Private fire crews gaining ground in the field

Why was Jacobson so lucky?

He credits Firebreak, which coated vegetation around his home with fire retardant and moved lawn chairs and other flammable items away from the home as flames approached the area after sundown Nov. 13.

"They saved my house. Homes around me burned, but mine didn't," Jacobson said of the company, which was dispatched by his insurer, AIG.

AIG offers the extra protection free of charge to policyholders whose homes are worth $1 million or more or who pay at least $10,000 a year in premiums. Chubb Insurance this year introduced its own response teams. Any Chubb policyholder living in a fire-prone area can sign up for the free service, said Scott Spencer, senior vice president for loss prevention.

The hired troops were a presence in the most recent round of wildfires in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Tea fire in Montecito hit one of the nation's highest-priced neighborhoods, destroying 210 homes and damaging nine.

AIG says it is providing a valuable service that supplements, but doesn't replace, the work of public fire agencies. Homeowners are happy when homes and memories are saved, and AIG saves money in the long run, spokesman Peter Tulupman said.

With wildfires a frequent worry in many parts of California, such private response teams have become a cottage industry.

But as their profile grows, so does the debate within public fire agencies about whether the private firms are more of a help or hindrance.

Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said the companies can be a valuable resource, but they tend to exaggerate the number of homes they save and sometimes get in the way.

On a more philosophical level, he questions the social benefit of for-profit firms providing services only for some.

"When firefighters battle flames," he said of public crews, "they don't make a distinction between a $50-million Oprah mansion and a tract home."

Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper, who is vice chairman of Firescope, a statewide panel that makes recommendations on firefighting policy, believes there is a place for private contractors. But their best use, he said, is early in the fire season when they visit homes and suggest ways to reduce fire risks.

"We have found some very reputable contractors and others that are less than reputable," Roper said. "It's a hazard if they block an access point or if we end up having to rescue them."

Roper said he's seen private trucks using flashing red lights and sirens, violating laws that allow such devices only on public emergency response vehicles.

The problem with private crews, Roper said, is that they are largely unregulated. Fire chiefs throughout Southern California have talked to several of the companies about better policing themselves, he said.

AIG and Chubb acknowledge that there are mavericks. But both companies say the crews they use are held to high standards, and that members graduate from the same fire academies as firefighters who work for public agencies.

Crews for AIG and Chubb operate in much the same way. They make springtime visits to assess wildfire danger, sometimes spraying fire retardant on vegetation to reduce risk.

When a fire starts, trucks head to the area to check on homeowners and see if they need assistance. Using either a gel or foam, they spray retardant on vegetation and sometimes on homes. Once a home is secured, they move on.