A social media appeal for firefighters sparked fury as wildfires continued to rage across Los Angeles County. The solicitation also brought attention to a less-known force of firefighters who are working to put out the fire.
In a post that has since been deleted on the social media platform X, real estate investor Keith Wasserman asked his network if they knew of any “private firefighters” who could protect their home in Pacific Palisades.
“I need to act quickly here. All neighboring houses are on fire. “Will pay any amount,” added he.
The city and county fire departments are stretched to the limit as they battle wind-fueled Los Angeles fires that have burned over 60 square miles, killed at least 24 people, and forced tens and thousands of others from their homes. In some areas, municipal resources like fire hydrants are running out.
Private firefighting teams are enlisted by those who can afford it to save their homes from wildfires.
CBS MoneyWatch reported that All Risk Shield is a California-based company that provides professional wildfire protection to homeowners in the entire state. It has answered more than 120 calls from residents of Los Angeles County who are at risk due to the wildfires.
According to CBS MoneyWatch, company spokesperson Jose Torres said that the company did not have enough resources in order to respond to every call. He added: “But we’ve had some saves,” referring to the homes that were spared destruction by the company.
What is the cost of private firefighters?
Some of the firefighters employed by the company also work in county fire departments. According to the company’s website, some of its firefighters are retired. The firm offers different levels and prices for protective services, ranging from $2,500 up to $14,000.
All Risk Shield was called by clients to protect their properties from the advancing flames.
Torres explained that “we deployed our teams in these high-risk areas we knew the fire would possibly reach and were on the ground even before the fire reached the area.” This included extinguishing flames using the residents’ own resources, such as pools, spas and rainwater tanks, along with the company’s fire retardants. Torres said that the company does not rely on municipal resources like fire hydrants to serve its private clients.
He said that although the company is completely independent of Los Angeles County Fire Department “indirectly we are each other’s helpers.”
He said that “our teams worked alongside municipal firefighters on this incident.”
According to the National Wildfire Suppression Association, which represents private firefighter service providers, contractors frequently join forces with local and state firefighting efforts. The NWSA states that contracts with private land and home owners only account for a small portion of the business of these companies. Most of the contracts are for providing additional personnel and equipment for local, state, and federal firefighting.
All hands on Deck Situation
The association, which represents over 369 private firefighting firms across the United States, has confirmed that their members have directed resources and personnel to contain the wildfires in Los Angeles. The member organizations of the association can pool together up to 11,000 wildland firefighters who are professionally trained.
The NWSA stated in a CBS MoneyWatch statement that “the size and scale of the fires, and the destruction they have left behind, require a team effort to suppress, restore and prevent future fires, including federal, state and private resources.”
