On one side of the street, ruined houses of which only the chimney survived the flames. On the other, a small village of shops still intact, protected by tankers and private firefighters, hired by the local ultra-rich.
More than a week after the start of the fires that tormented Los Angeles, the contrast is still striking in Pacific Palisades. In this upscale neighborhood of the American megacity, the city’s firefighters failed to protect homes, but billionaire Rick Caruso saved his shopping center by hiring private companies.
“We were hired and ordered to stay here. I’m not allowed to tell you more.”slidesAFP a man in a yellow and green uniform, before his briefing with around twenty colleagues. In their pick-ups registered in Oregon, a neighboring state to California, these big guns keep a low profile. Because in the middle of a disaster that killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 16,000 hectares, their presence to protect luxury brands like Saint-Laurent or Isabel Marant caused a scandal.
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“It’s a shame that it’s becoming so political”whispers one of them. “We just want to do our job and help as much as we can.” Unhappy ex-candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, real estate developer Rick Caruso did not respond to requests from the’AFP. But in Pacific Palisades, a haunt of Hollywood celebrities and the ultra-rich, he is not the only one to have tried everything against the flames. Other private firefighters stand guard in front of certain villas of princely splendor, also unharmed.
“Any amount”
The sector had already hit the headlines in 2018, when Kim Kardashian and her ex-husband Kanye West hired private firefighters during a fire to preserve their mansion in the wealthy community of Hidden Hills, north of the city.
By ravaging opulent places like Pacific Palisades as well as Altadena, a more modest suburban town, the last-day fires have put the inequalities of American society back into the spotlight. Another real estate developer, Keith Wasserman, attracted an avalanche of criticism by placing an ad directly on X. “Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect their home?”launched this multimillionaire from Pacific Palisades, ready to payr “any amount.”
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These services generally cost between $2,000 and $15,000 per day, according to several companies interviewed by American media. But even for those with such means, calling on private firefighters is not so simple: the sector remains mainly employed by cities, government departments or insurance companies. In California, a 2018 law limits their room for maneuver. They are not allowed to use flashing lights or badges similar to those of public firefighters, and are required to coordinate with them. Since this text, some companies have refused to serve individuals.
“Protect our community”
Private or public, firefighters accomplish the same mission, “protect our community”reminds theAFP Jake Heflin, a Long Beach captain, spokesman on the Pacific Palisades fire. If they work “properly and in partnership, it can be very effective.”
But this can also cause problems: the public service “definitely doesn’t need an extra challenge […] because they are poorly equipped or prepared and have put themselves in a difficult situation“, he underlines. The spokesperson, however, remains unable to explain whether public firefighters coordinated with their private counterparts to fight the fire in Pacific Palisades. A vagueness much criticized by Californians, who are demanding accountability on fire management.
For some, the intervention of private companies fuels accusations of negligence against the Democratic mayor, Karen Bass, accused of having reduced the budget of public firefighters. Others are calling for real transparency on the water supply of these companies, while fire hydrants – financed by everyone’s taxes – were quickly dried up. “I really hope they brought their own water”sighs Jeff Ridgway, among the ruins of Pacific Palisades. “It will be very interesting to know if they used the fire hydrants.”
