Private wildfire fighters

I (still) have a mountain home in the path of a recent wildfire. With flames a mile or so away, the insurance company actually called to get authorization to bring in a private fire defense company to cut underbrush and protect the dwelling.

Isn’t that why cast-iron fire insurance plaques were invented over a century ago? To let firefighters know who the paying customers were? We’ve come full circle!

Doesn’t this recurring need for private fire protection cast a “can’t or won’t” shadow on publicly paid firefighters? Further still, might there be too many uninsured properties that municipalities will get stuck with after a catastrophic event?

Mike Reno

Newman Lake