Private firefighting crews prompt furious public debate amid California wildfires

Private efforts to combat wildfires are not just for the superrich - many work for insurers seeking to minimize the policies they'd have to pay out

• California wildfires: live updates

When a wildfire started spreading through the Pacific Palisades last Tuesday morning, employees of Wildfire Defense Systems, which provides loss intervention services" to insurance companies, were already nearby, Dave Torgerson, the company's founder, said.

Once they arrived at the scene, the private company's workers stood back for a while, waiting for the government firefighters to complete the most urgent life-saving efforts. When they got clearance from public fire officials, they started their job, which focuses on protecting insured homes and businesses, Torgerson said.