As Fire Season Bears Down on Drought Stricken California, Inmate Crews Are Preparing to Battle Flames While Facing Manpower Shortages Because of the COVID Crisis

The 77,758 acre Kincade Fire last October was Sonoma County’s largest fire in history and Edward Lopez was on the ground fighting to keep it contained. A few months before that he was on the front line battling Mendocino County’s Usal Fire for five days. Lopez, 27, wasn’t a local firefighter or an employee with CAL FIRE though, he was incarcerated at the Eel River Conservation Camp in Humboldt County.

Every Californian is aware of the state’s dangerous wildfire season and the heroic bravery of CAL FIRE staff, but most are unaware that these fires would cease to be contained and countless lives lost without the help of California’s incarcerated firefighters, like Lopez. Without these men and women fighting fires alongside local, state and federal firefighters, California would lose 3 million hours in emergency response work and an additional 7 million hours in community service, according to the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Their labor use also saves the state taxpayers $100 million yearly while they only earn at most $5.12 per day.

Lopez, who was a juvenile tried as an adult in 2010, spent the last 10 months of his 9.5 year sentence at Eel River. He fought nearly every Northern California fire last season as well as fires down south from April 2019 to February of this year. Lopez paroled right before COVID-19 swept across the planet in a global pandemic, causing countries to enforce shelter-in-place orders.

“Even when COVID shut everything down, those at fire camp are still working,” Lopez said. “We are an essential worker. We are always working.”

The COVID crisis has forced changes in the inmate firefighter program. CDCR stated in an email they are actively educating Conservation Camp staff and the incarcerated population on steps they can take to protect themselves from COVID-19, such as proper hand washing and physical distancing. They also said transfers into conservation camps have been limited and incarcerated individuals who have finished their training are isolated from the general public for 14 days and screened for COVID-19 prior to being transferred.

As of June 5, there are 2,358 CDCR incarcerated individuals with active cases of COVID-19, 232 CDCR/CCHCS employee cases and 12 incarcerated individual deaths. However, according to the CDCR, there are currently no confirmed COVID-19 cases among incarcerated firefighters.

Lopez said when the fire crew wasn’t fighting fires they were building bridges, working in state parks, and working alongside Caltrans. While incarcerated at Eel River, he said he took full advantage of the training skills offered and was deeply humbled due to the demand of the job.

“A lot of these small communities throughout the state cannot be functional without inmate firefighters because you have roads and bridges and we are the ones who do all the work to them to prevent fires,” Lopez said. “Without us, it would be a slow process. We are helping communities.”

This year’s Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury agrees with Lopez. Their recent report, Angels In Orange, details the county’s two state conservation camps, Eel River and High Rock, and their integral part in providing important firefighting forces during fire season and community service during off-season. The report findings state both camps were well managed and maintained and the Civil Grand Jury was “impressed with the positive aspects of rehabilitation provided by the camps as well as the service the camps provide to the communities.” They also concluded that the rehabilitative functions of the fire camps are priceless.

“Their mission includes improving the safety and quality of life to state residents while providing inmates with a rehabilitative environment to develop the skills and discipline to become successful members of society upon release,” the report states.

There are 42 CDCR Conservation Camps in 27 counties throughout California. As of June 5 there are 3,367 incarcerated individuals at the camps and 2,089 of them are incarcerated firefighters, according to the CDCR. The Civil Grand Jury report states that once an incarcerated individual meets the security risk level to qualify for service, they can volunteer for fire camp. Meaning they must have the lowest classification for incarcerated individuals based on their sustained good behavior while in prison, have five years or less remaining on their sentence, and have not been convicted of rape, arson, escaping, or sex offenses. After they pass a medical evaluation and two-week physical fitness program, they are then transferred for a six-to-seven week wildfire training by CAL FIRE instructors. Once they pass this training, they are assigned to a fire crew.

Lopez said he made it through the training with ease but it was the first fire he was assigned to that revealed the magnitude of the job.

“Until you are actually doing the work then you know the intensity,” Lopez said. “Just to understand how serious it is, people have died in the past. At first you’re nervous and that stays with you. It’s dangerous because you don’t know what to expect. The unknown is always there.”

The Civil Grand Jury report pointed out some problems in the conservation camps. They found shortages in eligible incarcerated volunteers in the two camps due to changes in sentencing and the realignment of incarcerated individuals as mandated by AB109, Propositions 47 and 57, and the Inmate Housing Score guidelines (which is essentially a classification system that identifies incarcerated individuals who may volunteer for fire camp).

Eel River Conservation Camp currently houses only 71 incarcerated individuals and High Rock houses 68. The former is able to house 132 incarcerated individuals and the latter 110.

“Failure to keep these camps fully staffed will result in fewer 16-person hand crews to fight fires, perform fuel reduction activities, and provide other conservation and community services,” the Civil Grand Jury report states.

Lopez said they would fight fires with four crews but in the past it used to be five. Having one less crew strained the rest of the firefighters and Lopez said after fighting one particular fire they were only allotted a two hour break before having to rush to another.

“They overwork us and we feel like we get worked hard because our assignment needs to be done in a certain amount of time,” Lopez said. “We have to work with half the people. But at that moment houses [and lives] are in danger.”

The Civil Grand Jury recommends CDCR and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office build a partnership that would allow qualified incarcerated individuals from The Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) to participate in shorter work assignments that do not require extensive training at either Eel River or High Rock because the HCCF is often near or over capacity, while Eel River and High Rock do not have enough qualified incarcerated individuals in their fire crews.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office stated they wouldn’t reply to any questions regarding the Civil Grand Jury report until their official 90 day response window is closed (which is August 24). However, Aaron Francis, an information officer for the CDCR, said his agency has contracts with eleven counties to receive eligible incarcerated individuals for CDCR Conservation Camps. Humboldt County is not one of them. Francis said there are 121 county incarcerated individuals participating in the Conservation Camp Program.

“Inmates continue to complete community service projects when not fighting fires; which include, clearing brush and fallen trees, maintaining parks, and reforestation,” Francis said. “Currently, individual projects are being completed on a case-by-case basis after review and approval by the camp captain to ensure health and safety guidance to address COVID-19 can be followed.”

COVID-19 has also put strain on the Conservation Camps. Francis said due to the economic impact of the virus, Governor Newsom’s 2020-21 May Revision budget proposal to the Legislature proposes the consolidation of eight camps under the Conservation Camp Program that are currently not at capacity. When asked if Eel River or High Rock were in jeopardy of closing or consolidating due to being under capacity, Francis said, “We are working closely with CAL FIRE to identify the most efficient use of resources while maintaining an adequate fire response and community involvement.”

One of the most important mentions in the Civil Grand Jury report is the three paragraphs regarding employment after incarceration from the Conservation Camps. The report acknowledges the restrictions on those convicted of felonies from being certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), which is required by most fire departments. Local EMT authority has the power to waive these restrictions but they rarely ever do. So, if you risked your life working at a Conservation Camp, the report states, “It is not possible for former inmates who were trained and functioned as firefighters to be employed in municipal fire agencies.”

This is all changing though with the non-profit organization the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), whose mission is to empower formerly and currently incarcerated people to thrive by providing a support network and services and opportunities to advocate for policy change.

CDCR, in partnership with CAL FIRE, California Conservation Corps (CCC) and ARC, has recently created a first of its kind firefighter training program for formerly incarcerated firefighters called the Ventura Training Center (VTC). Lopez is currently the newest add on to the program as of last Monday and officially on the path towards a CAL FIRE career. He was even recommended by Eel River when he applied to VTC.

Michelle Garcia is the VTC programs coordinator for ARC and has been at the training center since it began 22 months ago. Garcia said her position mainly consists of being a supportive role but really it’s more than that. She coordinates with life coaches and breaks the barriers of reentry obstacles. Her team builds life learning components, therapy process groups, AA groups, reunites families, and helps with everything between getting a driver’s license to answering questions about using ATMs.

“The product in your environment lands you in prison and the product of the environment here is a positive one where we offer positive patterns and healthy living,” Garcia said.

Garcia is well versed in these two environments, she was incarcerated herself and has worked in reentry since paroling nine years ago. She will be the first to admit she doesn’t come across as a firefighter, but she spent nearly two years fighting fires at the Malibu Conservation Camp. It was at fire camp where Garcia began to heal from the experiences she endured while in prison.

“I started to give back to the community and protect my community,” Garcia said. “I was very traumatized in prison and if I had just gone home without going to fire camp first I don’t think I would have survived. I found strength in myself.”

VTC is an 18 month live-in facility that provides opportunities for participants like Lopez to develop and enhance life skills through advanced firefighter training, certifications and job readiness and creates a pathway for formerly incarcerated individuals to better compete for entry-level firefighting jobs with local, state and federal agencies. During the day CAL FIRE instructors run the training program and afterward ARC is responsible for supervision while providing life skills training and resources, including education and employment assistance and community service referrals. According to the CDCR, “ARC has been a crucial partner in ensuring cadets have a strong support system throughout the course of the program. They just had the first graduated cohort in April and four members were already hired on by CAL FIRE.

Garcia said it is a completely joint effort between CDCR, CAL FIRE and ARC for the smooth running of the program. She credits CAL FIRE for shaping and transforming the participants and CDCR for wanting to see them succeed. Garcia said the parole officers that are stationed at VTC throughout the week continuously give the participants solid advice and the fire chiefs are always giving inspirational pep talks.

“If you asked me five years ago [if] CAL FIRE, CDCR and ARC would be working together, I would have said ‘is that a joke’ but now I can’t imagine it any other way,” Garcia said. “I foresee this program being a model for many many more.”

Garcia said the fire captains are not only invested in the program and bring their professionalism, but they are compassionate. She relates the training center to taking all the good from fire camp but with a caring attitude where the participants are being told they “aren’t that evil person you think you are in prison.”

This has been Lopez’s experience since arriving at the camp. He said everyone is respected as men and not “inmates.” For Lopez though, ARC is his motivating factor that keeps him encouraged. Lopez first met the founder of ARC, Scott Budnick, while he was still a juvenile at the Sylmar Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles County and said Budnick gave him hope and support that continues to this day.

“ARC is family,” Lopez said. “We are all getting along and supportive of one another. Not everybody is an angel, but for the most part we all understand where we come from and we want to do right.”

A turning point for Lopez was his first day at VTC. Two San Diego County fire captains visited the center and shared their stories. One of them served 16 years in prison and paroled from Eel River, just like Lopez. That captain has been fighting fires for 20 years now and inspired Lopez to follow suit.

“That day I heard my story,” Lopez said. “When he said Eel River, I gave him a look like in the movies. [The fire captain] told me to study and keep my books clean and to call him when I was done.”