This interview aired in the January 21, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents.
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Over the past week, the fires in Los Angeles have taken center stage with round the clock coverage of the devastation. At the time we are recording, the fires were on pace to be among costliest natural disasters in US history.
Lives, homes and entire neighborhoods have been lost. There will be time to sort through the wreckage and uncover how the fires began. And if there was more that could have been done.
But what is clear is that the damage would be worse if not for the heroic efforts of the people who were on the frontline of the fires. And it may surprise you that some of them are currently incarcerated.
Inmates are not forced to join the firefighting crews and they are paid, but not much — approximately $27 for an entire 24-hour shift.
Reporter Anna Sussman has been covering the world of incarcerated fire fighters and recently released her podcast “Fire Escape” which tells the story of one woman’s journey to rebuild her life and identity with a prison’s fire fighting team.
List of local organizations helping Southern California wildfire victims
