When the Palisades fire tore through a Malibu neighborhood, reducing homes and cars to rubble, Preston Martin assumed the retro blue Volkswagen van he once lived in during college was lost. But

The image quickly became a "beacon of hope" for some in the wake of Los Angeles' deadly January 2025 wildfires.

Conspiracy theorists claim blue objects that make it through infernos, like this Volkswagen, are evidence of something sinister.

Two days before the Palisades fire erupted, Preston Martin parked the Volkswagen van near the Getty Villa.

The van’s owner was stunned to find that the vehicle survived in a neighborhood that was later destroyed by the Palisades Fire.