One of the key differences between public and private fire prevention entitiesthat provide emergency response services to their local communities, is how they are funded.

They can be hired by communities to provide firefighting services, as well as by certain insurance companies that provide firefighting services to customers who purchase high-value home insurance policies, according to Frontline Wildfire .

However, they can also be hired by people who want to ensure they have access to firefighting services if a fire breaks out on their property, although their purpose goes beyond serving the elite.

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These companies take advantage at times “when public resources are spread too thin,” according to Frontline Wildfire.

In fact, the US Forest Service frequently hires private fire prevention organizations to suppress wildfires “since public fire departments alone may not have sufficient manpower or resources to deal with these natural disasters,” according to Frontline Wildfire.

Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)

The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA) currently represents more than 250 private sector contractors in 28 states that can organize a workforce of about 10,000 during the fire season.

According to the association, private contract resources that include 20-person national and regional fire crews, engines, bulldozers, tenders and other specialized equipment and support services give agencies the flexibility they need to increase or decrease support from profitable way

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Meanwhile, the contractor covers training, insurance costs, benefits, equipment and transportation.

Bryan Wheelock, vice president of Oregon-based private firefighting company Grayback Forestry, told The New York Times that a private fire crew with two people and a small vehicle can cost roughly $3,000 a day. However, a larger crew consisting of nearly two dozen firefighters and four trucks can cost up to $10,000 a day.

The apartments were seen in flames from the Eaton fire on January 8, 2025. (Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Cotton Holdings founder and co-CEO Pete Bell said his services “vary greatly depending on the scope and scale of the project” and that fees can range from a few hundred dollars for projects smaller ones up to several million for large restoration or reconstruction efforts.

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“Regardless of size, our commitment is to provide high-quality service to meet the needs of those we support. No question is too small when it comes to supporting our partners,” Bell said.

Cotton Holdings is an infrastructure support services company with several subsidiaries that manage recovery, relief and disaster efforts.

However, Leo Grillo, who runs the Delta Rescue animal sanctuary and owns his own fire trucks, said there are liability issues when it comes to private firefighters that need to be considered.

A view of damaged structures and homes caused by the Palisades wildfires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images)

“Private forces are at greater risk. They can only go where they are hired to go, and other private property is off limits,” he said.