On 1 December 1948, a fire destroyed the eastern wing. The fire would have caused even more damage had it not been stopped by a miracle which took place after the monks had prayed for help to a small copy of the miraculous icon of Panagia Gerontissa. (See also the appropriate section further below.) Because of the miracle, the small icon was afterwards referred to by the monks as Παναγία η Πυροσώτειρα (Panagia Pyrosotiera, 'Virgin Mary, the Saviour from Fires').
