As wildfires continue to threaten neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, over 1,000 prisoners are working as firefighters to help extinguish the blazes, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Sal Almanza is one of those inmates. He shared with ABC News Live what it’s like battling the flames, and what he has learned from this experience.
“Seeing the devastation, people losing their homes and the impact on families in the Los Angeles area has just been awful to see,” Almanza said. “But the generosity, love and outpour from the community has really been encouraging and uplifting for me and the guys.”
Inmate firefighters dig a containment line as they battle the Palisades Fire on Jan. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Inmates like Almanza volunteered for the Conservation (Fire) Camps Program, and is embedded with Cal Fire crew members. The program operates 35 fire camps, spanning 25 counties in California.
Those who participate in the program earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, plus $1 an hour when responding to active emergencies, according to the CDCR. Prisoners fighting the Los Angeles fires like Almanza are working 24-hour shifts, earning $26.90 per day.
Inmates also receive two additional days off their sentence for every one day they serve on the fire crew. Almanza is currently up for parole in August 2026.
Regardless of the benefits, Almanza said his son back home motivates him the most while battling these flames.
“Giving something back to the community and doing something positive while I’m doing this sentence was the most important for me [and] having my son being able to look and see his father doing something good,” Almanza said.
Almanza was joined by correctional officer Lt. Manny Nunez, who told ABC News the program gives inmates the tools and resources they need for a new beginning.
“We’re all human, everybody makes a mistake,” Nunez said. “And there should be a path for a second chance. And this program that we have, the camp program, it gives them just that.”
Sal Almanza, an inmate firefighter battling the LA fires, is seen on camera with a correctional officer Lieutenant Manny Nunez.
ABC News
Nunez said the incarcerated firefighters are provided with training, equipment and personnel to supervise them while “they’re out here doing really critical work that needs to be done.”
“I think this program gives gentlemen like Sal a sense of purpose that they might not have had before.” Nunez said. “It gives them hope that they can aspire to be a person that they never realized they were and that they have potential beyond what they might have previously accomplished themselves.”
At least 27 people have died from the California wildfires, with 18 people still missing. The Palisades Fire, located in the Pacific Palisades, has destroyed about 5,000 structures and is at 31% containment. The Eaton Fire, north of Pasadena, also continues to burn, burning over 14,000 acres, and is 65% contained.
“Good Morning America” kicked off its “SoCal Strong” (#SoCalStrong) coverage on Friday, highlighting the impacted communities and offering fundraising opportunities for victims of the fires. The coverage will continue across multiple ABC News programs and platforms.
ABC News’ Tesfaye Negussie contributed to this report.