Female Inmates From Las Colinas May Be Next Calif. Firefighter Recruits

SANTEE, CA — Inmates at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility for women in Santee may be the next firefighters on the front lines of California's wildfires.

Twenty-four men and 12 women from San Diego County jails are currently working in the Fire Camp program — started in 1915 in California — and recently, a recruiting effort took place at Las Colinas.

The Fire Camp program allows low level offenders to complete their time outside as support crews to back up professional firefighters during wildfires all over the state. They also help with community projects including clearing brush, fallen tree or debris, restoring historical structures, flood protection and maintaining parks.

The partnership between the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and California Department of Corections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) helps prepare inmates for life on the outside.

Some local inmates and prisoners even helped put out the Border Fire in East County last month.

Watch this video from local Fire Camp partners for more about the life on the fire lines for these inmates.