Laurel Wamsley

Yeah. So I spoke with David Torgerson. He's executive chairman of Wildfire Defense Companies, and they work on behalf of nearly three dozen insurers, and they're regulated under California law. So when there's a wildfire endangering homes insured by these companies, his crews arrive loaded with water, but most of what they provide is labor.

Yeah. So I spoke with David Torgerson. He's executive chairman of Wildfire Defense Companies, and they work on behalf of nearly three dozen insurers, and they're regulated under California law. So when there's a wildfire endangering homes insured by these companies, his crews arrive loaded with water, but most of what they provide is labor.

Embers can get into a house through the dryer vent, so his crews will tape those shut. They'll also come back after the fire passes to make sure there isn't a bush or a fence that's burning that could still ignite the house.

Embers can get into a house through the dryer vent, so his crews will tape those shut. They'll also come back after the fire passes to make sure there isn't a bush or a fence that's burning that could still ignite the house.

Embers can get into a house through the dryer vent, so his crews will tape those shut. They'll also come back after the fire passes to make sure there isn't a bush or a fence that's burning that could still ignite the house.

It's about prevention rather than having to pay for replacing all those lost homes. So more and more insurers are including this as a standard part of their homeowners policies in wildfire prone states.

It's about prevention rather than having to pay for replacing all those lost homes. So more and more insurers are including this as a standard part of their homeowners policies in wildfire prone states.

It's about prevention rather than having to pay for replacing all those lost homes. So more and more insurers are including this as a standard part of their homeowners policies in wildfire prone states.

Well, it's obviously sort of hard to know exactly what happens in the field. When I asked a spokesperson at the Insurer USAA that question, she said the providers that they work with don't just drive on by a house that's on fire, that they're staffed with a lot of retired fire chiefs, and it's just embedded in them to help the community.

Well, it's obviously sort of hard to know exactly what happens in the field. When I asked a spokesperson at the Insurer USAA that question, she said the providers that they work with don't just drive on by a house that's on fire, that they're staffed with a lot of retired fire chiefs, and it's just embedded in them to help the community.

Well, it's obviously sort of hard to know exactly what happens in the field. When I asked a spokesperson at the Insurer USAA that question, she said the providers that they work with don't just drive on by a house that's on fire, that they're staffed with a lot of retired fire chiefs, and it's just embedded in them to help the community.

But still, private companies obviously might have different priorities than firefighters who work for the public.

But still, private companies obviously might have different priorities than firefighters who work for the public.

But still, private companies obviously might have different priorities than firefighters who work for the public.

Yeah, I mean, I asked an ethics expert about this, and he said there are a whole host of ethical questions here. For instance, which firefighters get access to limited water supplies? It can be really divisive in society when it feels like even in a crisis, the rich and powerful get insulated from what's happening.

Yeah, I mean, I asked an ethics expert about this, and he said there are a whole host of ethical questions here. For instance, which firefighters get access to limited water supplies? It can be really divisive in society when it feels like even in a crisis, the rich and powerful get insulated from what's happening.

Yeah, I mean, I asked an ethics expert about this, and he said there are a whole host of ethical questions here. For instance, which firefighters get access to limited water supplies? It can be really divisive in society when it feels like even in a crisis, the rich and powerful get insulated from what's happening.

And I asked Torgerson about this, who runs that company that works for the insurers, and he said, well, in a crisis, we need all the help we can get, and it's better to have more structures survive. They're helping to keep insurance in the marketplace, he says, which has been a huge problem in California in recent years. So these are big questions and there are no easy answers.

And I asked Torgerson about this, who runs that company that works for the insurers, and he said, well, in a crisis, we need all the help we can get, and it's better to have more structures survive. They're helping to keep insurance in the marketplace, he says, which has been a huge problem in California in recent years. So these are big questions and there are no easy answers.

And I asked Torgerson about this, who runs that company that works for the insurers, and he said, well, in a crisis, we need all the help we can get, and it's better to have more structures survive. They're helping to keep insurance in the marketplace, he says, which has been a huge problem in California in recent years. So these are big questions and there are no easy answers.