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As wildfires rage, private firefighters join the fight for the fortunate few
Los Angeles Times ^ | Jan. 11, 2025 3 AM PT | Caroline Petrow-Cohen

Posted on 01/11/2025 10:37:23 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

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To: abigkahuna

“We do what we can.”

The trick is getting your neighbors to do the same. Invited my neighbors to see my sprinkler set up along my fence line and they said: “Great idea!” and are installing their own.


41 posted on 01/11/2025 3:41:26 PM PST by anonsquared
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

From an interview I watched this a.m., private firefighter company 1) not cheap but the cost is fractional compared to the value of the protected prop; 2) staffed with ‘moonlighting’ firefighters who are on their rotational days off from their agencies; 3) have their own water tenders and can spray home with fire retardant 4) will put out embers on neighboring props so it doesn’t spread to the prop they are protecting 5) repected by agency firefighters because some on the crew could be their work-mates/union brothers

I’m guessing they might also hire former-convict trained firefighters who after release can’t get hired on with an agency.


42 posted on 01/11/2025 4:02:18 PM PST by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
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To: srmanuel
One of the reasons given for the fire hydrants not working is the power companies cut power to prevent certain areas to prevent sparks from burned down utility poles and above ground utilities from spreading the fire more rapidly.

Since when do fire hydrants require power to operate?
43 posted on 01/11/2025 7:48:12 PM PST by Svartalfiar (-)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’m surprised more people in these fire-prone areas don’t build using more metal and stone, and landscape to limit vegetation around the home. Gonna be hard for your home to burn down if most of it isn’t flammable!


44 posted on 01/11/2025 7:50:19 PM PST by Svartalfiar (-)
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To: anonsquared

How does a detached garage decrease fire risk? It’s just another room in the building, as long as you aren’t parking an EV in there...


45 posted on 01/11/2025 7:52:56 PM PST by Svartalfiar (-)
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To: Svartalfiar

People keep gas cans and things in there.


46 posted on 01/11/2025 8:16:36 PM PST by steve86 (Numquam accusatus, numquam ad curiam ibit, numquam ad carcerem™)
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To: Svartalfiar

You know to keep the water pressure up so the water come out of the hydrant

I don’t think the water pressure required is natural so the water has to be pumped, without water pressure the hydrants don’t work and the pressure doesn’t work if power goes out unless you have backup generators which the city doesn’t have


47 posted on 01/11/2025 10:28:27 PM PST by srmanuel
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To: Svartalfiar

No EV in this home, still driving a truck with roll down windows and the best anti-theft device on the market... a clutch!

Fires that start in a garage are hotter because of the flammable items stored inside - gas, paint cans, cleaning fluids, etc. When those fires spread to the home they cause greater damage than say a kitchen fire contained to the stove area. Replacing a kitchen is cheaper than replacing an entire home. A detached garage mitigates that as long as there is no covered walkway connecting the garage to the home. It is all about the lowest payout when it comes to property damage.


48 posted on 01/12/2025 6:18:05 AM PST by anonsquared
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