A California entrepreneur who watched wildfires consume her community has helped develop a new bunker system designed to protect residents as extreme fire activity intensifies across the American West. The Fort, produced by Wildfire Safety Systems, is among a wave of high-cost wildfire safety products entering the market despite price tags reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
"If it wasn't for Linda, we wouldn't have built this, I don't think," said Josh Behling, president of Wildfire Safety Systems and one of the inventors of the Fort bunker system. The product launched in April and starts at $60,000.
The timing coincides with worsening wildfire conditions nationwide. NASA has documented that extreme wildfire activity has doubled over the past two decades. Just this month, the Sandy Fire in California's Simi Valley—about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles—sparked widespread evacuation orders and burned more than 2,000 acres, according to fire officials.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive advocates say the emergence of expensive private wildfire safety solutions highlights deep inequities in disaster protection. Communities in low-income areas often lack resources for bunker systems or hydraulic home conversions, leaving vulnerable populations exposed as climate-driven fires intensify.
Environmental justice groups argue that policy responses should focus on systemic prevention—controlled burns, forest management, and building code reforms—rather than relying on wealthy individuals to purchase their way to safety. Democratic legislators in California have proposed expanding state-funded evacuation centers and community shelters in fire-prone areas, arguing that bunkers serve only those who can afford them.
Progressive economists note that the $60,000 starting price for Fort bunkers and $1.2 million estimated cost for hydraulic homes like HiberTec create a two-tier system of wildfire protection based on wealth rather than need.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservatives and free-market advocates view the new wildfire safety industry as an example of American innovation solving public problems without government intervention. They argue that property owners should have the freedom to invest in whatever protections they deem appropriate for their circumstances.
Republican lawmakers from Western states have generally resisted federal mandates on building materials or construction standards in fire-prone areas, instead emphasizing individual responsibility and local control. Some conservative commentators have praised entrepreneurs like Holden Forrest—who designed HiberTec's hydraulic homes after the Woolsey Fire destroyed 1,200 homes near his Malibu property—for developing creative solutions to wildfire threats.
Industry supporters contend that private-sector innovation develops faster than government bureaucracies can respond, and that regulation could stifle life-saving technologies before they reach market.
What the Numbers Show
NASA data shows extreme wildfire activity has doubled globally over the past 20 years. The Sandy Fire in Simi Valley burned more than 2,000 acres this month alone. The Woolsey Fire of 2018 destroyed 1,200 structures near Malibu.
Current wildfire safety products carry substantial price barriers: Fort bunkers start at $60,000; HiberTec estimates its hydraulic homes at approximately $1.2 million for a 1,000 square foot unit; grass-clearing goat herds cost upwards of $3,000 per day; flame-retardant home wraps and sprinkler systems can add thousands more to construction costs.
The median household income in California is roughly $78,000 annually, meaning even the least expensive bunker options represent nearly a year's salary before installation or ongoing maintenance costs. FEMA disaster assistance typically maxes out at around $40,000 for homeowners.
The Bottom Line
As wildfires grow more severe and frequent, private companies are filling gaps in public safety infrastructure with products that many residents cannot afford. This dynamic raises policy questions about equitable access to disaster protection as climate change intensifies fire risks across the Western United States. Regulators and legislators will likely face pressure to address whether wildfire safety should remain a market good or become a public utility subject to broader access requirements.