Kim Kardashian is calling attention to the many incarcerated firefighters battling the flames sweeping through Los Angeles, praising those on the front lines and urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase their pay.
Over the weekend, as the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire have burned 37,000 acres since they emerged on January 7, American Horror Story: Delicate The actress posted a video from the nonprofit Anti-Relapse Coalition showing some of the 800 incarcerated people currently battling the fire.
The media personality and entrepreneur continued her Instagram story, beginning a multi-post statement with praise for first responders. “I’ve spent the last week watching my city burn. I’ve seen and spoken with so many firefighters who stay up all night and use every ounce of their strength to save our community,” she wrote, thanking Cal Fire.
Turning her attention to the imprisoned firefighters, she continued: “In all five fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of imprisoned firefighters, risking their lives to save us. They work the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in Pasadena and operate 24 hours a day. They receive almost no pay, and risk their lives, some even dying, to prove to society that they have changed and are now first responders. “I see them as heroes.” (At present, the identities of all 16 deaths from the combined fires have not been released, and the death toll is expected to rise following official damage monitoring and further investigation.)
As Kardashian points out and reports New York Timesthe maximum for incarcerated firefighters is $10.24 per day, plus an additional $1 per hour paid by Cal Fire during emergencies, according to the Department of Corrections. per New regulations Passed in April of last year, the lowest-level incarcerated firefighter can earn up to $5.80 a day. Previous decades-old regulations ranged the daily wage from $2.90 to $5.13 per person KQED. Historically, incarcerated firefighters made up as much as 30% of California’s wildfire force.
For prisoners, firefighting is among the most desirable jobs, according to Marshall Projectalthough prisoners spoke loudly about the experience being both rewarding and morally complex, as involuntary slavery is legal as a punishment for a crime under the U.S. and California constitutions. In the 2024 presidential election, California voters had the opportunity to remove this provision for forced prison labor, but 53.3% voted to maintain the status quo. Reject the offer 6. While legislation has been passed to make it easier for former fire crew members to clear their records and obtain firefighting jobs, the process remains difficult and time-consuming.
“I urge @cagovernor to do what no governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the pay of incarcerated firefighters to the rate [sic] Kardashian urged to honor a human being who risks his life to save ours and our homes.
“Finally, I would like to thank the firefighters from @calfire Ventura Training Center To save my community when it started burning this week. These are all formerly incarcerated firefighters who have come home and want to continue serving our community as firefighters. Because of bills passed by @antirecidivismcoalition, these men can now have their sentences reduced, and felonies expunged from their records for their fire service. When they return home they can get six-figure jobs working in fire departments.
Kardashian was referring to the Kenneth fire that broke out on January 9, and since then it’s pretty much been like that. contained in 80%.
This isn’t the first time Kardashian has been vocal about social justice issues. As previously reported, she is continuing her journey in law school and recently met with Eric and Lyle Menendez in prison, applauding former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s recommendation for re-sentencing. (That hearing has been postponed until the end of the month, with new Attorney General Nathan Hochman taking over.)
