CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE FIGHTERS ARE 50% FELONS

Did you know that around 3,000 prisoner felons are fighting California wildfires? This is not just a desperate move to save the state money this year. The program has been running for years. The felons are paid $1 an hour. (Note that the rest of the line crew gets paid minimum wage.) At least the state does have workers compensation insurance for the entire fire crew.

In case you did not know, fires are actually good for the forests and grasslands. Fire is NOT good for either forests or grasslands if the fire burns out of control because the fire is being fed too much fuel. (Think of a bonfire vs. a fireplace fire. It is the amount of dead wood that makes the difference.)

We have known for years that forest fires get out of control and DESTROY ALL THE TREES unless there are regular controlled burns. BUT one controlled burn went out of control and we stop doing the smart thing.

Wildfire fighters know that they could keep wildfires from burning out of control if the state would spend monies on controlled burns, and if they could force private property owners to clear overgrown brush.

I WISH TO THANK BOTH THE "GOOD GUYS" AND THE "BAD GUYS" WHO KEEP US SAVE FROM WILDFIRES. They risk their lives for less money than they would make at Burger King.