Realtor.com
As fires continue to threaten Los Angeles County, one modern modular home listing in Malibu stands out for its fire-resistant features.
The three-bedroom, two-bath, modular steel-and-glass home at 5782 Calpine Drive, in an equestrian neighborhood in Malibu Park, was built with survival in mind.
The home is “a bold architectural statement grounded in safety, serenity, and soul that was built to endure and designed to inspire,” notes the listing.
The seller, Susan Tellem, knows about endurance, as the modular home was built on the ashes of her former house, which was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey fire.
(Xperience Factory)
(Courtesy of Susan Tellem)
Losing a home
Tellem had already lived through the worst after her former stick-built single-family house with four bedrooms and three levels burned to the ground in the 2018 Woolsey fires.
That fire, which burned 97,000 acres, has been largely usurped in the public mind with the more recent Palisades and Eaton Fires, which burned roughly 57,637 acres.
But Tellem keenly remembers the earlier fire, as her 40-year-old home—as well as sheep and goats living on the property—were lost.
(Xperience Factory)
(Xperience Factory)
“There were many fires while we [Tellem and her husband, Marshall] were there,” she tells Realtor.com®. “This was the first one that was close to us. It was like, ‘Now it’s our turn.'”
The couple bought the house on 1.2 acres with sweeping views of the ocean, mountains, and canyon for $662,040 in 1997.
They opened a successful turtle rescue called American Tortoise Rescue, with hundreds of turtles housed on the property.
The night the fire raged through their neighborhood, Tellem says she spent all night praying to St. Francis [patron saint of animals] to spare the turtles. Miraculously, all 500 or so survived. But the home did not.
When builders came to the scorched area to demonstrate to devastated homeowners what types of homes could be rebuilt, Tellem focused on a modular home.
“It would be a lot faster to build,” she says. “We wanted to get back in and start our lives over.”
(Xperience Factory)
Rebuilding from the ashes
While 500 families in the area lost their homes, the couple were the 30th family to be able to move back into their new home.
“I was captivated by the chance to move back in faster, and we didn’t need a giant house,” says Tellem. “Also, this home doesn’t burn. It’s metal and very safe. It’s got bells and whistles all over keeping it safe. It was just the perfect thing.
“And it’s great looking.”
Described in the listing as “built with precision-engineering, fire-resistant materials and elevated with an on-site generator,” the 1,920-square-foot modern retreat is “built to protect and inspire.”
The landscaping is also top of mind with a “moat of safety,” meaning no vegetation is close to the house.
(Xperience Factory)
“Strategic landscaping enhances both fire safety and aesthetics, while the thoughtful floor plan blends indoor-outdoor living from sunrise to sunset each hour of the day fills the home with natural light and serenity,” states the listing.
Steve Lockwood, founder of Mountain State Fire Protection in Phoenix, AZ, agrees that the modular home is more fire resistant than the average (no structure is considered 100% fire-proof).
“In my opinion, this house is significantly more fire resistant than your average wood or stucco home,” he tells Realtor.com. “I personally love the house and would want a home like this if I lived in a fire-prone area.”
Insuring a modular home
But Anthony Verreos, strategic insurance advisor at Real Estate Bees, who works in the San Francisco Bay area, warns that getting insurance for a modular home may be a trial.
“My experience is that the majority of insurers unfairly discriminate against modular homes,” he tells Realtor.com. “This has to change.”
“If the insurance barrier can be broken, then the factory production capabilities and quality controls could reduce costs and make it very attractive,” he says.
“The on-site construction time would be a game changer to get people back in their homes years faster.”
The difficulty of procuring insurance for a modular home is what may account for listing agent Pamela Ulich, of Douglas Elliman, noting that the Calpine Drive house is only the second modular home she knows of in the area.
“Since the Woolsey fire, the home styles have remained the same blueprint because the homes codes are expedited like-for-like plus 10%, otherwise you could face a lengthier code-compliance process,” she explains.
“Homes are now being built with water tanks; if tanks are not available, there’s often a pool which can be utilized as a water source in emergencies.”
Beyond fire safety, Tellem says the modular home comes with an unexpected perk: It’s quieter than a regular home.
“I can’t hear a thing inside,” she says.
She also points out that the modular home is a more affordable entry point for the pricey area.
“There are people on my street with ridiculous prices and no view,” she says. “And I have incredible views.”
Despite the wildfire threat, Malibu and its coveted coastline do not come cheap. In July 2025, there were 96 lots for sale in the city, with a median listing price of $1.5 million, according to Realtor.com economic data.
Even burned lots are commanding millions.
The median sales price for a home (not a lot) in Malibu was $3.2 million in the first half of the year, down from $4.1 million in 2024. Prices have softened year over year in the area, but homes continue to command a relatively high sale price.
Tellem has decamped to Manhattan Beach to be close to her grandkids but has a message for whomever buys the modular house: “Enjoy it.”