“When your house catches fire, the first thing you do is call a lawyer,” Camille Mayer said on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Kelsey Grammer’s ex-wife’s lavish home was destroyed in 2018, the last time wildfires devastated Los Angeles, and the aftermath was broadcast on Bravo. Mayer was dryly referring to the legal battles with her insurance companies, but there’s one more step many in her position take before calling in lawyers: sending in private firefighters.
“For hire” firefighters are par for the course when it comes to multimillion-dollar firefighters set up in and around Los Angeles, and in at least six neighboring states, according to expert Don Holter. These services have certainly been involved during the devastating and unprecedented wildfires currently burning in Southern California.
Communities like Malibu and Pacific Palisades — which were virtually wiped off the map this week, in the case of the latter — are especially inclined to bring crews, trucks, chemical retardants and even dedicated water supplies when priceless property is at stake. Ryan Kavanaugh, founder of the popular film studio Relativity Media, told me in 2019 that he started a private firefighting service as a side hustle. He could not immediately be reached for comment on this story.
However, in the case of the reported 130,000 residents and over 6,000 buildings in the path of destruction wrought by the current fire, issues of taste and tone deafness arose around these non-public crews.
“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. Burning all the neighbors’ houses. “I will pay any amount,” Los Angeles-based real estate executive Keith Wasserman wrote to X on Tuesday, sparking the same controversy. This post came as the fires at the checkpoints moved strongly and terrorized the residents.
Social media users were amazed at the display of wealth as citizens of all backgrounds struggled to escape, noting Wasserman’s “incredible nerve”. There was a backlash on Thursday, with many users noting that fire resources had been exhausted at the barricades.
Multiple sources diverse This week we talked about understanding the need to “eat the rich,” as one top media executive in beachfront properties put it, when people’s property and lives are at stake.
“The reality here is that you have to protect your investment, and a large investment needs extraordinary protection,” the executive said.
It is not only the structures that need this type of vigilance, according to the sources. Many of the wealthy and powerful who occupy these spaces have unusual valuables.
“Do you know what kind of artwork most of these people have? Houses are like museums,” said one talent agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In fact, locals, like former NBCUniversal CEO Ron Meyer and Oscar winner Leonardo D. Caprio, extensive and irreplaceable collections of pieces by Murakami, Salvador Dali and Basquiat are in Liu’s possession.
Holter, who is based in central California, cautioned against judging homeowners with ample resources.
“Our service is cost-effective compared to public entities,” Holter said, noting that Los Angeles uses unionized firefighters. While his company might charge $4,000 to $5,000 a day for a small client fleet, it would cost the municipality roughly $20,000 for workers, trucks, overtime and backfill workers.
When asked if his prices change based on the size and value of the property, Holter asked: “Why would we swallow someone up because they have money? Right is right and wrong is wrong. At the end of the day, we do the job because we want to help.”
For a list of resources and the latest news on the Los Angeles fires, follow diverseCoverage here.