What happens when the California fires go out? More gentrification.

Story by Vox.

It is often said that climate disasters are great equalizers. They rip through neighborhoods, rich and poor, devastating communities and upending lives without discriminating between them.

But it is, of course, not that simple.

As the wildfires blaze through Southern California, class divides are as evident as ever. It is true that even the rich and famous could not spare their homes from burning to the ground. But it is also true that while most residents have to wait for public assistance, the wealthy have more resources to come to their rescue. Private firefighters, for example, have been in high demand​​ — in some cases, even protecting individual mansions to prevent the fires from touching them.

One real estate investor pleaded for help on social media, asking if anyone has access to private firefighters that could save his home. “Will pay any amount,” he wrote on X.