A forward looking (part of a) solution for Malibu would be the county acquiring and maintaining beach paths every few houses. Prescribed 10' wide fire breaks.

This solves the fire problem AND the limited access to a public resource that is common in Malibu.

Ideally a permeable surface without any growth, cleared at least 2x a year.

Legal Eagle claims that embers can travel up to 2 miles:

https://youtu.be/5h1H36rdprs?t=1m51s

That would easily jump a 10' fire break.

That would only account for the small amount of homes right on the beach itself - the majority of Malibu is in the hills above

I would prefer no bailouts.

If insurance wants firebreaks for insurance, that is their choice.

If the city wants buy RE for access, that is between tax payers and the land owners. Cash talks

> the county acquiring and maintaining beach paths every few houses. Prescribed 10' wide fire breaks

Ooh, and make a bailout conditional on homeowners (or counties) agreeing to eminent domain.

That would not have solved the problem in this fire since wind speed was so high. The videos showed embers traveling far and fast. Having a 10 foot fire break would not have prevented the spread. One thing to look into is how the fire started and if the electrical equipment can be made safer, like being underground in some places.

The break would need a low masonry wall to stop embers from being pushed along the ground.