8 hours ago
Last Updated:January 09, 2025, 20:00 IST
People online complained of “resource” hogging and said Keith Wasserman’s message was “tone deaf”.
Keith Wasserman in a now-deleted post had sought private firefighters to save his building from LA’s raging wildfires. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Millionaire Los Angeles CEO Keith Wasserman social media post on Wednesday asking for “private firefighters" in a bid to protect his luxury home from the Palisades wildfire has sparked fury online among netizens.
“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you," he wrote on X.
His message also sparked concerns regarding “resource" hogging at a time of crisis.
Firefighters battled early Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.
Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including massive ones in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
“Incredible nerve. His family is evacuated and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured. Incredibly tone deaf," a user on X commented.
“So you’re suggesting that potentially lifesaving resources (even if ‘private’) should be diverted to save your house because you’re rich while tens of thousands of people try to evacuate?" wrote another user.
Wasserman later deleted the post (which had garnered more than 900,000 views by the time) and called his critics trolls. “Mama, I’m going viral!" he wrote in reaction.
Location :Los Angeles, United States of America (USA)
First Published:January 09, 2025, 20:00 IST
News world ‘Know Any Private Firefighters’: LA CEO’s ‘Tone Deaf’ Post Amid Raging Wildfires Sparks Fury
