California relying on prisoners, Mexico to provide firefighters to battle Los Angeles wildfires
California has deployed firefighters from Mexico as well as nearly 1,000 prison inmates to help combat deadly wildfires exploding across Los Angeles since last week.
“As of today, 939 Fire Camp firefighters have been working around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread, including 110 support staff,” California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) told NPR on Friday.
California has utilized inmates to combat fires for over a century, according to the outlet. The CDCR says inmates participate in the program voluntarily, and are compensated with between $5.80 to $10.24 per day.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also said on Friday that firefighters from Mexico were on route to assist in combating the Eaton wildfire. Newsom did not detail how many people Mexico was sending.
Newsom has faced criticism in the wake of the wildfires, including after Newsweek reported that the governor cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million just months earlier.
Furthermore, Fox News Digital previously reported that Democratic leadership in the state cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s funding by $17.6 million just months prior.
California has also received help from Oregon, which sent 300 firefighters and 75 engines to help fight the Palisades Fire, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) said in a press release. The 15 Oregon strike teams underwent a routine safety check by CAL Fire in Sacramento before moving into Southern California.
“These inspections ensure all engines on an emergency scene are equipped, mechanically sound, and able to respond,” the state fire marshal said. “This ensures our number one priority of a safe deployment for our firefighters.”
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof questioned the safety inspections in a post on X, writing that “slowing first responder vehicles from a neighboring state in a life-and-death emergency sounds to me like regulatory overreach.”
The Oregon Fire Marshal, however, said that the “vehicle safety check process was critical for our teams.”
“With moving this amount of equipment and firefighters, safety has to be our highest priority,” OSFM Agency Administrator Ian Yocum said. “Our Oregon strike teams are motivated, committed to what they do, and excited to get out to the line and help where they are needed.”
CAL Fire told Fox News Digital on Sunday that firefighters from Mexico will undergo the same routine safety checks, and use vehicles rented through the “normal contract process.” The Mexican firefighters will perform as hand crews, and use the rented vehicles as transportation to and from the fire areas.
The death toll in connection with the wildfires has jumped to 16, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire.
As of Saturday evening, the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, Cal Fire said. The Palisades and Eaton fires – the two largest wildfires – have so far scorched 59 square miles.
Firefighters are still working to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires. Cal Fire reported containment of the Palisades Fire at 11% and the Eaton Fire at 15% on Saturday night.
With the battle set to continue, firefighters are bracing for another round of strong winds expected starting on Monday, emergency officials said.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and Aubrie Spady, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.