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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lois Beckett in Los Angeles

Insurance firms are sending firefighters to defend homes amid LA wildfires

trees and homes are ablaze
The Palisades fire ravages the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on 7 January 2025. Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

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.

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