Nearly 800 incarcerated individuals have been temporarily released to assist in battling raging wildfires in Los Angeles County. These inmates are playing a crucial role, with many serving as first responders alongside traditional firefighters. However, they are compensated with wages as low as $1 an hour, sometimes earning a maximum of $27 for a full 24-hour shift. The wildfires pose a significant threat, endangering nearly 40 prisons and jails in the area, while causing devastation that has led to the destruction of nearly 10,000 structures and an increasing death toll.