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