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Wealthy Los Angeles residents are turning to costly private firefighters to protect their multimillion-dollar homes from the devastating wildfires that have consumed some of the area’s most exclusive neighborhoods, drawing ire from the little people.

With no end in sight for the roaring inferno and more heavy winds in this week’s forecast, some who have money to burn have sought out “on call” services, having little faith in the city’s embattled – and resource-starved – fire department which has been fighting a losing battle against the deadly blazes that have already destroyed thousands of homes.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook. Demand has never been higher,”  Chris Dunn who owns Covered 6 told the Daily Mail. His company is among those that provide services to the Hollywood elite, outfits that charge a whopping $2,000 an hour for fire protection, the outlet reported.

“This week’s events have shown you can’t trust the city to protect your property. I have the money, so why not?” One rich homeowner said.

One San Francisco Chronicle reporter recently posted a video of private firefighters who have set up sprinklers to keep one roof wet and are standing by to guard the property.

According to the reporter, the private firefighters were hired by a talent manager whose clients include Miley Cyrus and rapper Lil Nas X

“The entire hillside was on fire,” Adam Leber told the Chronicle. “It was insane.”

Some have expressed anger at how the wealthy have been able to use their money to protect themselves while ordinary people are forced to rely on public resources, which have been overwhelmed.

“Private firefighters? WTF,” exclaimed one X user. “The rich suffer zero consequences of anything, even cataclysmic natural disasters.”

One millionaire, real estate investor Keith Wasserman, was scorched by the flames of social media outrage after he took to X to put out a call seeking help in finding a private firefighting firm to save his Pacific Palisades home.

“Incredible nerve… 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 user. “Incredibly tone deaf.”

“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?” Another critic asked.

“If you find yourself tweeting for private firefighters to protect your property, you should probably question what you have become as a human being,” still another wrote.

“My family and I are unbelievably lucky to be in the position that we’re in, given what everyone else is going through,” Leber told the San Francisco Chronicle. “What (the private firefighters) do is unbelievable. … I was 100% certain our house was done. Thanks to these guys, they were able to hold it off long enough so the fire department could come in.”

Chris Donaldson
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