As devastating wildfires tore through California, a $9 million, three-story mansion in Malibu remained remarkably unscathed. Surrounded by the charred remnants of neighboring properties, the house stood out as a powerful example of ‘resilient construction.’

Dubbed the ‘last house standing,’ the mansion belongs to retired waste management executive David Steiner. Initially, it was feared to have been consumed by the flames. However, when aerial footage confirmed the house had survived, Steiner was inundated with messages of astonishment.

“It’s a miracle — miracles never cease,” the 64-year-old told The New York Times. “It looked like nothing could have possibly survived that, and I thought we had lost the house,” he recounted. Steiner’s wife described their property as the “last house standing” in a text message, offering a glimmer of hope amid the tragedy of the Palisades fire.

A Fortress of Fire-Resistant Design

‍The mansion’s survival is credited to its fire-resistant construction. Steiner shared that the house features materials such as stucco and stone walls, paired with a specially engineered fireproof roof. These architectural decisions likely played a critical role in shielding the structure from the destructive blaze.

The 4,200-sq-ft, four-bedroom house, purchased from a producer, was not Steiner’s primary residence. Acknowledging the losses suffered by others, he urged, “Don’t pray for me — what I lost is material goods… I lost a property, but others lost their homes.” He added, “My heart goes out to those who lost their homes.”