The two friends who own the Volkswagen van went surfing the Sunday before the Palisades Fire erupted and then parked the van in a neighborhood that was later destroyed. They were sure it was a goner.

A surprising photograph of an undamaged Volkswagen van surrounded by destruction from a Los Angeles wildfire has astonished viewers across the world.

A retro Volkswagen van has inadvertently become a “beacon of hope” for Los Angeles area residents as they start to pick up the pieces.