‘Adrenaline kicks in.’ Californians fight blazes themselves with firetrucks bought online

Kellie Neilsen walked out onto her front porch and saw “the whole hillside on fire,” according to KCRA.

That night, Neilsen’s fiance, Nick Bonovich, got a call from Cal Fire saying they needed to evacuate, the station reported.

“I see flames coming down, and I’m like, ‘uh-oh, we gotta get going,’” Bonovich said. “Seeing those flames, it was kind of scary at first, but then adrenaline kicks in.”

The Bonovich’s were able to fight back the flames using an old firetruck Nick’s father, Greg, bought online, according to KCRA. They bought another firetruck after they saved their home, the station reported.

“Just having so many fires around here, you kind of just get used to it,” Nick’s brother, Jake Bonovich, told KSBW.

Summers in California have been filled with wildfires each year, and the historic blazes have revealed a critical shortage of firefighters, according to NPR. Not only that, but insurance premiums have skyrocketed for people living in high risk areas, NPR reported.

Those among other factors have driven some Californians to take matters into their own hands by buying and selling firetrucks on Craigslist, according to SFGate. One listing advertises a 1967 Ford F750 Napco firetruck that “runs great” listed for $15,000.

Another Craigslist post features a 2013 Peterbilt 337 water truck that can hold 2,500 gallons, with an asking price of $69,000. Then there’s a Sacramento-based company called Vans From Japan that imported several trucks and posted them on Craigslist, according to NPR.

Cal Fire warns against anyone trying to defend their property against a fire while under an evacuation order, SFGate reported.

“People don’t understand the ferocity of these fires that we’ve been dealing with the last five or so years,” said Cal Fire Captain Scott McLean, according to SFGate. “They’re very unpredictable and you can’t project what the fire’s going to do.”

Private firefighting firms became more popular in 2019, the New York Times reported. Some crews are part of businesses contracted with federal agencies but most work for insurance companies, according to the Times.

Some private companies offer services for up to $3,000, the Times reported. The practice has taken place since at least the 1980s, but contractors recently started offering their services to homeowners directly instead of just to government agencies, according to the newspaper.

This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 2:23 PM with the headline "‘Adrenaline kicks in.’ Californians fight blazes themselves with firetrucks bought online."