What’s next for the people and suburbs burnt by the LA Fires | Foreign Correspondent | April 8, 2025
Australians know bushfires all too well. But no Australian city has experienced the scale of the urban wildfire that reduced large parts of LA to ash. More than 150 square kilometers of homes and bushland were destroyed in the worst fires in southern California’s history, US correspondent Barbara Miller was dispatched to the fires as they took hold. Now, three months later, she reports on the aftermath and reconnects with the people she met while the flames burned. As fire experts predict the severity of the wildfires will only get worse, locals who have lost everything are weighing up whether they can risk going through it all again.
All Risk Shield Saves Home During the Palisades Fire
March 2, 2025
Local resident Roger Richman shows his property that was saved during the Palisades Fire that burned near his home at the top of Stunt Road overlooking Malibu and the Valley. He installed a fire suppression system across his property which helped save his home. He also had firefighting team All Risk Shield that arrived at his home to help save it. During the fire he was on hand and knees crawling to the entrance of his home to unlock the front gates since it was so windy. Roger says that it was hurricane winds that swept through the area.
All Risk Shield CEO breaks down private firefighters role in California wildfires
January 17, 2-25
Private Firefighters Aren’t Just for the Rich
January 17, 2025
Joe Torres’s work protecting his clients’ homes from fires begins long before the first spark.
First, a member of Torres’s team visits for a risk assessment, looking for areas on the property that could be vulnerable during a fire. They’ll then make recommendations about clearing vegetation and creating defensible space, maybe make some suggestions for “hardening” the home — ember-resistant vents, gutter guards.
Torres’s team will also spray long-term fire-retardant on the landscape and sometimes on building surfaces, an added layer of protection if a fire breaks out.
“Putting in the work beforehand is key to success or having a property that’s still standing, potentially, at the end of the day,” said Torres, a firefighter and father of four who founded his California-based fire-protection company, All Risk Shield, in 2013.
Assessing properties, hardening homes, and applying fire-retardant comprises the bulk of the work Torres’s All Risk Shield team does for their clients throughout the year. But their work does not stop at fire prevention; if a blaze does erupt, Torres’s firefighters deploy to protect the homes of clients who’ve signed up for that protection.
Apparently, to some people and mainstream media outlets, this is a problem.
In the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, reporters and social-media users have taken aim at private firefighting companies like Torres’s and the people who sign up for their services.
Read the full article: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/private-firefighters-arent-just-for-the-rich/
California company offers privatized fire protection
January 10, 2025
(KRON) — Californians who are willing to pay up to ensure they are protected from fires can turn to privatized fire protection companies.
Joe Torres, a firefighter on the central coast, created All Risk Shield. He says he’s saved homes in places where others have burned.
All Risk Shield’s most popular bundles range from $4,500 to $12,000 in price. Torres offers a variety of services.
“If you have any inkling that you may need some sort of assessment or to get eyes on your property, get it done,” he said. “Get that information that you need, get it in hand and get to work.
The process begins with an employee walking the property and identifying ways to create better defensible space. All Risk Shield also uses long-term fire retardant.
The business offers to facilitate pool pumps to help firefighters use that water and for fire experts to monitor customers’ properties during Red Flag Warnings.
Torres has customers across the Bay Area, but most are in wine county.
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/california-company-offers-privatized-fire-protection/
February 28, 2022 Paso Robles, CA and Bozeman, MT
All Risk Shield has partnered with Solomon Safety Wildfire Group to help customers before, during and after a wildfire.
All Risk Shield is an end to end Wildfire Prevention and Home Hardening services company. We offer a unique service which requires experience and specialized training. Our services provide a solution to the wildfire problem in an all-inclusive approach. These services include risk assessments, installation of Brandguard fire and ember resistant vents and application of long term fire retardant.
Solomon Safety Wildfire Group is a safety solutions company focused on providing the necessary resources, supplies, solutions, and crew members to run an effective wildfire prevention and mitigation operation for homes, communities and businesses in the west. With access to an extensive crew and firefighting equipment such as a Type 6 wildland engine, Solomon is well equipped to help homeowners and businesses respond during an actual wildfire.
By partnering together, our customers have access to the professional firefighters who can help you assess your homes risk, prepare it before fire season, and assist during an actual event.
Clean Your Gutters
November 10, 2022
Thankfully the rain has started to fall in the California and the west. Fall is traditionally the time when we need to clean our gutters to make sure water does not overflow and damage our home’s foundation.
Even if you’ve prudently protected your home from embers by installing ember resistant vents through All Risk Shield, a pile of accumulated leaves in a gutter can easily be ignited by a flying ember. To protect your home, the gutters also need to stay clean during the hot and dry season. Ember resistant gutter guards can help keep your gutters clean year round.
If installing gutter guards is not an option at this time, you can utilize our gutter cleaning service. All Risk Shield can come out and clean your gutters on a routine or on-call basis in select areas.
All Risk Shield Installed Gutter Guards
Southwest Riverside Fire Safe Council selected Fortress and All Risk Shield to conduct the roadside application of the next generation superior fire retardant
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, USA, May 23, 2022 -- Firefighters and residents alike are preparing for what has the potential to become yet another volatile and unpredictable wildfire season. The all too familiar term “wildfire season” has taken on a new tone and evolved significantly over time, especially with the tremendous loss of life and property over the past few years across the state. Severe drought conditions and dry vegetation has created the perfect storm to fuel the need to provide a new and modernized approach to snuffing out fires before they even begin. What used to fall within a short and targeted timeframe, “fire season” is now a significant year-around concern for local residents, firefighters, climate activists and the local Southwest Riverside Fire Safe Council. With fire season upon us, and the ever-evolving climate change issues that have impacted the country, the fact remains clear that the state of California is at significant risk for wildfires. The statistics surrounding the 2021 fire season are staggering, and 2022 is already anticipating a higher propensity for fire activity. In 2021 alone, the state of California recorded nearly 9,000 wildfires that burned more than 2.6 million acres; 2022 has already experienced nearly 1,600 fires that have charred close to 7,000 acres across the state (Cal Fire, 2022).
The Southwest Riverside Fire Safe Council, an impressive fire prevention resource, recently secured a state grant to proactively conduct risk mitigation efforts along a highly fire prone stretch of the Via Volcano Highway – this is doubly significant because the same area is home to an ecologically protected area and a wildfire in 2012. Through the arduous and highly competitive application process, the Southwest Riverside Fire Safe Council selected Fortress North America Fire Retardant Systems and All Risk Shield to conduct the roadside application of the next generation superior fire retardant technology.
Fortress Fire truck for roadside application of fire retardant
Fortress fire retardants have proven to be more eco-sensitive, sustainable, and the most efficacious ground applied fire retardant alternative to combat wildfires in California, the United States and around the world and is fully approved by the U.S. Forest Service. “Fortress is excited to partner with professional organizations like Cal-Fire and the Southwest Riverside County Fire Safe Council. It is important that we address potential roadside ignitions along Via Volcano during the critical months of wildfire season,” said Fortress CEO Bob Burnham. “By pretreating the area with Fortress’ ground applied long- term fire retardant, we are significantly decreasing the chances of potential wildfire starts.
As an organization, we have a wealth of experience within the California wildfire agencies and understand the importance of proactively protecting communities from losses caused by wildfires. Fortress ground-applied fire retardant has been proven to be the most effective and environmentally safe product available.” The application of Fortress’ fire retardant will take place on June 1, 2022 and will commence at 9 am. The partnership consists of Cal Fire, Southwest Riverside Fire Safe Council, Fortress North America and All Risk Shield. Supporting agencies are the cities of Riverside, Temecula, Murietta, Riverside County Fire Department and local media.
Luciana Ganley
All Risk Shield
+1 707-791-0962
All Risk Shield Deploys to South Lake Tahoe
September 8, 2021
While many residents remain under evacuation from the Caldor Fire, All Risk Shield professionals continue the work to apply fire retardant to hundreds of homes in the area. We were shown in a segment on KCRA in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Long term fire retardants are safe for both wildlife and pets, are biodegradable and environmental friendly, and can last through a fire season - even after a small amount of precipitation. We recommend a second application if rainfall exceeds 1/4”.
All Risk Shield Partnering with Montecito Fire Department
July 2, 2021
MONTECITO, Calif. - Carving out defensible space is no longer enough protection for homes in high fire danger zones. Longtime homeowners and local firefighters know it. So the Montecito Fire Department launched a first-of-its-kind fire protection pilot program. All Risk Shield is proud to partner with this pilot.
"This was one of the recommendations in our CWPP which is the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. So, it's been something that we've been wanting to do for a long time," said Maeve Jaurez, Montecito Fire Wildland Fire Specialist.
It is a Vent Retrofit Program that targets some of the smallest exterior areas of a house. "Often times, people think that it's this big flaming front that comes and burns down houses and really, it's not that. What it is are the little things," said Jaurez. "Most commonly, it's the vents."
https://keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/2021/06/30/montecito-fire-department-funds-new-home-hardening-assistance-program/
Customer’s Home Survived the Woolsey Fire
Malibu, CA
November 2018
First I want to say I am extremely fortunate. Thanks to Joe Torres I still have a home.
Watch the full video on instagram.
Customer whose Home Survived the Woolsey Fire in 2018