West
LA's rich and famous made 'odd request' of private armies as wildfires fueled fear, boss says
Some of the most wealthy and famous residents of Los Angeles are investing in private armies for protection as California continues to deal with the aftermath of the deadly wildfires and looters and scammers target affluent homeowners.
MPS Security is one of the security companies residents are turning to as they work to rebuild what they lost in the wildfires.
“When it first happened, they were only letting security companies up in the areas, so they were only letting people check on their houses if they could afford it,” Matthew Crider, executive protection manager at MPS Security, shared with Fox News Digital.
“I think that was kind of a downside. I felt like people didn’t know if their houses were still there. They had no power there. They probably use some type of camera system that needed power and definitely needed Wi-Fi, so that really did kind of take a toll on us.”
ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM
The sun rises over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of west Los Angeles in the aftermath of devastating wildfires last month. (Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters)
Crider said they had clients who would ask them to check on a neighbor’s home and see if it was still standing, offering help to those who couldn’t afford private detail. His agents would take photos of the debris and send them back to their clients for proof of destruction and to try to help residents determine if they lost everything or still had a home.
“It’s extremely heartbreaking that that’s how they found out. But we did do a lot of them to where, ‘Hey, your house is still here. I mean there’s some damage to the fence or whatnot, but it’s still there,’” Crider explained. “So with that, it’s definitely hard. But we did do that for some of our clients that asked us to because we did feel that it was kind of unfair that only security companies could go do patrols, and you had to pay that company to go see if your house was OK.”
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DA SAYS 9 CHARGED WITH LOOTING HOMES IN WILDFIRE ZONES, 1 WITH ARSON
Crider shared a new request that their team had never had before: protection for the debris.
“I have never gotten that type of request before, so it was definitely kind of different because we’re watching, in a way, just rubble. But they just didn’t want – they were wealthy individuals, and they just did not want their stuff to be gone,” Crider said.
LOS ANGELES BURGLARY SUSPECT DISGUISED AS FIREFIGHTER, AS LOOTING ARRESTS REACH ABOUT 29 PEOPLE: SHERIFF
A sign posted in front of a home in Altadena, Calif. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Crider said a lot of their clients also had safes, which he said are typically fireproof, that housed a lot of their clients’ most valuable items.
The need for private security has increased for their company, Crider said, especially after the fires as people sought peace of mind that their belongings were safe.
“The police can only do so much, so we looked at the whole aspect of it and the clients want more of that security, and so they sleep better at night,” Crider explained.
“I can only imagine being in that area and staying in your house, and you want to go through what’s left of it and afraid that, because of your status, someone’s going to go in and try to take stuff. It’s a heartbreaking type of thing on that one.”
Through the devastation, Crider said there has been some light and seeing the communities band together to protect each other from crime coming in.
“We’re running into a lot of houses, three or four different houses willing to pay for security for one agent to be out there. So they are coming together as a community for it. I mean, it’s really sad that they have to have security for something that has completely burnt down.”
Crider added that while his team deals with the physical aspects of crime, there are other crimes they are seeing and hearing about, including disaster relief fraud, scams and potential squatter situations.
“There’s a lot of different crimes that I was just reading about, one for FEMA fraud. People are saying that they’re the people living there, and they’re not really living there, and they’re trying to collect the money on it, which is cybercrime,” Crider said.
LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: ARMED HOMEOWNERS PATROL FOR LOOTERS INSIDE EVACUATION ZONE
An Altadena resident walks past a sign in front of her home on Jan. 13, 2025. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Another company that people are turning to in the wake of the wildfires is Covered Six.
The company said it has deployed a special response team to help those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
“The COVERED 6 Special Response Team has been deployed to the Palisades Wildfire area to support communities threatened by both the fire itself as well as the increased occurrence of crime in these areas,” the company wrote in an alert on their website. “There may be a delay in our ability to respond to inquiries during this time, and we will make every effort to respond in a timely manner.”
According to the company’s website, they provide “large scale support operations in all aspects of public safety.”
“The threatscape of public safety has changed. Volatility and uncertainty, are common and resources are thin. Being more nimble and less restricted, Covered 6 can quickly deploy a variety of solutions to assist the public mission,” the company website reads.
In response to the mounting crime occurring during the wildfires, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said it increased security measures and announced the creation of the “Looter Suppression Team.”
“This dedicated unit is composed of personnel drawn from multiple LASD divisions, each bringing specialized expertise to combat looting and other criminal activities that can arise during times of community vulnerability,” according to a previous statement from the department.
The team will operate with additional deputy personnel assigned to increase patrol operations, officials noted.
The agency’s AERO Bureau will conduct aerial patrols, providing enhanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities to ensure comprehensive coverage of the affected areas, according to the statement.
“Together, these efforts ensure continuous 24-hour patrolling to provide a consistent and visible law enforcement presence, particularly in neighborhoods still dealing with utility outages and heightened security risks,” officials said.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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San Francisco says traffic deaths plunged 42% last year.
While the city celebrates the numbers, leaders say there’s still a lot more work to do.
“We are so glad to see fewer of these tragedies on our streets last year, and I hope this is a turning point for this city,” said Marta Lindsey with Walk San Francisco.
Marta is cautiously optimistic as the city looks to build on its street safety efforts.
“The city has been doing more of the things we need on our streets, whether its speed cameras or daylighting or speed humps,” she said.
Viktorya Wise with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said there are many things the agency has been doing to ensure street safety is the focus, including adding speed cameras at 33 locations, and it’s paying off.
“Besides the visible speed cameras, we’re doing a lot of basic bread and butter work on our streets,” Wise said. “For example, we’re really data driven and focused on the high injury network.”
Late last year, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the city’s street safety initiative.
“Bringing together all of the departments, all of the city family to collectively tackle the problem of street safety,” Wise said. “And all of us working together into the future, I’m very hopeful that we will continue this trend.”
DENVER — Sean Payton listed three goals for his Denver Broncos this season, and chief among them was knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs.
They did that, winning the AFC West for the first time in a decade and ending K.C.’s nine-year reign atop the division.
The Chiefs, who have played in the past seven AFC championship games, are already aiming for next season after a 6-11 finish that ended with Patrick Mahomes with a surgically repaired knee.
Payton’s second goal was earning the best seed possible in the playoffs so the Broncos wouldn’t have to hit the road like they did last year when they were blasted 31-7 in Buffalo in the wild-card round.
The Broncos earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a franchise record-tying 14 wins.
Super Bowl 60 was the third goal and they’re two home victories away from getting there.
The journey won’t be easy. These are the first AFC playoffs without Mahomes, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady since 1998, another reason it’s seen as a wide-open field without a prohibitive favorite to raise the Lamar Hunt Trophy on Jan. 25.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates after a touchdown scored by running back TreVeyon Henderson during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
All four division winners were new this year with Denver, New England, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh all earning at least one home playoff game.
The Broncos will find out their opponent for the divisional round this weekend. They’ll play the lowest remaining seed after wild-card weekend that features two AFC games Sunday and another Monday night.
The Buffalo Bills (12-5) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) on Sunday followed by the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) visiting the New England Patriots (14-3). On Monday night, the Houston Texans (12-5) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) as Aaron Rodgers returns to the postseason for the first time since 2021 when he was with Green Bay.
“I think it’s the best possible position to be in,” Broncos second-year QB Bo Nix said. “Two home games is where we want to be. It’s better than having to play on the road and it’s better than having to play an extra game. I think for us, it’s the best-case scenario. It’ll be good to play here because of our stadium and the atmosphere. I think that’ll apply a little bit more pressure. At the end of the day, it’s an open tournament and it’s going to be a really good opportunity to play really good teams. Each one that comes in here is going to be a tough, physical, competitive game.”
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Credit: AP/John Raoux
1. (14-3).
Three Lombardi trophies in eight Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Denver’s defense amassed 68 sacks, the fifth most in history and four shy of the 1984 Chicago Bears’ NFL-record of 72. Here’s the thing: they could have had many more, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has built an unselfish pass rush that seeks more to cage in quarterbacks with edge rushers and blitzers never rushing deeper than the QB. Patrick Surtain II, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Talanoa Hufanga can all wreck offensive game plans.
Cancel the confetti: As usual in Denver, the offense doesn’t shine like the defense does. Although QB Bo Nix tied Russell Wilson’s NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two NFL seasons, the former Oregon signal caller was erratic with his throws and inconsistent in his play all season. Still, he was clutch when it mattered, throwing for 17 TDs and just two INTs when trailing in 2025. The Broncos are hopeful that if they reach the Super Bowl they’ll get RB J.K. Dobbins back from foot surgery to give their backfield a boost. Until then, its rookie R.J. Harvey’s chance to shine.
“It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective.” — Payton.
2. (14-3).
Six titles in 11 Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Patriots are hungry as they return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 on the heels of a potential MVP season from second-year quarterback Drake Maye. His production with a league-best 72.0 completion rate, along with 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns are what make New England a threat to emerge from the AFC. Their mix of impactful young talent such as running back TreVeyon Henderson and veteran leaders such as wide receiver Stefon Diggs typify a roster that has bought into new coach Mike Vrabel’s approach. He knows playoff football well, having won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a player and guiding the Tennessee Titans to three playoff appearances in his six seasons as coach.
Cancel the confetti: One thing that might be a cause for concern is New England’s inconsistency against the run over the latter part of the season. The Patriots defense didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher in the first 11 games. But when defensive tackle Milton Williams went on injured reserve with an ankle injury for five straight games, the Patriots allowed four rushers to eclipse the century mark with him sidelined. He returned for the regular-season finale, but if teams can control the game on the ground and keep the ball out of Maye’s hands for long stretches, it could add up to a short postseason for New England.
“We’re not here just to get here. We have to be able to host games and compete for championships. There’s not going to be any consolation prize for anybody. We understand what we have to do.” — Vrabel.
3. (13-4).
No Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Jaguars are one of four NFL teams — along with Cleveland, Detroit and Houston — that have never reached the Super Bowl. Getting there in coach Liam Coen’s first season would be one of the biggest surprises in recent NFL history. Coen is the seventh head coach in NFL history to win 13 or more games in his first season, and the Jaguars are one of three teams — along with 2005 Patriots and 1999 Colts — to win 13 or more games a year after losing 13 or more. It’s the kind of turnaround that gives players and coaches plenty of confidence heading into their wild-card game against Buffalo. Recent play helps, too. Jacksonville has won eight in a row and nine of 10 since its bye while averaging 32.8 points. The only loss was the largest collapse in franchise history. That 36-29 debacle at Houston in early November still resonates two months later.
Cancel the confetti: Jacksonville has few, if any, elite playmakers on either side of the ball. The team’s only Pro Bowl selection was long snapper Ross Matiscik, and although quarterback Trevor Lawrence, linebacker Devin Lloyd, receiver Parker Washington and safety Antonio Johnson have enjoyed breakout seasons, it’s fair to wonder how far this team can go in the playoffs without any superstars.
4. (10-7).
Six Lombardi trophies in eight Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Pittsburgh survived a turbulent regular season by winning four of its final five, capped by a heart-stopping Week 18 victory over rival Baltimore that gave the Steelers their first AFC North title in five years. Aaron Rodgers, in his 21st season, appears to be getting better as the temperature drops and the Steelers will have wide receiver DK Metcalf back after serving a two-game suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit. Throw in a sometimes leaky defense that is still capable of season-shifting plays, and there’s optimism in Pittsburgh that a deep run is possible for the first time in nearly a decade.
Cancel the confetti: The Steelers have dropped six straight playoff games, most of them in blowout fashion. While longtime coach Mike Tomlin says the weight of those failures rests solely with him and not his team, for long stretches during the season, Pittsburgh looked like a playoff team in name only. The offense has been largely incapable of producing big plays and the pass defense is ranked 29th. Rodgers noted the belief in the locker room is high after last week’s stirring rally against Baltimore. Still, the Steelers have been so uneven over the past four months that the idea they can somehow string together four wins seems like a big stretch.
“It’s not about the organization or myself. It’s about this collective, and quite frankly, most of these men don’t care about the last whatever years that you mentioned (without playoff success). Most of them are new to us, and so that’s where my focus is. I’m certainly not going to unpack my bags on the collective’s bed, if you will.” — Tomlin.
5. (12-5).
No Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Texans have never reached the Super Bowl or even the conference title game, but the team’s powerful defense gives them hope that this could be their year as they enter the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak. The unit, led by stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley held teams to 17.3 points and 277.2 yards per game this season to set franchise marks in both categories. The Texans rank third in the NFL with 29 takeaways and their consistent defensive play helped them overcome losing QB C.J. Stroud to a concussion for three games midseason and rally from an 0-3 start to make the postseason for a third straight year.
Cancel the confetti: While the defense has been the best in the NFL this season, the offense never really took off with new coordinator Nick Caley and ranks in the middle of the pack. The group was slowed by a season-long injury to running back Joe Mixon and an ineffective performance by backup Nick Chubb. Rookie Woody Marks has had some success, but will need to improve to help the team be more effective in the red zone. Houston has struggled in that area throughout the season and ranks 30th in the NFL by scoring touchdowns on just 46.30% of its trips inside the 20.
“Our team has been through a lot. What I would say about our team is it really doesn’t matter any way the game shapes up. Whatever we need to do to win the game, we find a way to win the game.” — coach DeMeco Ryans.
6.
(12-5).
No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Josh Allen is coming off two weeks of rest and oversees a balanced offense that features the NFL’s rushing champion in James Cook. The fourth-year running back’s more prominent role this season has taken the load off Allen having to do it all on his own. The late-season addition of Brandin Cooks adds a much-needed speed element to a receiving group that had difficulty stretching the field.
Cancel the confetti: Allen still has a propensity to want to do it all on his own. Though he’s twice rallied Buffalo from double-digit fourth-quarter deficits this season, Allen’s also shown signs of pressing and impatience. He’s been sacked a career-high 40 times, and is 3-5 when committing one giveaway, and 1-4 in outings he’s had two turnovers. Buffalo’s bend-but-don’t-break defense has broken too often in allowing 2,315 yards rushing. Buffalo has lost all five road playoff games under coach Sean McDermott, and is 0-8 — not counting two neutral site Super Bowl losses — since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game.
“We take a lot of pride in what we’ve done here. And nobody has more internal drive and internal expectations than I do or we do. And very confident in who we are. There’s one thing that remains. We know what that is.” — McDermott on Buffalo failing to make a Super Bowl appearance since he took over in 2017.
7. (11-6).
No Lombardi trophies in one Super Bowl appearance.
Lift the Lombardi: The Chargers are coming off their second consecutive 11-win season and postseason berth under coach Jim Harbaugh. QB Justin Herbert will be playing with a broken left hand (non-throwing) after resting for the regular-season finale against Denver. He racked up 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. The Chargers have a trio of receivers with at least 50 catches, 700 receiving yards and four TD catches in Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey.
Cancel the confetti: The banged-up offensive line has been an issue all season. Rashawn Slater was lost in the preseason and then Joe Alt went down six games in. Only Zion Johnson played all 17 games. Herbert went through the wringer nearly every week and still played at a high level despite having surgery on his broken hand. The Chargers rested him and several other starters in Week 18 in the hopes of having fresh bodies for the playoffs. But the O-line will have to better protect Herbert if the Chargers hope to win their first playoff game since 2018.
“I’m sure the more they watch Justin, they realize, ‘Wow, he’s even better than we thought he was.’” — Harbaugh on the Patriots scouting Herbert.
___
With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long and AP Sports Writers Kyle Hightower, Will Graves, Kristie Rieken, John Wawrow and Beth Harris.
Heavyweights will collide in “Rain City.”
MMAmania.com confirmed with multiple sources today (Thurs., Jan. 8, 2026) that No. 10-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Marcin Tybura will take on surging Brazilian prospect Valter Walker at UFC Seattle on Sat., March 28, 2026, inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Walker (15-1) stumbled out of the gate in his UFC debut, suffering a loss to Lukasz Brzeski in 2024. Since then, however, “Clean Monster” has completely rewritten the narrative — and the UFC record books.
Walker opened 2025 by submitting Don’Tale Mayes with a heel hook (watch highlights), his second straight victory via the technique. Five months later, he followed it up with another first-round heel hook against Kennedy Nzechukwu (watch highlights), setting a new UFC record for most consecutive heel hook submission wins with three.
But he wasn’t finished.
At UFC 321 in Oct. 2025, Walker once again locked in a first-round heel hook — this time against Louie Sutherland — tying Rousimar Palhares for the most heel hook submissions (four) in UFC history while extending his own record for consecutive heel hook finishes (watch it).
A win in Seattle would almost certainly vault Walker into the Top 10 of the Heavyweight rankings.
Tybura (27-10), meanwhile, will be defending his No. 10 spot when he steps into the cage. The Polish veteran went 1-1 in 2025, handing highly touted U.K. prospect Mick Parkin his first professional loss at UFC London before suffering a quick knockout loss to debuting Ante Delija at UFC Paris (watch highlights), snapping a two-fight win streak.
Now 40 years old, Tybura is 5-3 over his last eight appearances.
Here are some other bouts currently scheduled for UFC Seattle:
Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
Nicolle Caliari vs. Carol Fiori
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
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