Why Incarcerated Firefighters Are Battling the L.A. Fires
Jan 11, 2025 · Read More: L.A. Fires Show the Reality of Living in a World with 1.5°C of Warming As of Friday morning, 939 incarcerated firefighters have been working “around the clock cutting fire lines and ...
Why Incarcerated Firefighters Are a Major Part of Wildfire …
4 days ago · Incarcerated firefighters are typically in minimum security and were imprisoned for non-violent offenses. The important thing to remember is that, regardless of their crimes, more than 90 percent of all incarcerated people will return to the community at some point. With more than 1.9 million people in the prison system, the U.S. has the ...
How incarcerated firefighters are helping battle the blazes ... - PBS
4 days ago · The fire danger in Southern California is far from over. As crews continue their battle, incarcerated firefighters part of a long-running state program are on the frontline. Supporters say the ...
On LA fire lines, inmates shoulder heavy packs and tackle …
Jan 18, 2025 · A 2018 Time investigation found that incarcerated firefighters were over four times more likely than professionals to suffer cuts, bruises or broken bones and over eight times more likely to have complications from inhaling smoke and other particles. Joseph McKinney, another inmate battling flames in Los Angeles, said it’s a risk he’s ...
'This has been really devastating': Inside the lives of incarcerated ...
Jan 18, 2025 · The program has faced criticism, primarily for the wages that incarcerated firefighters earn — between $5.80 and $10.24 a day, plus $1 an hour from Cal Fire during active emergencies.
California wildfires: Prisoners called up to help fight fires : NPR
Jan 10, 2025 · California has relied on incarcerated firefighters since 1915. And prison labor has been used to respond to emergencies and disasters nationwide for centuries, said Bianca Tylek, executive ...
California prisoner firefighter program draws harsh criticism amid …
Jan 13, 2025 · California’s century-old prisoner firefighter program is drawing fresh criticism as hundreds of incarcerated people have been deployed to fight the deadly wildfires in the Greater Los...
Inmate firefighters: Over 1,000 prisoners deployed to battle Los ...
Jan 14, 2025 · Incarcerated firefighters have been working "around the clock" cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread, the CDCR said, adding that the program is a source ...
For Just Dollars a Day, Inmates Fight California’s Fires
Jan 11, 2025 · Criminal justice advocates say that California’s fire camp program — like other prison labor programs — exploits incarcerated people. The incarcerated firefighters are paid less than minimum ...
From Fighting Wildfires to Digging Graves, Incarcerated Workers …
Jul 26, 2023 · Incarcerated people comprise 30 percent of all wildland firefighting crews in California. The firefighters’ job is to clear areas surrounding a wildfire using chainsaws and hand tools, such as axes and rakes, to starve the fire of fuel.