Firefighting Inc.

Wealthy Californians Are Hiring Private Firefighters

A startling reminder that the poor will be most affected by environmental catastrophe.
Victor Tangermann Avatar
Wealthy people in California are choosing to supplement local government firefighting services with the help of third-party private contractor firefighters.
Image: California National Guard

Private Firefighters

Money can buy many things — but can it buy you the assurance that your resort-sized beachfront property will be safe during the next wildfire?

As wildfires are becoming more frequent and more ferocious than ever thanks to climate change, wealthy Californians — Kim Kardashian and Kanye West included — are choosing to supplement the firefighting services provided to them by local and state governments with the help of third-party contractors, The New York Times reports.

The dystopian story comes courtesy of private firefighting services — though as the Times points out, most don’t actually pull up with a firehose, opting instead to fireproof homes before the next blaze.

A Growing Trend

It’s a trend that’s catching on like, well, wildfire. LA-based private security firm founder Chris Dunn is even hoping to make federally accredited firefighting temp work a reality.

“It would be like a temporary worker during Christmastime,” Dunn told the Times. “Retail has them, why wouldn’t fire season have them?”

The trend is nothing new — private firefighting has been around in the U.S. since at least the 80s. But it’s a startling reminder that the poor will be most affected by climate change.

READ MORE: While California Fires Rage, the Rich Hire Private Firefighters [The New York Times]

More on wildfires: New Fire-Resistant Homes the Next Line of Defense From Wildfires

I’m a senior editor at Futurism, where I edit and write about NASA and the private space sector, as well as topics ranging from SETI and artificial intelligence to tech and medical policy.