In a small miracle amidst the devastation of the Malibu wildfires, a 1970s Volkswagen van has emerged as an unlikely survivor.
The bright blue, vintage vehicle, owned by a local surfboard designer, was parked in the hills of Malibu when the fires roared through the area, destroying everything in their path—except for this iconic van.
The van, a classic symbol of California’s surf culture, remained completely untouched, with its blue paint job, tires, and windows intact despite the charred earth surrounding it.
Its owner, who has yet to be named publicly, said in an interview, “I can’t explain it. Everything else is gone, but the van… it’s still there. It’s like it decided to survive.”
The Story of the Magical VW Van
The van’s owner, a Malibu native who designs surfboards for a living, left it parked on the property before evacuating ahead of the fires.
It wasn’t an arbitrary spot—it had been a trusted companion for decades, doubling as both transportation and a workspace for his craft.
As the wildfires swept through Malibu, leveling homes and vegetation, he assumed the van would be lost like everything else.
But photos taken by friends who returned to survey the damage revealed the van standing defiantly amid the ruins, a colorful reminder of resilience in an otherwise blackened landscape.
Social media quickly picked up on the story, with images of the untouched van going viral. Some joked that it was “blessed by the surf gods,” while others saw it as a sign of hope amidst tragedy.
But for the van’s owner, it’s more than just a piece of luck.
“This van is part of my life, my identity. It’s carried surfboards, friends, and memories for years,” he said.
“Seeing it still there—it’s like having a piece of home that the fire couldn’t take away.”
While the van’s survival may feel magical, experts say it could be explained by luck and natural factors.
If the van was parked on bare ground or near a firebreak, it might have avoided direct exposure to flames. Metal surfaces, like those on the van, are also less likely to catch fire compared to wood or vegetation.
Even so, the van’s unscathed condition in the middle of the devastation feels extraordinary. “It’s rare for something to come through wildfires like this without so much as a singe,” said one fire safety expert.
The surfboard designer, like many Malibu residents, is still waiting for clearance to return to his property. Until then, the van will remain a silent guardian, standing as a reminder that even in destruction, small miracles are possible.
What do you think—was the van’s survival a stroke of luck, a product of its environment, or something more mysterious?
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