California’s inmate firefighters will receive higher pay and the state will establish permanent fire camps to train and educate young offenders under two laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
California officials and the Los Angeles County Fire Department operate 35 “fire camps” where inmates train to become certified wildland firefighters. More than 1,100 inmate firefighters teamed up with state firefighters to stop a deadly Los Angeles wildfire that burned through neighborhoods and killed people earlier this year. at least 30 people.
The Youth Offender Program operates at Pine Grove Conservation Camp and Growlsburg Conservation Camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills and specifically trains inmates under the age of 25 to fight wildfires. Participants also receive education and guidance. The program began as a pilot project in 2023 and is now permanent.
Youth Offender Program Camp Pilot Program participants line up before duty at Pine Grove Youth Protection Camp in Red Corral, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Damian Rubalcava, left, is stroked after work at Pine Grove Youth Detention Camp in Red Corral, Calif., on July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Damian Rubalcaba, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison, said the program gave him purpose and peace. The 25-year-old father of two said his participation would help him escape by 2029 instead of 2036, and he was ready to continue helping others.
“I used to cause a lot of harm to my community,” he said. “Now is my time to shine and give back.”
A Pine Grove Youth Camp inmate, left, examines deer antlers while mowing brush along a road near Red Corral, Calif., on July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Inmates at Pine Grove Youth Camp clear brush along a road, July 14, 2025, near Red Corral, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Inmates at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp take a lunch break, July 14, 2025, near Ione, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
The second bill, signed by Newsom on Monday, increases inmate firefighters’ pay to match the minimum wage (currently $7.25 an hour) during emergencies. Currently, inmate firefighters earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, with an additional $1 per hour during wildfires. That means the lowest-paid firefighters earn less than $30 per 24-hour shift.
Inmates are training to become firefighters in order to shorten their sentences and get a chance to go outside prison walls, as well as training that may help them find jobs after they are released.
“No one who puts their life on the line for others should ever earn less than the federal minimum wage,” said the bill’s author, Rep. Isaac Bryan.
An inmate at Pine Grove Youth Camp sharpens a chainsaw after mowing brush near Ion, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Pine Grove Youth Camp inmates cut brush along a road near Red Corral, California, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp inmates pause while mowing brush along a road near Red Corral, Calif., on July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Damien Rubalcaba, left, unloads his gear after finishing work at Pine Grove Youth Protection Camp, Red Corral, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Damien Rubalcaba washes his face after work at Pine Grove Youth Camp in Red Corral, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Photo pinned to bulletin board at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp in Red Coral, Calif., July 14, 2025 (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp inmates mop a crew vehicle in Red Corral, California, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Inmates interact at Pine Grove Youth Camp, Red Corral, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Damien Rubalcaba (center) lifts weights in the gym at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp in Red Coral, Calif., on July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Timothy Woods adjusts a necklace at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp in Red Coral, Calif., July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Inmates rest at Pine Grove Youth Protection Camp, Red Corral, California, July 14, 2025 (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Timothy Woods speaks by phone at Pine Grove Youth Camp on July 14, 2025 in Red Coral, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Inmates in a vehicle at Pine Grove Youth Protection Camp, Red Corral, California, July 14, 2025 (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
This is a documentary photo story handpicked by AP photo editors.
