Los Angeles wildfires: Owner of 'last house standing' says how it survived

When the flames of the Los Angeles wildfires subsided, a three-storey mansion stood miraculously intact amidst the ruins of neighbouring buildings reduced to ashes.

David Steiner, the owner of the $9 million Malibu property, known as the "last house standing," is now sharing how his home survived the devastating blaze.

"It's a miracle — miracles never cease," said Steiner, a 64-year-old retired waste-management executive from Texas. His Malibu mansion withstood the Palisades fire, which destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures and forced nearly 130,000 people to evacuate.

Steiner recounted the terrifying moment when he learned of the fire's approach. "When my contractor told me the blaze had engulfed our home and the neighbouring buildings, I thought nothing could have possibly survived that. I was certain we had lost the house," he told the New York Post.

However, as the smoke cleared, Steiner was flooded with messages from friends and neighbours. "Your house is all over the news," they told him. Photos confirmed what seemed impossible—his mansion had endured. "When my wife sent me something that said, 'Last house standing,' it brought a smile to my face during a very difficult time," he said.

Steiner attributes the survival of his 4,200-square-foot, four-bedroom home to its robust construction, designed to withstand natural disasters. "It's stucco and stone with a fireproof roof," he explained. The property's pilings, anchored 50 feet into bedrock, provided additional resilience.

"To be honest, I never imagined a wildfire would cross the Pacific Coast Highway and threaten this area," Steiner admitted. "I always thought the house was earthquake-proof, not fireproof. But it turns out, it was both."

Steiner purchased the mansion, previously owned by a producer, as an investment property, not a primary residence. Aware of his relative fortune, he declined prayers from well-wishers. "Don't pray for me. What I lost is just material goods. Others lost their homes," he said. "My heart goes out to those who lost everything."

As the community grapples with the aftermath of the wildfires, Steiner's story serves as a rare beacon of hope amidst widespread devastation.