Almost 1000 Incarcerated Men And Women Sent Out To Fight Los Angeles Wildfires

Home to some of California’s most uber-wealthy individuals including Hollywood stars, socialites and well-to-do business moguls, the devastating Palisades fire continues to rage on. 

As of writing, about 1,000 incarcerated men and women are working alongside Los Angeles firefighters to help put out the wildfires devastating the city.

@jordanismylawyer

(1/10/25): The LAFD received a budget cut of about $17.5M this fiscal year. Weeks ago, the LA fire chief sent a letter to the city explaining the hurdles that the LAFD is facing because of that cut. On top of that, Prop1 (which was introduced in 2014) is no where near completion, which means there’s a lack of water. Of the reservoirs that do exist, many were not adequately filled leading up to the wildfires this week. These are just some of the aggravating factors leading to the mass destruction in LA County. #fyp #foryou #fypシ #lawildfires #pacificpalisades #lafd #losangeles

♬ original sound – jordanismylawyer

California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) stated in an email to TIME that 939 incarcerated firefighters are “working around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel behind structures to slow fire spread,” alongside 110 support staff assisting the firefighters.

The state is one of more than a dozen US states that utilise ‘Fire Camps’ for incarcerated people, used to help train individuals to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck to battle the strong flames. (Photo by Getty)

The history of incarcerated firefighters goes way back

The practice dates all the way back to 1915, while prison labour as a whole has been controversially used in emergencies throughout the country for centuries prior.

The program was further expanded during World War II, after a large sum of forestry workers left to fight in the war, leading to 41 Fire Camps being established during the workers’ absence.

There are currently 35 Fire Camps in California today, all belonging to minimum-security facilities.

The incarcerated individuals sent out to fight the ongoing fires are all volunteers and have to be deemed physically and mentally fit, as well as having a history of good behaviour.

@joelbervell

For years, California has relied on incarcerated individuals to fight fires. But building a career in firefighting after leaving prison is far from easy. A few months ago I spoke with my friend Royal Ramey, co-founder of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), who knows this journey well. Once incarcerated himself, he found his passion for firefighting at a fire camp. Today, his nonprofit helps others overcome the same challenges to pursue a life-saving career. Currently, Aaron and Jacob Hillstock, graduates of FFRP are actively fighting the Eaton Fire in LA County. As wildfires continue to devastate parts of LA, my heart is with everyone affected. Wishing for the safety of those in harm’s way and immense gratitude to the brave firefighters on the frontlines.

♬ original sound – joelbervell

TIME also revealed that in a 2018 study, these incarcerated volunteers, per capita, are “more than four times as likely” to experience serious injuries compared to their professional firefighter counterparts.

The almost 1,000 incarcerated men and women are getting paid up between $2 to $10 a day for their life-risking efforts.

Why is LA using incarcerated firefighters?

Fire relief efforts have been severely affected by a $US17.6 million ($AUS28.6M) budget cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) made by the City of Los Angeles in June of last year.

These huge budget cuts have led to widespread criticism against LA Mayor, Karen Bass, with LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley stating in a memo on December 4 that the cuts would have “cascading impacts” on fire relief efforts.

“These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the department’s ability to maintain core operations, such as technology and communication infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention and community education,” Crowley further writes.

Mayor Karen Bass (centre-left) alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom (centre-right) witnessing the fire’s aftermath. (Photo by Getty)

While there are more than 12,000 LAFD firefighters currently working to help subside the ongoing destruction, the situation remains dire. 

A lack of abundant resources and shortage of firefighter personnel is making it tricky to completely contain the flames.

@cbsnews

“[It’s] the end of a life story here. … It’s like a funeral.” For Pacific Palisades resident Maria Demina, who is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, losing her family’s home in the Palisades Fire “feels like remnants of the Second World War.” Her family returned to the site of their home after the fire swept through to survey the damage, finding it completely destroyed. Now, she said, they wanted “to say thank you to our house for being good to us” — and brought a bouquet of roses to lay among the ashes as they set off to rebuild after the disaster. #pacificpalisades #palisades #palisadesfire #wildfire #losangeles #la #fire #california #socal

♬ original sound – cbsnews

Why is this so controversial?

There are a number of factors that make this practice such a debated topic, with the main issue arising from the fact that these individuals, who are risking their lives and wellbeing to assist fire relief efforts, are viewed as being exploited.

“Many of these convicts are then barred from being actual firefighters after their release though, which is such a waste of training. Giving them these job opportunities after release would also help reduce the odds of convicts from going back to prison,” says one Reddit user.

“This is just gross. Barely over a dollar an hour when fighting deadly fires for 24 hours,” says another.

Conversely, other folks piped in discussing their experience working with incarcerated firefighters and how the practice can be used as a beneficial tool towards rehabilitation.

One netizen wrote, “I find it interesting that nobody mentions that up until a few years ago, inmate crews were a common place at California wildfires, and a bunch of the crews were disbanded. They used to get 2 days off their sentences for every day they worked on a fire. There was a lot of competition for the spots on the crews.”

The current California fires have seen a death toll of 13 and almost 18,000 individuals being told to evacuate.  

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