Cal Fire prepares inmate firefighting crews for upcoming fire season

A Cal Fire water-dropping helicopter performed a couple of practice runs Wednesday, in the hills of the Greater Morongo Indian Reservation, near Beaumont.

It happened while inmate crews drilled for the upcoming fire season.

“The hand crew job is probably one of the hardest ones in Cal Fire,” said Cal Fire Public Information Officer, Captain Fernando Herrera.

Three crews, of 15 to 17 inmates, who came from around the state, were put through their paces.

After getting out of their rigs, they lined up for equipment inspection and were then quizzed by experienced, career firefighters who tested the inmate’s knowledge.

“These guys are using hand tools, not fire hoses, or any water, and they’re hiking for miles, in rugged terrain,” said Captain Herrera.

Part two of the drill was taking a two-and-a-half mile hike up steep terrain, lugging all their gear to another area of Hathaway Canyon where they got on the ground to practice fire shelter deployment.

The inmates on the crews come from minimum security prison facilities around the state.

For many of them, serving as a firefighter is a privilege and an opportunity.

That’s how inmate Adam Wolfe describes working on the fire lines.

His experience this year includes helping in the fight against the “Woolsey Fire” in November in Los Angeles and Ventura County.

“It’s a very fulfilling experience. We get to be a part of a team, and we are making a difference in our local communities,” said Wolfe.

The inmates also hiked into the heavy brush to practice cutting fire lines, knowing this is just one day of practice, to prepare for work in blazes where they could spend several days in terrain and conditions much more challenging.

“We’re going to experience a lot of grass fires, a lot of those flashy fires that burn very rapid, very hot,” said Captain Herrera.

The work in the air by the helicopter crew included practicing a hoist rescue.