Inmate firefighters are trained at one of the state Department of Corrections’ more than 30 “fire camps,” which are essentially minimum security prison camps doubling as firefighter schools.

This program opens eligibility to fire camps for people under age 26 who are incarcerated at certain state prisons. The first group of eligible youth were transferred from Valley State Prison in ...

acknowledged the legitimate concerns about fire camps but explained that the hazardous work felt like a better alternative to prison life. He shared that many inmates hope to be part of the fire ...

Inmate firefighters housed in California's county jails and state prisons would earn an hourly wage of up to $19 under ...

“Fire camp firefighters have been working around ... But the numbers have dwindled over the years, largely due to state prison reform and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Los Angeles ...

More than 1,100 inmates in the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — a group that has historically made up 30% of the California wildfire force — helped battle the Palisades and Eaton ...