HUNDREDS of inmates have joined the fight against the devastating wildfires in southern California in a controversial scheme to put prisoners to work for long hours and little pay.
Incarcerated firefighters are working around the clock to extinguish the dangerous flames for just $5.80 a day as the horrific blazes have killed 24 people and left thousands of homes burnt to the ground.
Inmate firefighters battle the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California, on January 10[/caption]
Incarcerated firefighters work to contain the Palisades Fire on January 10[/caption]
Kim Kardashian at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in November 2024[/caption]
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has deployed 931 incarcerated firefighters and 114 support staff as of Sunday.
The volunteers earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, plus an extra dollar per hour during emergencies, according to the CDCR.
The incarcerated people work with Cal Fire officials in 24-hour shifts.
Calls for higher wages for the volunteers on the front lines have grown as the fire becomes more dangerous, with even Kim Kardashian showing support for the prisoners.
“I have spent the last week watching my city burning. And have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community,” Kardashian wrote on her Instagram Story.
“On all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, risking their lives to save us.
“They are on the Palisades fire and Eaton fire in Pasadena working 24 hour shifts.
“They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, some have died, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”
The identities of the people killed by the combined wildfires haven’t been released.
Kardashian then called on Governor Gavin Newsom to raise the pay rate.
“I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate the [sic] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes,” Kardashian said.
Regulations passed in April of last year ensured that the lowest-level incarcerated firefighter can make just $5.80 a day.
With the added hour during emergencies, the firefighters can make up to $26.90 per day during 24-hour shifts, according to the CDCR’s website.
The prison labor is through a program called Fire Camp, which rehabilitates inmates by having them train and work as first responders.
Resources for the Los Angeles wildfires
As wildfires continue to grow in and around Los Angeles cities, residents can reach out for help with resources and aid offered by organizations throughout the area.
To keep track of the live fire movements, residents can download the Watch Duty app or use its website.
You can register for emergency notifications through Alert LA County.
A comprehensive list of resources is available here.
Available shelters for evacuating residents include:
- Calvary Community Church
- Ritchie Valens Recreation Center
- Pan Pacific Recreational Center
- Westwood Recreation Center
- Pasadena Civic Auditorium
- Pomona Fairplex
- Stoner Recreation Center
Available animal shelters include:
- Agoura Animal Care Center
- Baldwin Park Animal Care Center
- Carson Animal Care Center
- Downey Animal Care Center
- Lancaster Animal Care Center
- Palmdale Animal Care Center
- Pomona Fairplex
- Industry Hills Expo
- Antelope Valley Fair
Free meals are being distributed to evacuees at restaurants and kitchens including:
- World Central Kitchen
- Danny Boy’s Pizza
- Dudley Market in Covina
- Sora Craft Kitchen
- Telefèric Barcelona
- Love Hour Los Angeles
- Detroit Pizza Depot
Sources:
After the program was established in 1915, inmates have been trained at the fire camps since 1946.
The CDCR hasn’t returned The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
SPREADING FLAMES
It comes as Kardashian’s family’s mansions in Calabasas are in danger as the wildfires continue into this week due to extreme winds.
The four wildfires have taken over 62 square miles, while the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire accounted for burning 59 square miles alone.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced on Monday that 23 people were reported missing during the wildfires.
“We have 23 active missing persons reported, 17 in the Eaton Fire area, six in the Malibu area,” Luna said.
“All of them are adults. Thank God there’s no juveniles.”
Evacuation orders are in effect for 105,000 Los Angeles residents as the blazes have destroyed at least 12,300 homes and businesses.
