What Mercenaries Can Teach Us about Climate-Fuelled Disaster Responses

Jan 15, 2025 | Isabelle Bond
View Original

The devastating fires in Southern California, many of which are still burning out of control, have exposed a controversial and increasingly attractive disaster response alternative that engages the private sector. California’s private firefighting industry, which most haven’t even heard of, is growing rapidly in the face of deteriorating climate conditions. Proponents contend that private industries ‘can fill gaps when public fire departments aren’t able to meet the demands of their local communities’. However, without careful planning and public sector engagement, expanding the industry may actually exacerbate those gaps. We can learn from another type of privatised force: mercenaries, or private military companies.