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A single home by the ocean fascinatingly survived the Maui wildfires – just like
a church in the same devastated historic town.

A two-story white house with a red roof appeared untouched and gleaming while
surrounded by scorched black terrain with homes burned to the ground and trees
stripped down to their skeletons.

Only some grass and shrubs around the red-roofed home were also spared.

Social media users have nicknamed the structure ‘The Red House That Survived
Hawaii Wild Fires’.

The house survived in the same manner that the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church,
also in Lahaina, stood unscathed by the wildfire that has so far killed 106
residents. Only five people had been identified as of Wednesday, as officials
said many of the remains were burned beyond recognition.

Aerial footage of Lahaina recorded by KITV showed the red-roofed house as a
bright spot, while blocks as far as the frame covered were completely burned
down.

A few other homes and structures and a large building that appeared to be a
hotel were also spared in other parts of the city. Some of them stood together
in sections that the deadly flames did not reach.




It was not immediately known why the red-roofed home and the church were
unharmed while the inferno wiped out nearly everything around them.





Pattie Tamura, whose family owns one of the only homes still intact in Lahaina,
said she believes their house survived due to its concrete walls that do not
catch on fire.

Tamura’s grandfather built the home using cement to help it withstand bugs and
dry rot.

‘I’m sure it survived because of his knowledge and his construction skills,’
Tamura told the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday.

Among the casualties was Maui’s famous banyan tree, which was the largest of its
species in the US. The massive tree that served as a symbol for the ancient
Hawaiian capital was mercilessly blackened by the flames.

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Former President Barack Obama's home in Hawaii has been discussed on social
media in relation to the current wildfires in Maui, and how it has avoided
damage due to its location.

"Obama's estate was spared from the Maui fires because it's on Oahu," X,
formerly Twitter user James Surowiecki wrote.







Similarly, X user Bradley P. Moss wrote, "True, but mostly because their estate
is 116 miles away. In Oahu. Not in Maui," responding to a screenshot of a social
media post saying that the Obama's home has been "spared" by the Maui wildfires.



Earlier this month, several wildfires in Maui began spreading across the
Hawaiian island, causing widespread property damage, injuries and deaths.

On Tuesday, officials in Maui County provided an update on the current wildfires
stating that the Upcountry/Kula fire has grown to around 678 acres and is
currently 75 percent contained. The Lahaina fire is currently 85 percent
contained and has grown to 2,170 acres.



"The number of confirmed fatalities was 106, the Maui Police Department reported
Tuesday 8/15. Police identified two of them as Robert Dyckman, 74, of Lahaina
and Buddy Jantoc, 79, of Lahaina. Three others have been identified, with police
saying their names will be released when their families are notified," the
update said.

As the map below shows, Obama's home in Oahu is located on a separate Hawaiian
island from Maui, and according to Google, the two islands are over 100 miles
away from each other, separated by the Pacific Ocean.




According to Fox News, in 2015, the residence in Oahu was purchased by Obama's
friend Marty Nesbitt, who also serves as the chairman of the Obama Foundation.
BestofHawaii.com reported that the home was previously made popular by the show
"Magnum P.I."



On Monday, Obama responded to the fires in Maui in a video posted to X where he
said, "We know find ourselves mourning the lives that are lost and our thoughts
and prayers go out to the families that have lost so much."

Obama went on to urge his followers to help the victims of the Maui wildfires by
donating to the Hawaii Red Cross. "I'm asking you to do everything you can, to
generously support the Malama Maui effort. If all of us, the Ohana, pull
together, and do as much as we can to give back to an island and a town and
people who have given us so much, I'm absolutely confident that Lahaina and Maui
and those families are gonna be able to rebuild," Obama said.

Newsweek reached out to the Obama Foundation via email for comment.

Related Articles

 * Maui to Receive Spam 'Convoy of Hope' After Devastating Fire
 * Rare Frog Species Survives Major Wildfire, Scientists Discover
 * Joe Biden Backtracks on Maui Visit After Hawaii Response Receives Backlash



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