
California is once again relying on prison labor to battle the relentless wildfires devastating Los Angeles. Nearly 800 inmates from the state’s controversial Fire Camp program have been deployed to support over 7,500 firefighters working around the clock to contain the fast-spreading infernos. The fires have already destroyed thousands of buildings and scorched tens of thousands of acres, pushing first responders to their limits.
The inmates, who volunteered for the program, are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day with an extra $1 per hour during emergencies. While state officials defend the program as a vital resource during fire seasons, critics argue it exploits cheap labor to address California’s ongoing wildfire crisis. The glaring wage disparity between incarcerated firefighters and professional crews continues to spark outrage among prison reform advocates.
California has used inmate firefighters for more than a century, particularly during workforce shortages. Currently, the state operates 35 minimum-security fire camps, where inmates are trained to clear brush, cut fire lines, and assist with fire suppression efforts. These inmates work under extreme conditions for pay that falls far below the state’s minimum wage of $16.50 per hour.
BENT NEWS : Gavin Newscum makes nearly 1,000 prison inmates fighting fires in California.
Now 939 incarcerated men and women have joined the frontlines in a battle against record-breaking wildfires burning across southern California. pic.twitter.com/8uXrpYmWBg— Burner 🪶バーナー (@WagonnBurner) January 11, 2025
BREAKING: California is deploying hundreds of prison inmates to assist in battling the devastating wildfires raging through parts of Los Angeles, according to state corrections officials. pic.twitter.com/lxAQxswkTc
— Jesse Morgan (@Jesse_Morgan_) January 12, 2025
Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration claims the program offers rehabilitation and job training. Inmates can reduce their sentences — earning two days off for every day served in the fire camps. However, many former participants report that their criminal records prevent them from securing jobs in firefighting after release, despite their hands-on experience.
And of course there's not just one labor market, there are labor markets for each skill. This story is from Oregon, where there are probably 3-5k wildfire firefighters and 300-500 are prisoners, but in California apparently this can be as high as 30-40%? pic.twitter.com/etdw6f2gs5
— tedks (@_tedks) November 10, 2024
Advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized the program’s safety standards. Over a five-year period, four inmate firefighters died, and more than 1,000 were injured. These statistics highlight the serious risks involved and raise questions about whether the state is prioritizing inmate safety or simply exploiting vulnerable labor.
Nearly 800 prisoners have been deployed to battle raging wildfires ravaging Los Angeles. The University of Houston’s Carlee Purdum says conditions for these firefighters can often be unfair#Fire #Firefighters #USA #LA #WorldNews #ABCNews
📽️ ABC News Australia pic.twitter.com/YLljKRDLwE— 🔴 Wars and news 🛰️ (@EUFreeCitizen) January 12, 2025
With California’s fire seasons becoming longer and more destructive due to years of forest mismanagement and worsening drought conditions, the state’s dependence on inmate labor continues to grow. Critics argue that this reliance exposes a failure to invest in sustainable firefighting resources and long-term prevention strategies.