Incarcerated Firefighters Are Battling the L.A. Wildfires

Incarcerated firefighters join California wildfire battle efforts
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has deployed 931 incarcerated firefighters and 114 support staff through its Fire Camp Program.
Why Incarcerated Firefighters Are Battling the L.A. Wildfires
As of Friday morning, 939 incarcerated firefighters have been working “around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel behind structures to slow fire spread,” CDCR told TIME in an emailed statement. This includes 110 members of a support staff helping the firefighters.
Kim Kardashian Advocates for Incarcerated Firefighters Amid the California Wildfires
Aside from previously announced donations to those affected by the wildfires, Kardashian is calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to raise incarcerated firefighters' wages "to a rate [that] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes."
What is Conservation (Fire) Camp Program? California incarcerated firefighters program triggers criticism amid LA Wildfires
Although the Conservation (Fire) Camp Program provides critical support during wildfire season, it has faced significant criticism, especially for being exploitative in nature. California is one of 12 states that use incarcerated people to help fight fires.
Incarcerated Firefighters Battle California Blazes for Low Pay, Redemption
Roughly 30 percent of firefighters battling the California wildfires are incarcerated, earning time off their sentences and up to $26.90 per day.
People Are Shocked To Learn Incarcerated Firefighters In California Are Being Paid As Little As $6 A Day
"It's really important that people remember they are people just like us and are doing a very important and dangerous job." ...
Inmate firefighters: Over 1,000 prisoners deployed to battle Los Angeles fires
Inmate firefighters responding to the ongoing Los Angeles fires and working 24-hour shifts are earning $26.90 per day, ...
Kim Kardashian wants inmate firefighter raises. A California lawmaker agrees.
SACRAMENTO, California — As wildfires continue to scorch the Los Angeles area, a California state lawmaker is leading a push ...
Kim Kardashian calls for pay raise for incarcerated firefighters: 'I see them as heroes'
Kim Kardashian is calling for a pay raise for incarcerated firefighters, saying the "heroes" get "paid almost nothing" for ...
California prisoner firefighter program draws harsh criticism amid L.A. wildfires
Months after Californians voted against an amendment to end inmate servitude, incarcerated firefighters are on the front ...
The Grio5d
How many of California’s incarcerated firefighters battling the wildfires are people of color?
As historic wildfires blaze a path of destruction across Los Angeles County in California, hundreds of incarcerated firefighters have been deployed to help battle the flames. Since the fires ...
KQED3h
Inmate Firefighters Battling LA Fires Have Trouble Getting Firefighting Jobs After Release
Because of requirements, it’s especially difficult to get municipal firefighting jobs once inmates are released.
Rolling Out2d
Prison firefighters earn $1/hour in dangerous LA blazes
The reality star, Kim Kardashian, is using her massive platform to expose the unfair treatment of incarcerated firefighters.
‘We Need Everyone’: How Two Formerly Incarcerated Firefighters Are Building a Movement
This story originally published in 2022, but has been updated to reflect the recent fires ravaging neighborhoods across Los ...