Kim Kardashian and Kanye West slammed for paying for "private firefighters" for their neighborhood

Kim Kardashian and her husband, Kanye West, reportedly hired a private group of firefighters to protect their $60-million mansion from the California wildfires.

As TMZ reported, the couple’s house is located in Hidden Hills. Their place was in real danger as everybody in the area was told to evacuate. Thankfully for them and the rest of the families in their neighborhood, the couple hired a private group of firefighters.

Some high-paying clients of insurance companies can opt for such services, and the aggressive wildfires that have taken the lives of more than 60 people so far were the perfect scenario in which the Wests could use that benefit.

TMZ added that Kim’s mansion sits at the end of a cul-de-sac and borders a field, which means that if the flames hit her house, the domino-effect that the whole neighborhood could have faced would have been catastrophic.

PROTECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Fortunately, the private firefighters were armed with several hoses and shovels used to dig ditches that ultimately kept the flames away from the property. Thanks to that action, not only the Wests’ mansion but also the rest of the houses of the neighborhood were saved.

TMZ talked with a couple of neighbors who admitted to being grateful for Kim and Kanye’s decision, and that things would have been different if they hadn’t done it.

NEGATIVE REACTION

Unfortunately, several people considered that hiring private firefighters was disrespectful, especially compared to those who are not as wealthy as the couple. A Twitter user wondered why there would be private firefighters in such a situation.

Another user said that the Wests hired them to protect only their mansion. The fact that they could save the rest of the houses in the neighborhood was a "byproduct" as they didn't help anyone intentionally.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRES

As CBS reported, about 52,000 people have been displaced from their houses to shelters, motels, homes of friends, and even to a Walmart parking lot trying to escape from the flames and the smoke.

THE DAMAGE

At the moment, two wildfires are still going on. Camp Fire, located in Butte County, has burned 142,000 acres, causing 63 confirmed fatalities and almost 12,000 structures destroyed. 45 percent of Camp Fire has been contained.

The second fire is Woolsey. Located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, it has burned almost 99,000 acres causing three confirmed fatalities and 616 structures destroyed.

CBS added that rain in the forecast on November 20 is expected to do two things: knock down most of the flames, but complicate efforts that more than 450 searchers are doing to find human remains in the ashes.