A Malibu resident is telling his story about how he captured a now-viral photo of a Volkswagen Bus that survived the deadly Palisades Fire.

In travel news this week: the world’s 50 best cities according to Time Out, huge religious festivals in Italy and India, plus the little blue bus that faced down wildfires and is ready to hit the road.

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

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

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

Preston Martin figured the retro blue Volkswagen van he slept in for a year during college was a goner, given that he parked it in a Malibu neighborhood just before the Palisades fire ripped ...

Preston Martin figured the retro blue Volkswagen van he slept in for a year during college was a goner, given that he parked it in a Malibu neighborhood just before the Palisades fire ripped through, reducing homes and cars to rubble and charred metal.

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.

ALBAWABA - Shocking footage has been emerging from Los Angeles as firefighters are bracing to combat the wildfire that has been going on for many days.

A photo of the van, taken by an Associated Press photographer, circulated widely on television and online, giving people a measure of joy.

A Volkswagen camper van that improbably survived the Pacific Palisades fire, inexplicably standing unscathed amid the charred remains of burned-out homes, has been dubbed a 'beacon of hope'.

Amid the unbelievable destruction left behind by the Palisades Fire, a Volkswagen Beetle that was in the middle of the flames is still intact.