A family in Surprise, Ariz., are facing a $20,000 bill from firefighters who let their home in a fire. According to MyFox Phoenix, Justin Purcell’s home went up in flames on Aug. 12.
The couple and their newborn were not at the home at the time of the fire. But when they returned, they discovered that the home was totally demolished by the blaze. Two weeks later, they received a bill from Rural Metro Fire Department for $19,825 and charges of $1,500 per truck and $150 an hour for firefighters.
Rural Metro Fire Department is a private fire company that covers rural areas in Arizona that do not have city or county fire departments. The company forces residents to pay a yearly subscription fee of $494 per year. However, Rural Metro Fire only began to market the subscription to residents in Surprise, Arizona.
Purcell claims that Rural Metro Fire Department arrived after volunteer firefighters extinguished most of the flames. He hopes to contest the $20,000 bill.
