[fidelis]

Before there were government fire departments, all fire companies were private. They were started by insurance companies to protect their assets. Businesses and homes that were covered had a distinctive plaque (called "fire marks") on the exterior that told the firemen which buildings were covered under the insurance company they were working for. Some of these fire marks can still be seen on historical buildings, mostly in the eastern US, and are quite the collectors items among fire history buffs:

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There are still volunteer fire departments that only extinguish fires on houses that have paid the annual fee.

Of course when an uncovered house burns there is outrage that the volunteer fire department stood by just because the homeowner didn’t help pay for the manpower and equipment.