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Yes, Inmate Fire Camps Are Real And Controversial
Fire Country isn’t just a television show
When I first heard of the show Fire Country, I couldn’t wait to watch it. Let’s be honest, what inmate wouldn’t want to watch a show that features inmates being allowed to live and work at a camp where they’re treated more like human beings than inmates? Sure, they have their issues, it wouldn’t be good television without it, but in a lot of ways, the Conservation (Fire) Camp inmates have a better experience within the prison system than your standard inmate.
It was dually exciting for me to watch because I was a firefighter on the outside from the time I was 16 years old until right before I went to prison. I loved being a firefighter — hated the politics of it and the small-town bullshit I had to contend with in the area where we live, but the actual firefighting? One of the best things about life, for me. I would love it if North Carolina had a Conservation Camp program and would be first in line to sign up.
Is Fire Country Real?
Yes and no. Yes, there are Conservation (Fire) Camps throughout the state of California. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in conjunction with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LAC FIRE), jointly operates 35 conservation camps, commonly known as fire camps, located in 25 counties across California. Two of the camps are for incarcerated women. CDCR employees oversee the fire camps, which are all minimum-security facilities.
Inmates who participate in fire camps are there to support state, local, and federal agencies responding to a myriad of emergencies beyond fire — flood, natural, and manmade disasters as well. They also aid in maintaining parks and help with sandbagging during flooding and reforestation.
The program paves the way for several job opportunities and benefits after release, including advanced training and criminal record expungement. These pathways allow formerly incarcerated people to seek professional emergency response certifications that were not previously available to them.
This isn’t anything new. California has relied on incarcerated fire camp workers…
