gotten so bad that it wasn t safe to breathe. so my wife and i took me, the asthmatic, my elderly parent, and our kids straight to vegas. not because we wanted to gamble, but because it was close and there were cheap flights. now back then, it seemed like a oneself-in-a-lifetime thing. rescue, what is your emergency? reporter: but ever since, the fires in california have gotten worse. dixie fire. woolsey fire. are more towns burned to the ground, more forests devastated and more refugees. this episode is about californians and fire, because we got to learn how to get along. now if you re thinking that you re safe because you live outside of california, nope. wildfires happen across america, from alaska to florida. and they happen all over the world. wildfires sweeping across australia. cape town. estonia and turkey. all the way to the north pole. and even if they aren t happening near you, the effects are definitely coming to your doorstep. there i
california history. agh. lucky for us the fires hadn t made it to where my family lives in oakland, but the air had gotten so bad that it wasn t safe to breathe. so my wife and i took me, the asthmatic, my elderly parent, and our kids straight to vegas. not because we wanted to gamble, but because it was close and there were cheap flights. now back then, it seemed like a oneself-in-a-lifetime thing. fire rescue, what is your emergency? but ever since, the fires in california have a gotten worse. dixie fire. woolsey fire. are more towns burned to the ground, more forests devastated and more refugees. this episode is about californians and fire, because we got to learn how to get along. now if you re thinking that you re safe because you live outside of california, nope. wildfires happen across america, from alaska to florida. and they happen all over the world. wildfires sweeping across australia. cape town. estonia and turkey. nigeria. all the wa
developed, we got a bigger problem. to quote george clooney from oceans 11, we need more people. yep, california has a shortage of firefighters. according to one report, in 2021, only half of u.s. forest service engines were fully staffed. state and federal agencies struggled to retain firefighters because burnout, long deployments, and often low pay. yeah, low pay to fight fires. and there is another reason california is running out of firefighters, and this reason might break your brain. since 1942, we ve been using low security inmates to fight fires. today approximately 1/3 of california s wildland firefighting case are currently incarcerated which saves california taxpayers approximately $100 million per year. but because of prison reform and the early release of some incarcerated folks since 2020, there are not enough people to throw at the fires.
oceans 11, we need more people. yep, california has a shortage of firefighters. according to one report, in 2021, only half of u.s. forest service fire engines were fully staffed. state and federal agencies struggled to retain firefighters because burnout, long deployments, and often low pay. yeah, low pay to fight fires. and there is another reason california is running out of firefighters, and this reason might break your brain. since 1942, we ve been using low security inmates to fight fires. today approximately 1/3 of california s wildland fire fighting force are currently incarcerated, which saves the california taxpayers an approximately $100 million per year. but because of prison reform and the early release of some incarcerated folks since 2020, there are not enough people to throw at the fires. how s your brain? and to make matters worse, once
days, and i m trying to get to a program, and i m going to stay clean. i m not going to come back here. archer recently took a small step toward freedom when she was allowed to join the jail s community work program. twice a week the program sends low security inmates outside the jail to perform public service, such as painting and landscaping. you get out of jail for the day. you go and work a real job. you only get $3 a day, but it s worth it to me because it helps me get through the day when it gets me back into the real world. you know what i mean? almost like a stepping stone, before you get out the door. they re getting the fresh air. they re actually working, seeing the population, seeing people, going to work, children with their families. it s different than being in a house with 30 females.