The unending fire in Los Angeles show a striking contrast between the rich and the less wealthy, with a apparent gap in how well-off they were able to defend their homes during the crisis.
Surprisingly, some properties have managed to escape the disaster, thanks to their ability to use personal firefighters.
According to a New York Times document, on one side of Monument Street in Pacific Palisades, the relics of multimillion-dollar houses are reduced to rubble and dust, while on the other, the Palisades Village shopping centre, home to high-end companies like Chanel and Buck Mason, stands largely untouched.
Pacific Palisades, nestled between Malibu and Santa Monica, is home to many artists and rich people. Personal firefighters have been hired by local businesses like Palisades Village, as well as specific people.
Teams of secret firefighters were seen in the region, riding in bright pickup trucks and protecting properties as people fire services worked to manage the flames.
Access to water is a crucial component of the continuing debate over personal firefighting, specifically whether these personal teams should be permitted to use people hydrants during a wildfire. Criticism has been raised by critics regarding this practice, particularly since many extinguishers were drying up in the early hours of the Los Angeles fires when both the city and county firefighters were at their highest demands for water.
Even view:
According to Deborah Miley, executive director of the National Wildfire Suppression Association, which represents over 300 private rescue teams, around 45 % of all paramedics in the United States are employed personally. These firefighters frequently work as authorities contractors, helping local rescue organizations when necessary in battling wildfires.
The emphasis on personal firefighters in affluent areas as the recent fires continue to wreak havoc raises important questions about the town’s preparedness and the growing gap between rich and poor areas when it comes to responding to disasters.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West started a crew to defend their palace from the Woolsey fire in 2018, which gained media interest. Despite being criticized by some as being harsh, Kardashian defended the use of personal firefighters, claiming they even saved nearby properties.
