Viral Claim of Quran Saving LA Home from Wildfire is False

An image of an untouched house surrounded by scorched ruins has gone viral on social media, accompanied by the claim that the house, located in Los Angeles, California, was spared from destruction because it contained a Quran. The posts further assert that Allah protected the house from the fury of the wildfires.

Ayesha Majid Khan wrote, ‘Look at this photo and say Subhanallah. According to Al Jazeera, a Muslim in Los Angeles had a sacred Quran in his home. So Allah saved him from a great disaster. While all the houses around him were burnt down.’

Saima Khan asserted, ‘Surely, Allah is the Almighty and the Ever-Living! Look at this photo and say Subhanallah.According to Al Jazeera, a Muslim in Los Angeles had a sacred Quran in his home. So Allah saved him from a great disaster. While all the houses around him were burnt down.’

Furkan Khan also shared the same claim.

Also Read: Video of Woman Converting to Islam Unrelated to California Wildfire

Fact Check

We began our fact-checking process by conducting a reverse image search. The results led us to a CBS News report on YouTube, dated August 24, 2023, which confirmed that the image is from the Lahaina fire in Maui, Hawaii. According to the report, the 100-year-old house survived because the new owners renovated it, installing a commercial-grade steel roof and replacing the surrounding landscaping with river stones and fire-resistant California native trees.

Additionally, we found a detailed report from Civil Beat stating that since the fires devastated much of Lahaina, the Millikins — the current owners — have come to see their historic, craftsman-inspired plantation home as a symbol of hope for the community. The couple purchased the home, also known as the Pioneer Mill Co./Lahaina Ice Co. Bookkeeper’s House, in 2021 and carefully restored the century-old structure over two years. While key renovation decisions, such as installing a steel roof and replacing flammable landscaping, likely contributed to the house’s survival, they alone cannot fully explain why the flames caused only minor damage — charring a single post and blistering paint on one wall, while sparing the rest of the property.

A Business Insider report published in August 2023 corroborated the accounts from Civil Beat and CBS News. The report provided additional historical context, noting that the home, originally used by a local sugar plantation’s management, was likely relocated to its current site in 1925. When the Millikins acquired the deteriorating property in 2021, they undertook an extensive renovation to restore and preserve a vital piece of Lahaina’s history.

Claim	A Muslim in Los Angeles had a sacred Quran in his home, and as a result, Allah protected him from a great disaster. While all the surrounding houses were burned down, his home remained safe.
Claimed by	Social media users
Fact Check	These images have nothing to do with the LA fires or the Quran. They are from the Lahaina fire in Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023. The house was saved from the fire because the owners renovated it using a commercial-grade steel roof and replaced the surrounding landscaping with river stones and California native trees.

Also Read: Claim of American Muslims Praying for California Fire Containment is False