Incarcerated Firefighters Combat California Wildfires Amidst Challenges

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Incarcerated firefighters in California play a vital role in wildfire response.
These firefighters face grueling conditions with high risks and low pay.
The program is struggling with a shortage of participants due to reforms and COVID-19.
CAL FIRE is adapting by recruiting younger and seasonal firefighters.
Participants earn time credits, potentially reducing their sentences.
The work challenges societal perceptions of incarcerated individuals.

Battling Blazes Behind Bars: The Key Role of Incarcerated Firefighters in Los Angeles County

As California deals with more intense wildfire seasons, a group of heroes emerges from an unexpected place: the state’s prison system. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Conservation Fire Camp Program has become vital in fighting wildfires. Recent fires have stretched emergency services to their limits, particularly in Los Angeles County.

On January 7, 2025, Los Angeles County faced multiple fires at once. The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire devastated the region, driven by strong winds and dry conditions. These fires strained emergency responders, showing the need for more firefighters (CA.gov).

Inmate Firefighters: The Unsung Heroes

While chaos reigned, 395 incarcerated firefighters joined the fight across 29 crews as part of the Conservation Fire Camp Program. These prisoners, serving time for minor offenses, play a key role in California’s wildfire strategy.

The program runs 35 camps in 25 counties, offering inmates a chance to contribute to public safety and reduce their sentences (CDCR). Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone emphasized the situation’s seriousness on January 8, 2025. The city struggled without enough personnel to handle the growing fires alone. This admission showed the crucial role of inmate firefighters in fighting these fires.

Understanding the Conservation Fire Camp Program

The Conservation Fire Camp Program has specific criteria for who can join. Inmates volunteer and must have “minimum custody” status, which they earn through good behavior, following rules, and taking part in rehabilitative programs (Frequently Asked Questions Conservation (Fire) Camp Program). They must also have eight years or less remaining on their sentence and be physically and mentally fit for hard work, as cleared by medical staff.

Inmates with minor convictions such as misdemeanors, infractions, and low-level felonies are eligible for the program. Examples are traffic violations, petty theft, and vandalism. Punishments are usually fines or short-term imprisonment (Minor Offense Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.). Some convictions automatically disqualify inmates from the program. These include serious crimes like arson, rape, and other sex offenses, as well as escape history and active warrants. Inmates receive eight training days to prepare them for fighting fires, floods, and other natural disasters. They live in minimum-security facilities known as fire camps (Incarcerated firefighters are making as little as $27 a day to battle wildfires).

Challenging Conditions and High Risks

Being an incarcerated firefighter comes with grave risks. They face harsh conditions that test physical and mental endurance. Workers do 24-hour shifts followed by 24-hour rest, earning $5.80 to $10.24 per day based on skills—a small amount given the dangers they face (NCBI).

The job is demanding, relying on manual tools like axes and shovels to clear brush and create firebreaks. Current fires in Los Angeles County have worsened these challenges, with strong winds and low humidity adding danger (LA Times).

Alarmingly, members of the Conservation Fire Camp Program are four times more likely to get injured compared to other firefighters. This reveals the risky nature of their work and the sacrifices they make.

Redemption or Exploitation?

The work is not only underpaid but also exceptionally dangerous. Data shows that between June 2013 and August 2018, over 1,000 inmates required hospital care. Compared to non-inmate firefighters, incarcerated firefighters were four times more likely to be injured and eight times more likely to suffer from smoke inhalation injuries, largely due to their extended time on the front lines (“The Use of Inmate Firefighters and its Injustices“).

Perhaps most problematically, the program creates false hope for future employment. Despite being considered firefighters by the state while incarcerated, former inmates face significant barriers to employment after release. Most fire departments require EMT certification, which is generally unavailable to people with:

• Two or more felony convictions
• Drug offense releases within the past five years
• Two or more misdemeanors related to force, threat, violence, intimidation, or theft

Current Reforms Fall Short

While California passed AB 2147 in 2020 to help address this issue by allowing ex-prisoners to petition for conviction dismissal, the legislation has been largely ineffective due to limited felony dismissals and a restrictive June 2022 court ruling (“The Use of Inmate Firefighters and its Injustices“).

This combination of low wages, high physical risk, and limited post-release employment opportunities suggests the program exploits vulnerable individuals while providing little long-term benefit for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

CAL FIRE Doubles Down on Inmate Firefighters

Inmate firefighters play an essential role, but as the public has begun to rethink mass incarceration as a solution to social problems, the program faces challenges. Prison reforms and the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced participant numbers, slowing wildfire response times.

In response, CAL FIRE and state corrections officials are using new solutions. In March 2024, the CDCR started a pilot program for 18 to 26-year-olds to join the Conservation Fire Camp Program. This aims to expand eligibility and maintain a steady stream of firefighters (CDCR). Authorities are also extending seasonal crews’ service and working with organizations like the California Conservation Corps and the California Military Department to meet rising demands for firefighters.

The future of the Conservation Fire Camp Program involves ongoing debates and possible reforms. Some argue for better pay and benefits for incarcerated firefighters, including eligibility for death benefits. There is also a push to create better pathways for former inmates to secure employment in firefighting after release. This includes removing barriers and offering support to help them continue serving their communities. Meanwhile, critics continue to highlight the need to address the exploitative aspects of the program (Sparking Federal Protection of Inmate Firefighters through Employment Law).

FAQ

Q: What is the Conservation Fire Camp Program?
A: The Conservation Fire Camp Program is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation initiative that trains and employs incarcerated individuals to assist in firefighting, particularly during severe wildfire seasons.

Q: How do incarcerated firefighters contribute to wildfire response?
A: Incarcerated firefighters are deployed in crews to combat wildfires, providing essential manpower that supports overwhelmed emergency services, especially during significant fire events in regions like Los Angeles County.

Q: What challenges do incarcerated firefighters face?
A: They work long and grueling 24-hour shifts under dangerous conditions, often with inadequate rest. They also face a higher risk of injuries compared to other firefighters.

Q: How does the program benefit the inmates?
A: Participating inmates gain opportunities for personal growth and redemption, earn time credits that can reduce their sentences, and contribute positively to society, viewing their service as a means of self-improvement.

Q: How is the program adapting to recent challenges?
A: In response to shortages due to prison reforms and the pandemic, the program has introduced pilot initiatives to broaden eligibility, and authorities are collaborating with other organizations to bolster firefighter numbers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.