Los Angeles Becomes Test Site for Fire Protection Systems

The California wildfires have become a testing ground for fire fighting technology, like the Frontline Wildfire Defense System.

According to Harry Statter, the founder and CEO of Frontline, their technology system is helping control the fire that has caused immense damage in the city.

“We’re confident our systems have performed as intended, but the situation is still developing, and full details will become clear after property inspections,” Statter stated.

Statter says the company’s technology has never been put to the test in a wildfire on such a large scale.

By soaking exterior surfaces, such as roof gutters, where leaves may have accumulated, Frontline seeks to protect houses before fires are close by lowering the likelihood that embers would ignite them.

The company reportedly has sprinklers installed in over a thousand buildings and properties worth over $3 billion in the Western United States.

“A lot of homeowners are worried,” Statter remarked. They have been evacuated, but they are unsure if their house has made it out alive. They are in a vulnerable mental state”.

According to Statter, when there is a risk of fire, the systems ought to be triggered.

According to Bill Clerico, founder and managing partner of Convective Capital, which invests in these startups, there will be more opportunities for startups whose products assist consumers, utilities, and fire departments in coping with wildfires, whether for community or home hardening or forest management.

Strategies Being Proposed for Wildfire Insurance and Community Resilience

Prior to the disaster, many private insurers in Pacific Palisades canceled coverage, leaving homeowners to rely on the California FAIR Plan, a capped insurance of last resort.

“People have inquired about insurance. Due to the degree of risk, we were unable to underwrite it,” stated Dan Preston, co-founder and CEO of Stand.

Preston predicted that the insurance losses would be “quite monumental,” but pointed out that it doesn’t have to be that way.

“The long-term solution to this is community mitigation,” he stated. “Ten homes, not ten thousand, could have been lost in this neighborhood.”

The devastation in Pacific Palisades was caused by several reasons, including strong winds striking a community that was dense with vegetation, had houses close to one another, and was encircled by dry brush.

“As they rebuild, towns and homeowners can engage in risk-reducing measures including installing metal roofs, stucco siding, tempered glass, covered vents and eaves, and removing vegetation from around properties,” Preston added.