As multiple wildfires rage across California, threatening homes in Los Angeles' most exclusive neighbourhoods, wealthy residents are turning to private firefighting services — a luxury that comes with a staggering price tag. With public fire departments overwhelmed, some of the city's richest are reportedly paying as much as $2,000 (around Rs 1.7 lakh) per hour for bespoke fire protection.
According to reports, these private crews are hired to safeguard luxury properties from approaching flames. Chris Dunn, the owner of a private security company, said the demand for such services soared in the wake of the crisis.
A journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported seeing a private firefighting team dousing a house's roof with water throughout the night to prevent flare-ups. “Private firefighters guard this Hollywood Hills house from #SunsetFire. They've set up sprinklers to cascade water from the second-story eaves. They will guard all night,” the journalist shared on X (formerly Twitter).
These companies offer services, such as spraying landscapes with fire retardant or wrapping trees in fireproof material, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. One such company, Torgerson's Wildfire Defense Systems, sent their crew equipped with hoses, fire-retardant gel and their own water tanks.
The company partners with insurance providers to safeguard the properties of policyholders who opt for these premium services. The company's founder told The LA Times that it benefits both sides if the private firefighters manage to protect a house, as homeowners retain their properties and the insurance firm avoids a significant payout for reconstruction.
Homeowners directly hiring private firefighters have sparked criticism for deepening class divisions during emergencies. Recently, millionaire property investor Keith Wasserman faced a lot of backlash after he sought assistance, through a now-deleted post on X, to hire private firefighters to protect his property from the blaze.
Rick Caruso, a billionaire property developer and former water commissioner, also faced flak after it came to light that he enlisted private firefighting crews to defend his residence. The New York Times reported that Caruso hired these services to protect his estate.
Back in 2018, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West publicly acknowledged that private firefighters played a major role in saving their mansion in the Santa Monica Mountains during a wildfire, according to a report in TMZ.
At least 24 people have been confirmed dead due to massive wildfires around Los Angeles. More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the blaze, which has forced over 1 lakh people to evacuate. The damage and economic loss is estimated at $135 billion to $150 billion.
