Wildfire Suppression Also Shows 'Rich Get Richer, Poor Get Poorer'... LA Tycoons Hire Private Firefighting Teams for '15 Million Won a Day'

"Some Upscale Commercial Buildings and Wealthy Mansions Remain Intact"

As large wildfires continue to cause damage in Los Angeles (LA), some wealthy individuals are reportedly hiring private firefighting companies to respond to the fires, highlighting a "rich get richer, poor get poorer" phenomenon in wildfire suppression.

Firefighters battling the wildfires in Los Angeles. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

On the 12th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that some mansions and high-end commercial facilities in LA suffered relatively less damage after the wildfires, thanks to the efforts of private firefighting companies. The media cited the Monument Street area in Pacific Palisades, which was severely affected by the wildfire, noting that while the fire left only ashes and debris in most areas, some upscale commercial buildings and wealthy individuals' homes remained intact. This was attributed to the fact that some affluent property owners had hired private firefighting companies.

Unlike firefighters affiliated with local governments who prioritize overall wildfire containment, these private firefighting companies focus on protecting specific buildings requested by their clients. Upon arrival at the scene, they remove flammable materials such as nearby trees to prevent the fire from spreading to the designated building and apply fire retardants to the structure. Such fire prevention measures increase the likelihood of avoiding damage even when a large wildfire, like the recent LA fire, sweeps through an entire area.

However, hiring private firefighting companies is not inexpensive. According to one private firefighting company, the cost of hiring a team consisting of two private firefighters and a small fire truck is about $3,000 (approximately 4.4 million KRW) per day. A large team with four fire trucks and 20 firefighters can cost up to $10,000 (around 14 million KRW) per day. This explains why the clientele of private firefighting companies is inevitably wealthy.

The private firefighting industry gained public attention during the 2018 LA wildfires. At that time, it was reported that Kim Kardashian and hip-hop artist Ye (Kanye West) hired private firefighting companies to protect their mansion in LA's Hidden Hills, sparking widespread public interest.

Since then, as large wildfires have repeatedly occurred annually in the western United States, demand for private firefighting companies has increased. According to the National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA), an industry group for private firefighting companies, private firefighters now make up 45% of all firefighters working in the U.S., indicating a booming private firefighting sector.

There is also considerable criticism of private firefighting companies. Critics argue that their activities can interfere with the duties of public firefighters, such as depleting water from public fire hydrants. In response to growing criticism, California enacted a law in 2018 regulating private firefighting companies, stipulating obligations to cooperate with public fire agencies and banning the use of sirens by private firefighting companies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.