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The wealthy seek private protection against wildfires in California

The wealthy seek private protection against wildfires in California

When the fire in Palisades, California began to spread rapidly on Tuesday evening, the director of a real estate agency in Los Angeles, Keith Wasserman, issued an emergency appeal on social media.

“Does anyone have access to a private fire department that can protect our home in Pacific Palisades? We must act quickly. All the neighbors' houses are burning. I will pay any amount".

This message, which was later deleted, caused harsh reactions from social network users, who consider it unfair that the rich have special treatment in such situations, writes cnn.


According to US media reports, some Los Angeles residents pay thousands of dollars to paint their homes with fire retardant gel, while others invest in private hydrants to put out fires near their properties.

Prisoners engage in firefighting in California
Read too Prisoners engage in firefighting in California

Despite the backlash to Wasserman's post, most private firefighters don't work for wealthy individuals, firefighter Mike Stutts of Somerset, California, told CNN.

Instead, they mostly cooperate with insurance companies trying to save expensive houses to avoid huge compensation payments.

Tim Bauer, vice president of fire damage management at Allied Disaster Defense, said after the first three days of the Pacific Palisades fire there was a waiting list of at least 200 people urgently seeking his company's services.

Bauer explained that his company coats properties with the same material used by firefighting planes to slow the spread of fires. /Telegraph/