Nearly 1,000 Incarcerated Firefighters Are Battling California Wildfires For $10 A Day

Prison firefighters are four times more likely to sustain injuries than trained firefighters.

A number of incarcerated individuals from California state prisons are working for up to $10 per day to battle the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, ABC News reports.

People who sign up with the Conservation (Fire) Camps program have been seen working alongside members of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection crew members (Cal Fire). The incarcerated firefighters have been working nonstop to assist with cutting fire lines and getting rid of fuel from behind structures in hopes it will slow the spread of the fire.

Their pay: between $5.80 to $10.24 a day.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) labeled the 800 incarcerated firefighters as “crucial support” during emergencies. The Fire Camp Program operates within 35 minimum-security facilities in 25 counties, including two camps for incarcerated women.

“CDCR Fire Camp Program firefighters are proud to be embedded with CAL FIRE personnel to protect lives, property, and natural resources in Southern California,” the agency said in a statement.

The five wildfires have destroyed homes, businesses, and iconic landmarks throughout the LA area. The largest of the fires in the Pacific Palisades has destroyed more than 19,000 acres, setting ablaze thousands of structures

This isn’t the first time incarcerated people have been called on to battle fires.

They have have been fighting fires since the program’s establishment in 1915. However, the program progressed during World War II once forestry staff left to fight in the war, according to NPR. Imprisoned people were tapped to volunteer and 41 camps were created.

While some enjoy the work, claiming to have a true calling as a first responder, data “it comes at a pretty steep cost,” said Bianca Tylek, executive director of criminal justice advocacy organization Worth Rises.

An investigation from 2018 found that prison volunteers are four times more likely to sustain cuts, bruises or broken bones compared to trained firefighters. Data also show they are eight times more likely to struggle with injuries as a result of inhaling smoke, ash, and debris.

The programs have been listed as controversial to advocates and state lawmakers across the country due to the lack of payment prisoners receive. California and Nevada voted on whether to ban the use of the imprisoned as unpaid labor in 2024. Nevada voters approved the measure, but California rejected it.

“The ongoing Southern California wildfires really illustrate why that effort was so important,” Tylek said. “As hundreds of incarcerated people take to the front lines of these wildfires to defend the personhood and property of people around the Los Angeles area and California, I hope that Californians can start to realize their value.”