A record drought and soaring heat have made this wildfire season a particularly bad one for California. Not only have thousands of acres and dozens of homes been lost, but also lives. Earlier this month, the pilot of an air tanker died when his plane crashed as he battled a blaze near Yosemite National Park—and the season’s not over yet.
In California, there are fewer jobs more important or deadly than fighting wildfires. Among those brave enough to put on their gear and step into the danger zone are the hundreds of volunteers from California’s prison system—a crew of convicts that makes up almost half of the state’s on-call wildfire-fighting force.
As the King fires threatened the state earlier this fall, we visited with one of these units of incarcerated firefighters in partnership with MSNBC. What we found was so much more than a suicide squad of convicts sent against their wills or danger seekers looking to make their time inside a little bit more exciting. We found men looking to better themselves and do their part. It’s a lesson in true, honest rehabilitation tested by the flame.
