Southern California continues to battle devastating wildfires that have claimed at least 25 lives and destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area.
Since the fires started on Jan. 7, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed more than 15,000+ personnel, including thousands of firefighters and fire engines, to put out the flames.
Severalpeopleonsocialmedia claim many of the firefighters are currently incarcerated. Somepostssuggest that these incarcerated firefighters work for around $10 per day. Othersallege these firefighters will not be able to get jobs as professional career firefighters uponrelease.
Here’s what we can VERIFY about these claims.
THE SOURCES
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
- California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
- California Assembly Bill No. 2147
- Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit think tank focused on criminal justice reform
- The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system
QUESTION #1
Are incarcerated firefighters helping to fight the Los Angeles area wildfires?
THE ANSWER
Yes, incarcerated firefighters are helping to fight the Los Angeles area wildfires.
More than 1,100 incarcerated firefighters are actively assisting Cal Fire in responding to the Eaton and Palisades fires in the Los Angeles area, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
“Fire camp firefighters have been working around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread,” CDCR told VERIFY on Jan. 15.
The CDCR Conservation (Fire) Camp Program was established in 1915 but expanded during World War II after many staff working in the Division of Forestry, now known as Cal Fire, left to fight in the war. Incarcerated people were temporarily used as replacements and 41 “interim” fire camps were opened, “which would become the foundation for the network of camps in operation today,” according to CDCR.
CDCR, in partnership with Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, now manages 35 fire camps across 25 counties in California. The fire camps, which are all minimum-security facilities, are supervised by CDCR employees.
Participation in the fire camp program is voluntary. After passing a physical fitness test and Cal Fire’s firefighter training program, fire camp members help support state, local and federal government agencies as they respond to all types of emergencies, including fires, floods, and other natural or manmade disasters.
These firefighting crews, which are also known as hand crews, use tools to aid in fire suppression during wildfires, but they do not use water or hoses like professional career firefighters, according to CDCR. They also do not respond to fires in residences.
As of January 2025, there are currently 1,870 incarcerated persons working at fire camps throughout the state of California, and 1,600 of them are firefighting crew members, CDCR says.
Incarcerated firefighters used to make up as much as 30% of the California wildfire force. But the numbers have dwindled over the years, largely due to state prison reform and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Los Angeles Times and a report recently published by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that covers the U.S. criminal justice system.
QUESTION #2
Are incarcerated firefighters who help fight wildfires in California paid around $10 per day?
THE ANSWER
Yes, incarcerated firefighters who help fight wildfires in California are typically paid around $10 per day.
Incarcerated firefighters in the fire camp program generally earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day based on their skills. Those deployed to active emergencies, such as the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, receive an extra $1 per hour from Cal Fire, regardless of their skill level, according to CDCR.
During emergencies, these fire crews may work a 24-hour shift followed by a 24-hour rest period, in which their daily pay may increase. For example, for one 24-hour shift during an active emergency, firefighters at the lowest skill level would earn $29.80 per day, while those at the highest skill level would earn as much as $34.24 daily. They also receive pay during their rest periods, according to CDCR.
In April 2024, CDCR adopted wage increases for all incarcerated workers, including those in fire camps. In comparison, California firefighters who are not incarcerated typically earn a monthly base salary of $3,672 to $4,643, plus an additional $1,824 to $2,306 every four weeks for extended duty, according to Cal Fire. This is about $29 to $48 per hour on average, job search website Glassdoor says.
In addition to receiving daily pay, CDCR says that most incarcerated firefighters in the program receive 2-for-1 credits, meaning they receive two additional days off of their sentence for every one day they serve on a fire crew. Fire camp volunteers who work as support staff, but not on a fire crew, can receive one day off their sentence for every one day they serve.
CDCR also says that every fire camp offers rehabilitative and educational services, such as substance abuse programs, religious programs and GED courses.
The Vera Institute of Justice and The Marshall Project both say California can legally pay incarcerated firefighters less than the federal minimum wage because involuntary servitude is permitted as punishment for a crime in California and in many U.S. states.
That’s because the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution contains an exception clause that reads: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
In November 2024, California voters rejected a measure on the ballot that would have amended the state constitution to remove involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The Marshall Project says passage of the measure would have opened the door to new kinds of legal challenges over working conditions for incarcerated people, including firefighters, in the state.
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QUESTION #3
Can formerly incarcerated firefighters get professional firefighting jobs in California upon release?
THE ANSWER
Yes, formerly incarcerated firefighters can get professional firefighting jobs in California upon release, contrary to claimsonline, but barriers to employment persist despite recently passed reforms.
In September 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that makes it easier for formerly incarcerated firefighters who successfully participated in the fire camp program to seek jobs as firefighters upon release, according to CDCR.
The law allows former non-violent fire program firefighters to get their criminal records expunged so they can apply for firefighting jobs in their communities, such as opportunities with state or federal wildland agencies, like Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. It also helps pave the way for them to possibly get private firefighting jobs.
“A felony conviction does not disqualify employment with Cal Fire,” CDCR says on its website. “Many former camp firefighters go on to gain employment with Cal Fire, the United States Forest Service and interagency hotshot crews.”
CDCR says fire camp participants who worked as firefighters are eligible for special incentives after release. For example, many can apply to continue their education in an 18-month enhanced firefighter training and certification program at the Ventura Training Center in Ventura County, California.
“Cadets who complete the program are qualified to apply for entry-level firefighting jobs with local, state and federal firefighting agencies,” CDCR says.
However, some formerly incarcerated firefighters have toldmultiplenewsoutlets that the process of finding employment upon release can be difficult and time-consuming. That’s because some fire departments have rules that could still disqualify them based on their previous convictions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.