New law opens CAL FIRE path for people who fought fires in prison

A new California law gives people who fought wildfires while serving prison sentences a chance to seek jobs with CAL FIRE.

What changed

The law creates a path from wildfire work performed during incarceration to potential employment with the state firefighting agency. It addresses people who helped fight wildfires while serving time and now want to pursue CAL FIRE jobs.

What the law means

The measure gives those workers an opportunity to seek employment. It does not, by itself, describe a specific hiring outcome for any individual. People covered by the law would still be seeking CAL FIRE positions through the state’s employment process.

Why it matters

The change recognizes wildfire work done by incarcerated people as a possible step toward a career in firefighting. For people who performed that work while serving time, the law opens a route to pursue jobs that were not previously available to them in the same way.

The development was reported by Lassen County News. The law’s effect is centered on access to CAL FIRE employment for people with this wildfire-fighting experience.