Kim Kardashian joins Chris Brown and others calling for better pay and treatment of the 900-plus California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisoners dispatched to help firefighters and first responders battling the deadly Los Angeles County fires. Additionally, a journalist documenting the wildfires said he spoke with some of the inmates who told him they are working 24-hour-plus days, making about $1 per hour, and haven’t showered in at least 5 days.
As we previously shared, there have been at least seven fires (both big and small, with 5 major ones) engulfing different areas of Los Angeles County. The first to make headlines was the brush fire in the Pacific Palisades that broke out on Tuesday (January 7). The Palisades Fire grew quickly and did the most damage, doubling in size within an hour of erupting. This was the fire that led officials to issue one of the first evacuation alerts and implement a state of emergency.
Following the Palisades Fire were the Eaton Fire near Altadena and Pasadena; the Hurst Fire near Sylmar and Santa Clarita; the Lidia Fire in Acton and around Soledad Canyon Road; the Woodley Fire near Woodley and Sepulveda Basin; the Sunset Fire near Runyon Canyon and the Hollywood Hills; and the Kenneth Fire burning in West Hills. The latter notably threatened homes near Calabasas and Hidden Hills. Other smaller fires were then reported near Studio City and Pacoima.
On Saturday morning (January 11), California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office updated that the Palisades Fire ravaged 22,660 acres with 11% containment. The Eaton Fire ravaged 14,117 with 15% containment. The Kenneth Fire destroyed 1,052 acres with 80% containment and the Hurst Fire blazed 799 acres with 76% containment. The Sunset Fire and Lidia Fire were both 100% contained.
As of Sunday morning (January 12), the Palisades Fire has burned 23,654 acres and is still 11% contained while the Eaton Fire also remains at 15% containment, with 14,117 acres burned. There have also been 16 deaths reported, with 16 people missing. Over 65,000 residents are still without power in Los Angeles County, and the NWS (National Weather Service) has issued red flag warnings, in effect until Wednesday (January 15).
On January 9, we previously shared that nearly 800 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisoners were dispatched to help firefighters and first responders battle the deadly wildfires, that number has now risen to nearly 1,000 inmates. According to ABC News, the incarcerated individuals voluntarily signed up to be a part of the Conservation (FIRE) Camps program and they have been placed with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection crew members (CAL FIRE).
According to CDCR, the participating prisoners joining firefighters and first responders in battling the Los Angeles fires will be paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, plus $1 an hour when responding to active emergencies. The agency, which called its program a source of “crucial support” during emergencies, also noted that its program operates 35 minimum-security facilities in 25 counties across California, including two camps designated for female prisoners. Additionally, there are over 1,800 prisoners staffed at the camps across California.
On Saturday (January 11), journalist Jeremy Lindenfeld took to social media to claim he was able to speak with some of the nearly 1,000 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisoners dispatched to help firefighters and first responders battle the deadly wildfires and that they told him they were working 24-hour days and hadn’t showered in at least 5 days.
On X, Lindenfeld wrote, “Today I was granted access to speak with incarcerated firefighters. They told me they hadn’t showered in 5 days. They were not provided meals regularly. They were working 24 hours in a row. They feel under-appreciated and underpaid. They also said they all wanted to be there and that they see the work as an important way to give back to the community.”
On Instagram, with burned-down structures in his background, Lindenfeld posted a video stating the same claims. He said, “This morning, I got the opportunity to speak to some of the incarcerated firefighters fighting these devastating fires here in L.A. They told me they haven’t had the opportunity to shower in 5 days. They have not been receiving regular meals. They have been under-appreciated and vastly underpaid, only getting about $1 an hour. And they have had to do 24-hour straight shifts of the grueling and hazardous work of keeping these communities safe; which they say is their way of giving back to the community.”
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On Saturday, Kim Kardashian also spoke out about the Los Angeles County fires and demanded better pay for the 900-plus 900-plus California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisoners dispatched to help firefighters and first responders battling the deadly wildfires.
In a series of posts, she began, “I have spent the last week watching my city burning. And have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community. Thank you to @calfire la County Fire and Los Angeles City Fire for everything you are doing to save lives, homes, and property.”
She continued, “On all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, risking their lives to save us. They are on the Palisades fire and Eaton fire in Pasadena working 24-hour shifts. They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, and some have died, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”
While advocating for the CDCR prisoners battling the Los Angeles County fires, Kim Kardashian added, “The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1 / hour to risk their lives, and this pay has been the same since 1984. It has never been raised with inflation. It’s never been raised when fires got worse and many died. This year there was an agreement to raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to $5/hour, but it got shot down last minute. I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate that honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes.”
She concluded, “And lastly I want to thank the firefighters from the @calfire Ventura Training Center for saving my community when it started burning this week. These are all FORMERLY incarcerated firefighters who have come home and want to continue serving our community as firefighters. Due to bills passed by @antirecidivismcoalition, these guys can now get their sentences reduced, expunging the felonies from their records for their fire service. And when they come home can get six-figure jobs working for the fire departments.”
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