A Malibu mansion is still standing after wildfires tore down neighbouring homes. Here's why it likely survived
A $US9 million stucco mansion in Malibu managed to survive a wildfire that razed neighbouring properties. (AP: Mark J Terrill )
Standing on the burnt-out Malibu coastline is a three-storey house.
The structure is easy enough to spot — its bright white walls stand out against its charred and warped neighbours.
The owner, David Steiner, says some sturdy construction measures are likely to be what saved it.
And social media users are pointing to his home as a blueprint for how Los Angeles residents should rebuild.
Stone and stucco withstand the heat
Speaking to The New York Post, Mr Steiner said he was surprised to learn his home was still standing after the blaze passed through.
He said a local contractor sent him footage of flames and smoke appearing to swallow his property.
David Steiner says a design focused on durability likely saved his beachfront home. (AP: Mark J Terrill)
The nearly $US9 million ($14.64 million) mansion is made of stone and stucco rendering and has a fireproof roof — features which Mr Steiner believes saved his home.
"To be totally honest with you, I never in a million years thought a wildfire would jump to the Pacific Coast Highway and start a fire," he said.
"I thought, 'If we ever have an earthquake, this would be the last thing to go'.
"The architecture is pretty nice. But the stucco and fireproof roof are real nice."
The flame-resistant properties of materials such as stone and stucco aren't lost on insurance companies.
US insurer Chubb recommends using these materials in housing builds because they can minimise the spread of fires up exterior walls and to roofs.
Images of the home posted on social media platform X have drawn dozens of comments, with users proposing that more homes be built with similar materials.
"Wow. That's awesome," one user wrote. "Why aren't more built that way? Cost?"
"I think if they are allowed to rebuild, this kind of building material needs to be mandated," another said.
"Otherwise, (and I don't wanna sound heartless), but we tax payers will have to pick up the tab for these homes that are being burnt to the ground if they are not fully insured."
Are stone homes the answer to LA's wildfire problem?
Building with stone unfortunately wouldn't be a simple solution to prevent the widescale loss of homes seen in recent days.
Wildfires aren't the only natural disasters southern California faces on a regular basis — the region is also prone to earthquakes.
Not all building materials withstand ground motion in the same way and brittle materials such as stone tend to fare far worse.
This is where wood is at an advantage.
According to California building company Pacific Green Homes, wood's flexibility makes it "one of the most earthquake-resistant materials available".
"[It's] a ductile material, meaning it flexes and bends when impacted by shockwaves from a quake, instead of collapsing."
Wood remains a highly favoured building material in Los Angeles despite the city's history of wildfires. (Reuters: Fred Prouser)
Earthquakes aren't the only reason Los Angeles relies on wood for construction projects, either.
For most people, the associated costs put stone out of reach.
Not only is the price of the material more expensive, under Los Angeles law, stone also needs to be reinforced with steel beams to bolster the durability of walls.
That translates to more material costs and more labour.
Other resilient homes survive
Just a few kilometres down the road in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, another home stands among the rubble.
Its architect, Greg Chasen, said despite some smoke damage, the home was still "totally liveable", partly thanks to some design choices.
"You have a sterile perimeter: no vegetation, except for the planters," one commenter wrote.
"You probably have a fire resistant roof and siding. You have a brick and mortar retaining wall. Those are all good safeguards against fire. There is no luck involved."
In response, Mr Chasen added the house had no vents or eaves through which embers could enter and set the interior alight, and it had tempered glass windows, which likely added another layer of protection.
"But unlucky that the neighbour pulled his car into the driveway. [The] solid concrete perimeter wall probably saved us there," he said.
He also noted its deck was made of ipe — an expensive hardwood known to be less susceptible to burning than other woods.
But some part of the home's survival just came down to luck, Mr Chasen said — the clear perimeter, which minimised the fire's ability to approach the house, wasn't by his design.
"[An] adjacent lot [was] demoed and scraped clean three weeks ago," he said.