the community.”
Another user, Jeffrey Domdoma, wrote, “May she be the beacon of hope for the people of Lahaina!!!! Praise the Lord…on this rock I will build my church!!! come and follow me….”
Terrence Watanabe, pastor of the nearby parish of St. Anthony’s told The Pillar “All of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory), is still standing, as is the presbytery. The school is a bit affected.’
Speaking of the Church’s local outreach efforts, Watanabe said, “Our bishop just got back from the mainland meeting…the diocese—they are meeting today to decide what they can help with.
“Catholic Charities here in Hawaii is also mobilizing right now. And I think they’ve already contacted the national office for help and support.
“Here in St. Anthony, Parish, we’ve set up a fund for people to donate to,” he added.
Lahaina’s 150-year-old banyan tree also appears to have survived the fires.
Lahaina’s banyan, near the city’s historic courthouse, is known as the oldest living banyan tree in the US. Both the tree and the courthouse were badly damaged.
The historic tree remains in the midst of the carnage, but appears badly burned
On Friday, the historic tree, with 47 trunks, was still standing, albeit severely scorched by the flames.
It is not yet known whether the tree, which was imported from India in 1873, will survive.
The death toll from the blaze currently stands at 110, with more than 1,000 residents still missing.
Officials in Maui have so far identified only five of the victims.
Currently, only two people have been named as victims by authorities: Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79. The names of the other three have not yet been released, as efforts are still being made to notify their families.
Several other victims have been named by friends and relatives, although they are not yet on the official register.
Carole Hartley, 60, of Alabama, was among the first known to die in the wildfires
Franklin “Frankie” Trejos, 68, died trying to shelter Sam, a golden retriever. Both were found dead in a car
Clyde Wakida is pictured with his wife of 46 years, Penny. He died trying to save the house they built together 35 years ago
The slow rate at which casualties have been named highlights the difficulties rescuers face in identifying remains. Island officials have urged survivors missing relatives to provide DNA swabs to aid in the process.
Work continued as more images emerged Wednesday exposing the ferocity of the fires raging across Maui at speeds of up to a mile per minute.
A video shot in Lahaina shows tourists taking cover in a swimming pool surrounded by buildings engulfed in flames. Thick clouds of smoke float around them, carried by gusts of wind from the passing Hurricane Dora, which contributed to the disaster.
The intense heat was enough to melt cars consumed by the fires, officials have said.