How ‘Miracle’ Homes Survived the Maui Fires

When wildfires tore through the town of Lahaina last month, it was fueled by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora and drought conditions in West Maui. With limited evacuation routes and power outages impacting water resources, the fire overwhelmed first responders in a horrific storm of tragedy. What transpired was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in 100 years: At least 115 people perished, hundreds of residents are unaccounted for, and 2,000 structures were burned.

Yet, some structures not only survived the blaze but looked miraculously unscathed.

Simple Actions Can Save Property and Lives

Based on the number of structures destroyed, the Lahaina Fire is the seventh most damaging fire in the United States since 1990, decimating nearly three-quarters of all buildings in the community. So, how is it that some buildings survived in ravaged neighborhoods?

A photo of a lone, red-roofed house that survived among the wreckage has gone viral. Additionally, a neighborhood built in 2019-2020 also suffered only minor damage, as identified in a new study from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) with early insights on the fire. Located immediately south of the Kahoma stream channel, no single-family structures were lost in this neighborhood, and only four multi-family units were ignited (likely by embers). Fire spreading from house to house across this neighborhood was avoided.

The structures in these success stories all had “Class A” noncombustible roofs and “defensible space,” a buffer area surrounding the building with reduced connective fire fuels. The homeowner of the single, red-roofed structure cut down the foliage surrounding the home (for termite control), while the less-damaged neighborhood's houses have noncombustible wall covers, less dense constructive fuels between structures and high-wind off-ridge attic vents. These components played a critical role in protecting those homes. The metal roofs protected the houses from fire debris floating in the air, while cutting and reducing foliage created defensible spaces and reduced fire fuel.

In fact, these are just some key steps required by the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which establishes the baseline requirements for constructing wildfire-resilient homes. These codes establish the baseline requirements for constructing wildfire-resilient homes, generally including non-combustible roofing and fire-rated cladding, glazing, underfloor protection, assurance of water supply, defensible space and, in some places, residential sprinklers.

Model building codes, often referred to as the I-Codes, establish the minimum requirements necessary to provide building safety for the public. Many studies show that building codes would better protect structures against natural disasters, including a nationwide study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves study by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).

While building codes may seem technical, there are ways homeowners can better understand how to protect their property and implement changes. For example, “Wildfire Prepared Home,” from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) launched last June, is a beyond-code mitigation program that defines a system of specific mitigation actions homeowners can take to reduce the possibility that their home is ignited by wildfire.

Based on more than a decade of research, IBHS’s Wildfire Prepared Home addresses the resilience of three vulnerable areas of a home — the roof, specific building features and defensible space, including the “ignition zone” within 5 feet of the building. It also includes homeowner education, a system of required mitigation actions, an initial verification process and an annual landscape maintenance review.

Fire-Resilient Homes Make Economic Sense

When a home is built to be more resilient against environmental hazards, additional expenses can be expected. The costs of wildfire resilient measures can vary, depending upon the location, risk exposure and building size.

Yet, the added expense can be affordable. According to a report co-authored by IBHS and Headwaters Economics, it may add as little as $2,800 to the cost of building a new wildfire-resistant home in California. While estimates from NIBS’s Mitigation Saves study indicate retrofitting or upgrading an existing home may come with a higher price tag — anywhere from $4,000 to $80,000 — the study also found that on the national average, $4 is saved for every $1 put toward fire mitigation.

The bottom line: The investment is critical.

Data from the National Interagency Fire Center shows, as of Aug. 21, already 36,275 fires have burned 1.76 million acres this year. Wildfires continue to grow more threatening and dangerous — yet we are not powerless against these threats.

Some news stories called the red-roof house “a miracle.”

Science tells us that such miracles are possible for more than the red-roofed house, as evidenced by the success of the neighborhood near the Kahoma stream channel. Mitigation efforts can make the difference in a house lost or a house to come home to after a fire.

Anne D. Cope, Ph.D., P.E., is chief engineer with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Cope leads the development of research programs to improve the performance of structures in hurricanes, wildfires, thunderstorms and hailstorms, as well as the team of engineers, scientists and craftsmen who conduct research on homes and commercial buildings.

Jiqiu Yuan, P.E., PMP, is vice president of engineering with the National Institute of Building Sciences. Yuan is a professional engineer with more than 15 years of research and development experience. He specializes in making infrastructure and communities resilient against natural disasters.