California operates 35 fire camps to train and employ incarcerated firefighters who are paid less than minimum wage.
By: Bruna de Mello, Staff Writer
As record-breaking wildfires tore through Los Angeles County in early January, more than 900 incarcerated firefighters were on the front lines, battling the flames for a fraction of what their non-incarcerated counterparts earn. Now, a new bill introduced in the California Assembly seeks to change that.
The multiple fires that occurred in L.A., aided by the almost 100 mph Santa Ana winds, resulted in 29 fatalities and the destruction of over 16,000 houses and businesses.
“The problem is the wind… I personally have seen wind-driven fires where a hillside will light up faster than a horse can run, said Alan Cowen, professor of fire technology and emergency medical technology at Valley College.” If there is a fire south of the freeway it will go all the way to the ocean. There are very few things that can stop a wind-driven fire.”
Smoke was first seen in Malibu on Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m., with its origin point in the Pacific Palisades area. At 11:06 a.m. Cal Fire issued its first report, naming it the“Palisades Fire” and measuring its size to 10 acres.
At 6:49 p.m., another fire erupted in Altadena, the “Eaton Fire.” it spread rapidly, prompting evacuations less than 40 minutes later. Many residents had already begun fleeing as flames approached.
Historically, California’s wildfire season peaks in summer. But prolonged drought conditions, coupled with unrelenting Santa Ana winds, have made fires an increasingly year-round threat. Cal Fire officials say the causes of January’s blazes remain under investigation.
Per the World Resources Institute, a “combination of heat, dryness and wind is compounded by the fact that communities are increasingly being built near vegetated areas (known as the ‘wildland-urban interface’), putting both people and their built environment at greater risk.”
The Palisades and Eaton fires, among the three most destructive wildfires in California history, burned for 24 days before being fully contained. As thousands of acres went up in flames, firefighting crews from Texas, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, and Utah, along with reinforcements from Mexico and Canada, were deployed to assist. Meanwhile, the reliance on incarcerated firefighters reignited debate over their wages, with many questioning whether their compensation reflected the risks they faced on the front lines.
Currently, incarcerated firefighters, who volunteer through the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Conservation Camp program, earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day. When assigned to an active fire, they receive an additional $1 per hour, far less than the hourly wages of state-employed firefighters.
Valley Wildland Fire Technology instructor Brian Anderson states that the entry-level
training is relatively the same for all firefighters. “We work in a pretty hazardous environment and I don't know that the pay discrepancy should necessarily be significantly different," said Anderson. “They are expected to do the very same work.”
Assembly Bill 247, which was introduced by Isaac Bryan, aims to raise these incarcerated firefighters' pay, and is set for a committee hearing on March 11 at the State Capitol.
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