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- Los Angeles wildfires have highlighted stark inequalities, with wealthy residents hiring private firefighters at rates up to $2,000 an hour to protect their mansions while ordinary homeowners rely on an overwhelmed public fire department.
- The wildfires have forced over 100,000 evacuations, destroyed 12,000 structures, and claimed at least 25 lives, with the death toll expected to rise.
- Many residents, unable to return due to unsafe conditions, face significant losses, including homes and personal belongings.
- Private firefighting companies, increasingly hired by wealthy individuals, provide specialized services, including fire retardant and water from clients’ pools. Critics argue this diverts resources from the broader community and exacerbates inequality, as seen in cases like millionaire Keith Wasserman’s public plea for private firefighters.
- Investigators are examining systemic issues, such as dry fire hydrants and a decommissioned reservoir, that hindered firefighting efforts.
As wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles, a glaring disparity has emerged between the city’s wealthiest residents and everyone else. While millionaires shell out thousands of dollars an hour for private firefighters to protect their mansions, ordinary homeowners are left to rely on an overwhelmed public fire department, with many watching helplessly as their neighborhoods burn to the ground.
The wildfires, which have forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate, have destroyed over 12,000 structures and claimed at least 25 lives, with the death toll expected to rise.
For many residents, the disaster has been compounded by the realization that their city’s resources are stretched too thin to save their homes—while the wealthy can simply pay for protection.
Private firefighting companies, which typically contract with governments and insurance firms, have increasingly offered their services directly to wealthy homeowners in recent years.
These companies arrive with their own trucks, hoses, fire retardants and even water supplies, often drawing from clients’ swimming pools when fire hydrants run dry. But their services come at a steep cost.
Some firms charge up to $2,000 an hour, with daily rates reaching $10,000 for larger teams.
Chris Dunn, owner of private firefighting firm Covered 6, told reporters his phone has been “ringing off the hook” as desperate millionaires scramble to protect their properties. In one instance, a reporter observed a private crew standing guard outside a mansion, its roof continually drenched by water sprayers, while neighboring homes burned.
The sight of private firefighters saving the homes of the wealthy has sparked outrage among Angelenos who feel abandoned by their city.
Keith Wasserman, a millionaire real estate investor, ignited a firestorm on social media after posting a plea for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home. “Will pay any amount,” he wrote, later deleting the post after facing backlash.
Critics accused Wasserman of prioritizing his property over the lives of firefighters and the needs of his neighbors.
“His family is evacuated, and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured,” wrote one critic.
“Incredibly tone-deaf,” added the critic.
Residents are frustrated because it’s still unsafe to return to their homes
The frustration is palpable among the tens of thousands of residents who have lost everything. Many have been unable to return to their neighborhoods, which remain under evacuation orders due to downed power lines, gas leaks, and toxic debris.
At Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster recovery centers, displaced residents are filing for one-time payouts of $770, seeking help with prescriptions and replacing lost identification.
Albert Partovi, an 81-year-old Pacific Palisades resident, lost his 4,500-square-foot home in the first hour of the fire.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to come back in a day or two,'” said Partovi. He added that he didn’t even take his computer and he only brought several bags. (Related: Los Angeles wildfires: A city in flames, a community in crisis.)
Others, like a man who identified himself as Brian, have been living out of their cars after fleeing their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs. Briand admitted that it “gets cold at night,” adding that a volunteer gave him a blanket.
The disparity between the haves and have-nots has become a flashpoint in a city already known for its stark income inequality. While private firefighting companies argue that they supplement overstretched public resources, critics say they divert attention and resources from the broader community.
An X user said that “The rich suffer zero consequences of anything, even cataclysmic natural disasters,” adding that “[p]rivate and firefighter should not be in the same sentence.”
The wildfires have also exposed systemic failures in the city’s fire response. Investigators are probing whether dry fire hydrants and a decommissioned reservoir hampered efforts to contain the flames.
Meanwhile, the LA Fire Department has faced criticism for not deploying hundreds of available firefighters and engines in advance of the fires, despite warnings of life-threatening winds.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley defended the department’s actions, claiming that they “did everything in our capability to surge where we could.” But for many residents, the damage has already been done.
As the fires continue to burn, the divide between those who can afford private protection and those who cannot grows ever wider.
For Tonita Fernandez, a 69-year-old Altadena resident who recently remodeled her home to provide for her five adopted children, the loss is devastating. “Then the fire comes, and everything goes up in smoke,” she said.
With no significant rain in sight and the threat of more red flag warnings next week, the situation remains dire. For the wealthy, private firefighters may offer a lifeline. But for the rest of LA, the wildfires are a stark reminder of the city’s inequalities and the urgent need for a more equitable response to disaster.
Go to Disaster.news for more updates on the LA wildfires.
Watch this clip about wildfire smoke, now considered California’s biggest health threat.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Democrat officials redirect California wildfire relief funds to personal PACs.
EXODUS: How wildfires, crime and woke policies are driving residents out of California.
L.A. wildfires: Winds ease, but authorities warn of renewed danger next week.
Armed Californians defy evacuation orders to protect homes from looters amid wildfire chaos.
Lessons from the Los Angeles fires.
Sources include:
NYPost.com
LATimes.com
DailyMail.co.uk
Brighteon.com
Read full article here
LA’s wildfires expose stark divide: Millionaires hire $2,000-an-HOUR private firefighters while regular homeowners are left to fend for themselves
- Los Angeles wildfires have highlighted stark inequalities, with wealthy residents hiring private firefighters at rates up to $2,000 an hour to protect their mansions while ordinary homeowners rely on an overwhelmed public fire department.
- The wildfires have forced over 100,000 evacuations, destroyed 12,000 structures, and claimed at least 25 lives, with the death toll expected to rise.
- Many residents, unable to return due to unsafe conditions, face significant losses, including homes and personal belongings.
- Private firefighting companies, increasingly hired by wealthy individuals, provide specialized services, including fire retardant and water from clients’ pools. Critics argue this diverts resources from the broader community and exacerbates inequality, as seen in cases like millionaire Keith Wasserman’s public plea for private firefighters.
- Investigators are examining systemic issues, such as dry fire hydrants and a decommissioned reservoir, that hindered firefighting efforts.
As wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles, a glaring disparity has emerged between the city’s wealthiest residents and everyone else. While millionaires shell out thousands of dollars an hour for private firefighters to protect their mansions, ordinary homeowners are left to rely on an overwhelmed public fire department, with many watching helplessly as their neighborhoods burn to the ground.
The wildfires, which have forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate, have destroyed over 12,000 structures and claimed at least 25 lives, with the death toll expected to rise.
For many residents, the disaster has been compounded by the realization that their city’s resources are stretched too thin to save their homes—while the wealthy can simply pay for protection.
Private firefighting companies, which typically contract with governments and insurance firms, have increasingly offered their services directly to wealthy homeowners in recent years.
These companies arrive with their own trucks, hoses, fire retardants and even water supplies, often drawing from clients’ swimming pools when fire hydrants run dry. But their services come at a steep cost.
Some firms charge up to $2,000 an hour, with daily rates reaching $10,000 for larger teams.
Chris Dunn, owner of private firefighting firm Covered 6, told reporters his phone has been “ringing off the hook” as desperate millionaires scramble to protect their properties. In one instance, a reporter observed a private crew standing guard outside a mansion, its roof continually drenched by water sprayers, while neighboring homes burned.
The sight of private firefighters saving the homes of the wealthy has sparked outrage among Angelenos who feel abandoned by their city.
Keith Wasserman, a millionaire real estate investor, ignited a firestorm on social media after posting a plea for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home. “Will pay any amount,” he wrote, later deleting the post after facing backlash.
Critics accused Wasserman of prioritizing his property over the lives of firefighters and the needs of his neighbors.
“His family is evacuated, and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured,” wrote one critic.
“Incredibly tone-deaf,” added the critic.
Residents are frustrated because it’s still unsafe to return to their homes
The frustration is palpable among the tens of thousands of residents who have lost everything. Many have been unable to return to their neighborhoods, which remain under evacuation orders due to downed power lines, gas leaks, and toxic debris.
At Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster recovery centers, displaced residents are filing for one-time payouts of $770, seeking help with prescriptions and replacing lost identification.
Albert Partovi, an 81-year-old Pacific Palisades resident, lost his 4,500-square-foot home in the first hour of the fire.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to come back in a day or two,'” said Partovi. He added that he didn’t even take his computer and he only brought several bags. (Related: Los Angeles wildfires: A city in flames, a community in crisis.)
Others, like a man who identified himself as Brian, have been living out of their cars after fleeing their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs. Briand admitted that it “gets cold at night,” adding that a volunteer gave him a blanket.
The disparity between the haves and have-nots has become a flashpoint in a city already known for its stark income inequality. While private firefighting companies argue that they supplement overstretched public resources, critics say they divert attention and resources from the broader community.
An X user said that “The rich suffer zero consequences of anything, even cataclysmic natural disasters,” adding that “[p]rivate and firefighter should not be in the same sentence.”
The wildfires have also exposed systemic failures in the city’s fire response. Investigators are probing whether dry fire hydrants and a decommissioned reservoir hampered efforts to contain the flames.
Meanwhile, the LA Fire Department has faced criticism for not deploying hundreds of available firefighters and engines in advance of the fires, despite warnings of life-threatening winds.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley defended the department’s actions, claiming that they “did everything in our capability to surge where we could.” But for many residents, the damage has already been done.
As the fires continue to burn, the divide between those who can afford private protection and those who cannot grows ever wider.
For Tonita Fernandez, a 69-year-old Altadena resident who recently remodeled her home to provide for her five adopted children, the loss is devastating. “Then the fire comes, and everything goes up in smoke,” she said.
With no significant rain in sight and the threat of more red flag warnings next week, the situation remains dire. For the wealthy, private firefighters may offer a lifeline. But for the rest of LA, the wildfires are a stark reminder of the city’s inequalities and the urgent need for a more equitable response to disaster.
Go to Disaster.news for more updates on the LA wildfires.
Watch this clip about wildfire smoke, now considered California’s biggest health threat.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Democrat officials redirect California wildfire relief funds to personal PACs.
EXODUS: How wildfires, crime and woke policies are driving residents out of California.
L.A. wildfires: Winds ease, but authorities warn of renewed danger next week.
Armed Californians defy evacuation orders to protect homes from looters amid wildfire chaos.
Lessons from the Los Angeles fires.
Sources include:
NYPost.com
LATimes.com
DailyMail.co.uk
Brighteon.com
Read full article here 
