Private Fire Trucks Refuse To Put Out Malibu Fire
Written by 991KBU on November 28, 2018
The Los Angeles Times has an article today about private firefighting companies … hired by insurance companies to put out fires only at those houses insured by sponsor companies.
Such private firefighting efforts are criticized by some public firefighters …. for not coordinating their efforts and for becoming liabilities.
Public firefighters say they have to divert resources to provide backup protective services to the private crews.
During the Malibu fire … private trucks were observed in the area.
In one case … a private fire truck refused a direct request to put out a nearby spot fire that had broken out two days after the big firestorm had blown through.
The new spot fire was directly threatening an unburned structure.
The truck driver shrugged his shoulders … expressed sympathy … but said he could not help the noncustomer.
The good Samaritan had to drive off and find a public fire truck to save the structure.
10 minute delay.
The fire truck … from Mammoth Lakes … put out the fire.
During the fire … trucks from various insurance companies crisscrossed Malibu …. patrolling their clients property for flames while in some cases ignoring pleas fro help from others.
We have a link to the LA Times article on the KBUU web page.
LA Times article: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-private-firefighters-20181127-story.html