Our lesson of the day regards when not to expect sympathy. Our second lesson is on private firefighting services.
No Sympathy Department
KTLA5 reports Wealthy L.A. investor blasted for seeking paid firefighters: ‘Will pay any amount’
A 40-year-old Los Angeles millionaire, well known for his success in real estate, has deleted his X account, after facing intense criticism for pleading on the social media platform for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday.
Keith Wasserman, whose X bio used to read “entrepreneur, investor, contrarian, compounding,” is a partner and co-founder at Gelt Venture Partners, described on his Linkedin page as “Multifamily Real Estate Investments with High Net Worth Individuals and Families.”
“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades?” the 40-year-old posted on X Jan. 7 as the fire raged. “Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”
Wasserman, who, according to the Daily Beast, had previously posted about his disdain for paying property taxes, writing “real estate ballers don’t pay any,“ was immediately “dragged” by other X users.
“Congratulations on no longer having to pay property taxes,” one user wrote, tagging Wasserman whose home reportedly burned down in the fire.
“You really can’t make this stuff up,” another X user said. “The rich guy Keith Wasserman bragged about not paying taxes & now wants private firefighters to protect his home while neighbors’ home burn.”
Kim Kardashian’s Private Firefighters Expose America’s Fault Lines
Please consider Kim Kardashian’s Private Firefighters Expose America’s Fault Lines
Note: This post is from 2018
As multiple devastating wildfires raged across California, a private firefighting crew reportedly helped save Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s home in Calabasas, TMZ reported this week. The successful defense of the $50 million mansion is the most prominent example of a trend that’s begun to receive national attention: for-hire firefighters protecting homes, usually on the payroll of an insurance company with a lot at risk.
The insurance companies AIG and Chubb have publicly talked about their private wildfire teams. AIG has its own “Wildfire Protection Unit,” while Chubb—and up to a dozen other insurers—contract with Wildfire Defense Systems, a Montana company that claims to have made 550 “wildfire responses on behalf of insurers,” including 255 in just the past two years. Right now in California, the company has 53 engines working to protect close to 1,000 homes.
Lesson on When to Hire Private Firefighters
Wasserman’s timing was a bit off. I wonder if he had insurance at all.
Dear Keith Wasserman, I have two suggestions.
- Don’t brag about not paying property taxes
- If you want private firefighters, I suggest paying for them before a fire breaks out
Wasserman could not take the heat and deleted his account from X.
Firefighters Protect Historic Mt. Wilson Observatory From Eaton Fire
Here’s a bit of good news Firefighters Protect Historic Mt. Wilson Observatory From Eaton Fire
The blaze threatened the observatory and communications infrastructure at the peak. Later, an observatory official said it appeared to be under control.
“The fire is making a run toward the historic Mount Wilson area,” Robert Luna, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Footage from local news stations and webcams showed the Eaton fire going up Mount Wilson as smoke billowed across the sky.
The Mount Wilson Observatory said on social media around noon that it had lost power, and that firefighters were on its grounds.
The Mount Wilson Observatory said later Thursday evening that the nearby fire appeared to be under control.
“Our core crew at the Observatory are all safe. Maybe exhausted, but they can sleep through the night now,” said Dan Kohne, the observatory’s chief operating officer, adding that they anticipated that power would be restored on Friday.