“The conditions in California prisons are so terrible that fighting wildfires is a rational choice. It is probably the safest choice as well.”
These are the words of Matthew Hahn, a former incarcerated man and member of California's “Fire Camp”, a coveted yet controversial program that employs volunteer firefighters from California's prisons.
The Conservation (Fire) Camp program has recently gained traction from officials and social media personalities in light of the wildfires ravaging southern California.
But what exactly does this program entail? What benefits does it have to those who opt to participate? And even with these benefits, is such a program ethical?

Image Credit: CAL FIRE_Official from Wikimedia Commons
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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)What is California's “Fire Camp”?
The “Fire Camp” is a collaboration between CDCR, LACFD, and Cal Fire, enabling prisoners to apply to firefighting positions, giving them the opportunity for a reprieve from the strict regulations and harsh conditions inside many of California's prisons. Together, they operate 35 conservation “fire” camps across a variety of counties within the state.
The program is completely voluntary, though as Matthew Hahn wrote in his Washington Post essay, he “never met” another prisoner who “didn't want to be in ‘fire camp’”.
These fire crews respond to various emergencies regarding fires and floods, as well as other natural disasters. This program first began in 1915, though the protocol seen today was only first implemented during WWII.
Inmates who work on the fire crew earn anywhere between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, as well as an additional $1 for responding to emergencies such as the Palisades wildfire. Conversely, their non-incarcerated counterparts earn around $85,000 a year.
Additionally, the minimum wage in California is $16.00 per hour at the state level, although certain cities may have different regulations. Most incarcerated firefighters earn less than that in one day of work.
While the Fire Camp boasts employment opportunities in Cal Fire for graduates of the program, many former inmates have difficulty obtaining these firefighting jobs due to their criminal history and records, in spite of their experience. Incarcerated firefighters also often face dangerous conditions on the job.
Aside from the obvious dangers of fire and smoke, prisoners are often expected to crawl into tight spaces, dodge boulders and rocks, and utilize tools in low visibility. Incarcerated firefighters were four times more likely to sustain injuries like cuts, bruises, and fractures compared to non-incarcerated firefighters, according to a TIME report.
Yet many inmates jump at the opportunity to join the hundreds of others in firefighting.

Image Credit: USDA from Wikimedia Commons

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Why Join “Fire Camp”?
Despite the low pay and harsh conditions many of these incarcerated firefighters face, the Fire Camp is still a very popular program. Prison conditions can explain why.
In a world of harsh blazes and harsher prison conditions, the former is preferable. California's prisons have murder rates three times the national average and twice the rate of that of all American prisons. These statistics still exclude the physical assault that many people face while imprisoned.
One incarcerated firefighter who goes by the name Kimbo considered firefighting much safer than prisons. In prison, he witnessed “guys get stabbed, get jumped, get beat up.” On the other hand, he was treated far more humanely when firefighting. Negligence in prisons leads to inmates preferring the scorching heat of a wildfire than the walls of prison.
In order to meet the qualifications needed to join Fire Camp, inmates must be physically and mentally fit, have no more than eight years remaining in their sentence, and cannot have certain convictions, like arson or sexual assault. Prisoners who join not only get to live in more relaxed settings, but they also have the opportunity to earn credits that decrease the length of their sentence, and some have their records expunged altogether.
Some criticize the coercion attached with the Fire Camp, while others argue it provides job prospects and rehabilitation not seen with many prison programs.
As the Palisades fire continues, California's fire program has garnered attention from the media and celebrities alike. Many defend the program, but just as many attack it.

Image Credit: Džoko Stach from Pixabay
The Public Response
While CDCR defends the fire program ardently, claiming that incarcerated firefighters are “proud” to join with Cal Fire in combatting the fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, many Internet users and personalities continue to attack the program.
Critics claim that the program exploits incarcerated individuals, giving them the choice of risking their lives for lesser sentences or facing the cruel brutalities of imprisonment. One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter that inmates make up a significant portion of fire crews in LA, yet “don't have access to firefighting jobs” upon release. Another user criticized the low pay of these programs.
Most notably, some celebrities have spoken out against these programs.
Kim Kardashian, media personality turned law student, denounced the abysmal pay in a now-expired Instagram story.
In this post, Kardashian criticized Governor Gavin Newsom's low pay of incarcerated firefighters, writing that these firefighters “get paid almost nothing” whilst risking “their lives”. Kardashian urged Newsom to raise the incarcerated firefighters' pay to “a rate that honors a human being risking their life”.
Kardashian, along with sister Kendall Jenner, visited incarcerated firefighters at two of California's Fire Camps back in August 2024.
Countless of other celebrities have spoken out about the wildfires and pledged their support, but very few have addressed the hundreds of incarcerated firefighters on the frontlines containing these fires. Fewer acknowledge the dedication of these firefighters as they work through dangerous conditions with little pay.
How We Can Help
We may not be lawmakers who can raise the pay of incarcerated firefighters, but there are ways to help.
The Los Angeles based non-profit Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a charity dedicated to ending mass incarceration, started a fund for incarcerated firefighters. To donate, write “firefighter fund” on your donation.
This fund, which has already raised $40,000, will go to necessities for incarcerated firefighters, including equipment like boots, toiletries, and other gear. Money left over will be distributed to scholarship funds for those released and to individual commissary accounts to those still incarcerated.
In addition to donating to these causes, people can raise greater awareness about the conditions of California's prisons and the challenges of incarcerated firefighters.
By raising awareness on social media platforms and discussing these experiences, more people will know about the situation. This means that charities like the ARC will receive greater funds to give back to these firefighters, and policymakers will enact change.
By raising awareness, measures like Proposition 6 will eventually pass, prohibiting involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. Had this measure been successfully passed, incarcerated firefighters' current wages would have been made illegal.
There will be progress. There will be change for those imprisoned. But in order to enact change, we need to be aware.
Even in the midst of all of this, they fight on. It should not only be seen as a testament to their bravery and heroism. It should also serve as a testament to the chilling truth that California's prisons have become so harsh, so inhumane, that hundreds of prisoners would rather face the flames than remain within prison walls.
It is the safer choice, after all.