As California wildfires rage, consuming some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods, the state’s elites are turning to a costly and controversial solution: hiring private firefighting crews to protect their multimillion-dollar mansions. These “heroes-for-hire” arrive equipped with industrial-grade tools, fire-retardant chemicals, and even their own water supplies—all for a jaw-dropping $2,000 per hour.
While everyday Californians evacuate with only what they can carry, leaving their homes at the mercy of overwhelmed public fire departments, the ultra-rich are once again showing they play by a different set of rules. According to the *Daily Mail*, demand for private fire crews has skyrocketed. Chris Dunn, owner of Covered 6, a private fire protection company, admitted his phone has been “ringing off the hook” as Hollywood’s elite scramble for his bespoke services.
Images of sprawling estates outfitted with rooftop water sprayers and teams of specialists standing watch over properties all night have ignited public outrage. Some private crews even go so far as to encase trees and bushes in thick fireproof materials to prevent flare-ups. All the while, more than 100,000 Californians are fleeing their homes, many knowing full well that they may return to little more than ashes.
The backlash was swift when millionaire real estate investor Keith Wasserman took to social media, desperately seeking private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades mansion. “Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors’ houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you,” he posted to his X account (formerly Twitter), only to delete it after criticism erupted.
“Incredible nerve,” one commenter blasted. “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. Incredibly tone deaf.” Another critic added, “So you’re suggesting that potentially lifesaving resources (even if ‘private’) should be diverted to save your house because you’re rich, while tens of thousands of people try to evacuate?”
Real estate mogul Rick Caruso, a former water commissioner and vocal critic of Los Angeles’ fire response, also faced public ire after the *New York Times* revealed that he had hired private crews to safeguard his estate from the flames. One poster sarcastically quipped, “Wish I had private crews to protect my $2 investment in brokie. All I got is this broken umbrella and a spray bottle filled with tap water.”
This scenario highlights the stark divide in a state plagued by worsening wildfires, housing crises, and social inequality. The wealthy live in a world where money can buy safety and protection, while the majority of Californians are left relying on strained public resources.
As the flames consume more than just acres of land, they also expose the growing resentment toward a system that allows the affluent to shield themselves while everyone else faces the firestorm—literally and figuratively. It’s a sobering reminder of the costs of unchecked privilege, as California burns.
