Backlash after LA millionaire offers 'any amount' for private firefighters to protect home
LOS ANGELES - A millionaire in Los Angeles faced a wave of criticism after he posted a plea on social media offering to pay private firefighters "any amount" to protect his home from the raging Palisades Fire, as his neighbors' homes burned.
‘Any Amount’
What we know:
Keith Wasserman, co-founder of the Los Angeles-based real estate firm Gelt Venture Partners, made the request on the platform X Tuesday.
"Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you," he wrote in a post that has since been deleted, though not before other X users captured screenshots.
Is your home in a wildfire hazard zone? Check these Cal Fire maps
The map allows Californians to search for an address and see the location's probability of being affected by fire. Here's what to know.
Swift backlash
What they're saying:
The post was met with fury from users who criticized it as "tone-deaf."
"Incredible nerve… His family is evacuated and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured," one X user commented.
"The disconnect is jaw dropping. Just wow," said another user.
Others condemned Wasserman for being elitist.
"So you’re suggesting that potentially lifesaving resources (even if "private") should be diverted to save your house because you’re rich while tens of thousands of people try to evacuate?," wrote Renny.
Account deleted
Wasserman's account appears to have been deleted, but not before he responded to critics he called "trolls," according to the New York Post.
"Mama, I’m going viral!" he wrote, before scrubbing the post.
What is the most destructive wildfire in California history?
California is no stranger to wildfires, with blazes sprouting up more frequently and outside of what was traditionally considered "wildfire season." But as Gov. Gavin Newsom underlined, wildfires aren't limited to one season.
Dig deeper:
Hiring private firefighters is not entirely uncommon, especially among the wealthy.
In 2018, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West paid private firefighters to save their $60 million mansion from the Woolsey Fire, as first reported by TMZ.
Neighbors credited them and their private team of firefighters for pushing the flames back and saving other homes in the area.