California inmates are ready year-round to combat fires

For over 50 years, the Golden State has relied on prisoners to keep it safe

California is currently facing its deadliest wildfire in state history. The brave men and women tasked with combating the stubborn flames include over a thousand inmates dispatched as part of a volunteer firefighting program sponsored jointly by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

In response to a California Public Records Act request submitted in August, during which the destructive Mendocino Complex Fire raged, CAL FIRE has provided its agreement with the CDCR. The agreement guides the responsibilities of the two state departments in their use of prisoners to prepare for and put out fires, a policy that officially found a place in California statutes in 1959.

As outlined in the agreement, the inmate fire crews are prepared throughout the year, living in camps that are permitted, by design, to exceed camp capacity by 10 percent, the goal being to ensure a full roster of fire-eligible inmates, regardless of fluctuations caused by paroles or discipline.

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