Kim Kardashian is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to pay incarcerated firefighters more money as they put their lives on the line. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star made her plea in a recent Instagram post while simultaneously scoffing at the measly $1 an hour they are currently being paid.
“On all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, risking their lives to save us,” she began. “They are in the Palisades fire and Eaton fire in Pasadena working 24 hour shifts. They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, some have died, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”
She continued, “The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1/hour to risk their lives, and this pay has been the same since 1984. It has never been raised with inflation. It’s never been raised when fires got worse and many died.
“This year there was an agreement to raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to $5/hour, but got shot down last minute. I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate that honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes.”
Elsewhere, Kardashian thanked the formerly incarcerated firefighters for their tireless efforts.
“And lastly I want to thank the firefighters from the @calfire Ventura Training Center for saving my community when it started burning this week,” she said. “These are all FORMERLY incarcerated firefighters who have come home, and want to continue serving our community as firefighters. Due to bills passed by the @antirecidivismcoalition, these guys can now get their sentences reduced, expunging the felonies from their records for their fire service. And when they come home can get six figure jobs working for the fire departments.”
The deadly California wildfires have continued to ravage vast swaths of the state, fueled by extreme weather conditions and a prolonged drought that has left vegetation dry and highly flammable. The first fire erupted on January 7 in the Pacific Palisades and five others followed—the Sunset, Kenneth, Eaton, Hurst and Lidia.
The fires have destroyed homes, displaced thousands of residents and caused significant loss of life, with firefighters working tirelessly to contain the blazes. As of Sunday (January 12), 16 people have been confirmed dead and the death toll is only expected to rise.
High winds and scorching temperatures have made the fires unpredictable and difficult to control, with some spreading rapidly across urban and rural areas alike. The environmental impact is devastating, as thick plumes of smoke pollute the air, creating hazardous conditions for millions of people and contributing to worsening health crises.