We must “protect this house” by prioritizing our safety. Gabe Kleinman · Follow 3 min read · -- The “Miracle House” that survived the Lahaina Fire, not due to a miracle but its owner’s fire preparedness (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) The base of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs includes, among other things, air and shelter. The job of government is to ensure our basic needs are met, the most extreme being protection from invaders (human or otherwise) so we can breathe and have shelter.