Incarcerated firefighters battling Southern California wildfires moved by outpouring support from the public

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) — Hundreds of the firefighters working tirelessly on the fire lines to protect lives and property in Southern California are actually serving time in prison.

As two historic wildfires raged in Southern California, Joseph McKinney and Sal Almanza were among the firefighters who rushed to help.

“Physically, it’s pretty demanding. There’s a lot of hiking, and it’s in a rough terrain,” incarcerated firefighter Joseph McKinney said.

“We often go where bulldozers and other vehicles cannot go,” Sal Almanza, who is serving a 4-year sentence at the minimum-security Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp, said.

The Visalia natives are two of California’s more than 1,000 incarcerated firefighters responding to this emergency. They are part of a state program for incarcerated men and women.

“I knew that the firefighting program was going to be the fastest avenue for me to get home to my son, so I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Firefighting has actually always been a passion of mine,” Almanza said.

Most who are eligible and choose to join can qualify for sentence reductions. They can get up to two days off their sentences for every day on a fire crew. They earn up to roughly $10 a day, plus an extra dollar during emergencies.

McKinney says he’s worked as long as 24 hours.

“It was a lot, but, you know, they keep the water coming. They keep food coming, and you know, you feed off the energy of the other guys,” McKinney said.

“We’re all proud of you, and also, we’re going to try to fight to get y’all paid,” California State Assemblymember Isaac Bryan said.

Bryan and other government officials met with some of the incarcerated firefighters at their base camp in Pasadena. The firefighters came from more than 30 camps across the state.

Bryan just introduced legislation to increase their pay.

“What AB 247 says is that if you are incarcerated, and you are actively fighting a wildfire, you are on the front line. You are on the fire line doing that lifesaving work. You should be compensated at the same rate as the lowest-paid person who is not incarcerated,” Bryan said.

McKinney and Almanza have been moved by the outpouring of support from the public.

“It just feels like sometimes you’re tucked away, you know, and no one gets to share. You don’t get to share those experiences with nobody. So when the community comes out and shows the love and the outpouring, it just really feels good; you know, it feels like someone cares and someone knows what you’re doing,” Almanza said.

One of the organizations that has advocated with and for these firefighters is the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. They helped write a bill to expunge their records.

The organization also helps run a firefighter training and reentry program that creates a pathway for a career upon release.

“I have about two years left on my sentence. By the time that it’s over, I should be pretty dialed in and know what I’m doing, so I’m excited to pursue that,” McKinney said.