The prologue declares that “it is in Malibu’s nature to burn” (3): Fires in what is now Malibu date back to before 500 B.C.E.

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) divides Malibu into mountain and ocean. Despite the ocean’s closeness, the mountainous region is susceptible to fire because of its desert-like nature. It is both a place ready for destruction and ripe for new life.

The prologue’s last section sets the stage for the rest of the book. It introduces Nina Riva and August 27, 1983, the day the Malibu fire of 1983 started. By seven o’ clock the next morning, the entire coast is on fire. We don’t know who sets the fire, but their actions are unsurprising: “it is in one particular person’s nature to set fire and walk away” (5).

Nina Riva wakes up in the coastal house her now absent husband Brandon picked out before leaving her for a fellow professional tennis player. Because Nina is a professional surfer, their breakup is in the tabloids; the article includes an image of Nina’s father Mick, a rock star. Nina notices that the waves are perfect for surfing, and plans to “let the ocean heal her like she always had” (14).