A theory says that it was overlooked by the army and escaped the fire because the main temple buildings, including the main hall, where the inner part were far from the main gate and the main priest's residence and the several hundred meter stone steps came between them.
当寺の本堂をはじめとする中心堂宇は総門や本坊のある地点から数百メートルの石段を上ったはるか奥にあるため、見落とされ、焼き討ちをまぬがれたのではないかという説もある。