A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)2025-01-18T14:30:07Z PASADENA, Calif. (AP) Sal Almanza has worked 24-hour shifts in grueling terrain, cutting fire lines and hauling away brush trying to keep ahead of fires that have devastated several Los Angeles neighborhoods. But when the fires are finally out, he wont be going back to his family: Hell be returning to the prison fire camp where hes serving time for drunken driving that injured someone.I wanted to do something positive while I was here, the 42-year-old said. Something that would contribute back to the community and just help me feel better about my situation and right the wrongs that I did.Over 1,100 California inmates have been working around the clock in challenging conditions including howling winds and toxic smoke to help Cal Fire battle the Eaton and Palisades fires, the largest and most destructive of about a half-dozen fires that burned in the Los Angeles area in the past two weeks. Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Road, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Inmate firefighters battling the Palisades Fire construct hand line to protect homes along Mandeville Canyon Road, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More They become firefighters for the chance to cut time off their sentences, to get outside the prison walls and for training that might help them land a job once theyre out.But some say the inmates, many earning less than $30 a day for their efforts, deserve better after risking their lives: to be paid on par with other firefighters.We always talk about how its an injustice and weve never addressed it, said California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who introduced a bill this week that would pay inmates the same as the lowest-paid non-incarcerated firefighter on the frontlines. I think its appropriate for us to have a conversation about what equity looks like even in the midst of a natural disaster. Braving powerful winds and debris, crews cut fire lines around homes, cleared vegetation, removed propane tanks and anything else that could fuel the fire. The firefighters described carrying 45 to 65 pounds or more of gear while hiking for hours in steep, rugged terrain to cut containment lines to keep flames from spreading. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Almanza, who is serving a 4-year sentence at the minimum-security Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp, said the firefighting is physically demanding.Youre putting your (bodies) through things that you think they cant go through and pushing them to the limit, he said.At least 27 people have died in infernos that have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and left tens of thousands under evacuation orders. The fires are likely to be among the most destructive in California history, according to CalFire. California began training inmates to help fight wildfires during World War II, when many men were deployed overseas. Today, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the state forestry department and the Los Angeles County fire department operate 35 fire camps where inmates can become certified wildland firefighters.When deployed, those firefighters earn from $5.80 to $10.24 a day, depending on experience, and an extra $1 an hour during active wildfires, according to the corrections department. That means the lowest-paid firefighters earn $29.80 per 24-hour shift. Jeff Macomber, the Corrections secretary, called the inmate firefighters work an essential part of the effort against the Los Angeles fires. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Corrections officials say the inmates volunteer and are aware of potential dangers. The department did not answer an Associated Press query about how many have been killed or injured on the job, but Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2022 that at least four inmates had died in the preceding few years including one struck by a boulder and another in a chainsaw accident.A 2018 Time investigation found that incarcerated firefighters were over four times more likely than professionals to suffer cuts, bruises or broken bones and over eight times more likely to have complications from inhaling smoke and other particles.Joseph McKinney, another inmate battling flames in Los Angeles, said its a risk hes willing to take. When you realize youre doing something ... for the greater good, youre willing to put that sacrifice up, he said. And not only that, I have a debt to pay to society and this is how Im choosing to pay it back. Bianca Tylek, executive director of the criminal justice advocacy group Worth Rises, questions whether incarcerated firefighters work is truly voluntary because California requires inmates to work. State voters in November rejected a measure that would have banned forced prison labor. She says its exploitative to offer low-paying firefighting jobs to those desperate to be on the outside and to shave time off their sentences.But labor is labor and ... should be compensated, Tylek said. A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 14, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More Sam Lewis, executive director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, supports the fire camps but said its sad that it took a horrible tragedy to spark a movement for better pay that has gained support from many residents, including celebrity Kim Kardashian. It brings light to the people that are incarcerated and how ... they come to serve the community that they may have harmed, he said. But look at how theyve given back.His organization advocated for the development of an advanced training and certification program at the Ventura Training Center, which prepares parolees for firefighting careers. In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill giving paroled firefighters the chance to expunge their records to make it easier to find jobs.Bryan said he hopes his bill can be expedited and perhaps made retroactive so inmates can be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. He said the money could come from emergency federal funding.I think everybody who ... is risking their lives to save others is a hero, and that doesnt matter whether youre incarcerated or not, Bryan said. If that is who you are, that is your character and that is what you demonstrate in the middle of a crisis ... the state of California owes you a debt of gratitude. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. ___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP also receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. DORANY PINEDA Pineda writes about water, climate and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S. twitter