Private firefighting crews in California spark conflict after alleged illegal backfires in Glass Fire

From the article:

A contentious relationship that has worsened over the past decade came to a head last weekend when Cal Fire investigators detained a crew of private firefighters who allegedly started their own illegal backfires to protect a Wine Country property.

A flood of the firefighters-for-hire drove into the Glass Fire blaze as it threatened expensive homes and multimillion-dollar wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties. Though it’s been happening for years, fire officials say the number of private firefighting crews is rising, and with it the potential for conflict in the fire zone.