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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.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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In 1993, Horace Burgess was inspired to build the largest treehouse in the
world. Like Noah's ark, he believes the idea was a divine calling. Burgess
turned to prayer when his supply of lumber began to dwindle. “And the spirit of
God said, ‘If you build me a treehouse, I’ll never let you run out of
material,’” he explained. In fact, people donated the wood to Burgess throughout
his building journey. When it opened, the Minister's Treehouse attracted
tourists from all over the country to east Tennessee. However, in 2019, the
treehouse was destroyed in an uncontrolled fire. [1]


BUILDING A TREEHOUSE WITH NO BLUEPRINTS




Photo credits: CBS News



The Minister's Treehouse stood at almost 100 feet, spanning across seven giant
trees. It contained terraces and staircases, and tourists loved exploring all of
the unique aspects of the structure. It hosted weekly church services in
addition to funerals and weddings. 

But this wasn't Burgess's first treehouse. He built and burned one down himself
in the 1980s. He described the place as "just evil" since it became his spot to
do drugs. But after a few friends died, he resolved to quit except the house had
become a large factor in his addiction. So a voice came to him, telling him to
raze the place so he could start fresh. People usually think "you're a little
bit crazy when you say that God spoke to you," Burgess said, "but really he's
the one that tells us to put our pants on in the morning." In hindsight, Burgess
says that burning that first treehouse down was "probably the most sane moment
in my life." [2]




Photo credits: Atlas Obscura



So the pastor and landscaper devoted himself to religion and his community,
which led him to another treehouse. (It was actually the fifth or sixth he had
constructed in his life.) He started to work on his family's farm that contained
a "zoo" of two of each animals, also akin to Noah's Ark. He began building a
staircase, not knowing where it would lead. One day, he prayed for inspiration
and received the impulse to turn the "Stairway to Nowhere" into a treehouse. 

The entire construction depended on recycled wood and other reused materials, as
well as the support of his community. He had no real plan, blueprint, or
professional expertise; he just kept building. Finally, he built the roof and
opened it to visitors in 2005. To his surprise people from all over the country
came to see what became known as the Minister's Treehouse. Even Pete Nelson, a
professional treehouse architect, came to shoot an episode of Treehouse Masters
about Burgess's work.





Photo credits: Atlas Obscura



"Looking up at it from the ground, I couldn't get my head around the fact that
one man had created this place all by himself," says Chad Gallivanter, a
videographer who visited the treehouse back in 2009. "Just like architectural
marvels of old, it was a modern-day example of human ingenuity and
determination."


THE CLOSURE OF THE MINISTER'S TREEHOUSE

However, the state fire marshal's office closed the treehouse in September 2012
due to safety concerns. "The State Fire Marshal's office has determined that the
building presents an imminent safety hazard to the public. You must close the
building to the public IMMEDIATELY," read the letter from Christopher
Bainbridge, director of codes enforcement Tennessee State Fire Marshal's office.
[3]

Because the treehouse had become a public attraction, it had to comply with
adopted building codes. Violations included a lack of fire alarms and sprinkler
systems, no registered professional involved with the design, fall hazards, no
marked exits, and questionable structural stability due to sloped floors and
other building mishaps. To reopen the treehouse, Burgess would have to work with
a registered design professional, engineer, or architect and submit a plan for
approval with the state fire marshal's office. 




Photo credits: Atlas Obscura

No visitors had ever been harmed at the attraction but Burgess accepted the
decision and gracefully let go of the project. He sold it to Glenn Clark who
planned to build a new house on the property. He also kept the treehouse, which
eventually began a target for vandalism and trespassing as it fell into
disrepair. [4] 


LOST IN A FIRE

But in October 2019, the architectural feat burned to the ground in several
hours. It burned so swiftly there was little firefighters could do but contain
the blaze. Cumberland County Fire Chief Trevor Kerley said, "The origin of the
fire is undetermined. There was no electricity to the Treehouse. There were no
storms that night and there was no insurance on it… Unless there was a witness,
or someone who says they set the fire, we have no idea how it started or who
started it."




Photo credits: Atlas Obscura

Burgess took the loss in stride while previous visitors mourned the attraction.
"This place was awesome, from 10,000 square foot treehouse to the swimming hole
and even the horses waking us up at 6 in the morning," wrote David Sulcer on
Crossville Chronicle's Facebook page. He had visited the treehouse several times
as a Boy Scout "It only took 15 minutes to burn down. It took all day to find
the hidden rooms!"



SOURCES

 1. "World’s largest tree house burns to the ground." ABC News. Ella Torres.
    October 23, 2019
 2. "The Life and Fiery Death of the World's Biggest Treehouse." Atlas Obscura.
    Matthew Taub. May 4, 2020
 3. "Fire destroys Minister’s Treehouse." Crossville Chronicle. Gary Nelson.
    October 24, 2019
 4. "Builder & property owner react to fire that destroyed giant Crossville
    treehouse.” WBIR. 




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