As a born-and-raised Southern Californian, I am heartbroken by the devastation and fear caused by the recent fires. The L.A. wildfires began raging on the morning of Jan. 7. As I write this two weeks later, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has reported that the largest fire, coming in at 23,713 acres, is 63 percent contained—though strong winds on Tuesday fueled new fires. At least 27 people have been killed in the fires, a death toll that may rise further still.
My family resides in San Diego County, where fires broke out early this morning. It is frightening to think about what comes next, knowing the havoc fires wrought only a two-hour drive away from my parents and extended family. I check in with friends and see the updates they post about their respective neighborhoods in L.A. I watch news clips and pictures of the utter destruction. I feel helpless before the immensity of the danger and loss.
But the outpouring of international support reminds me of the strength of global solidarity, which brings me hope.
On Jan. 11, 72 firefighters from Mexico arrived in the United States to help fight the wildfires in Los Angeles. The group included a mix of doctors, engineers and search-and-rescue personnel. On Jan. 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X to share his country’s willingness to help fight the same fires, stating that there were 150 firefighters ready to assist in the firefighting efforts. And last week, more than 60 Canadian firefighters arrived in L.A., bringing along technical specialists expected to stay in the United States for at least two weeks.
The Golden State needs all the help it can get. The dry and windy conditions in Southern California have created a dangerous landscape, resulting in the destruction of more than 12,300 structures. In addition to the recent aid from Mexico and Canada, states such as Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington have also sent firefighting personnel.
The show of national and international support in California reflects the human unity that God calls us to. Canada and Mexico—two countries that the new president of the United States has belittled and threatened—have both extended a helping hand and have brought hope to these devastated communities.
“Hope,” as it so happens, is the theme of this year’s jubilee. Celebrated by the Catholic Church every 25 years, jubilees are considered special years of grace and reconciliation. In his Jubilee Bull of Indiction for 2025, Pope Francis called the church to not only be “tangible signs of hope” for one another but to bring hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing hardships. These brothers and sisters, he explains, include prisoners around the world.
Yet in L.A., prisoners themselves are bringing hope to the community. The state of California has for more than a century operated a volunteer Conservation (Fire) Camp Program, which allows eligible incarcerated persons to support local, state and federal agencies in responding to a variety of emergencies, including fires.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports that incarcerated fire crew members are paid depending on their skill level, with the pay ranging between $5.80 and $10.24 per day. If assigned to an active emergency, they earn an additional dollar regardless of skill level. The camp also offers “time credits,” which allows some volunteers to receive two days off their sentence for every day they serve on a fire crew.
Still, the program is not without its critics. After being medically cleared to participate, and completing a physical fitness test, volunteers attend the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Fighting Training program. Volunteers complete classroom and field training, for a total of four days each. In comparison, some fire departments in California require up to 540 hours of coursework, not including any additional training.
Regardless of criminal record and incarceration status, the dignity of human beings must be protected. In the case of incarcerated individuals who are volunteering to fight fires, that means a commitment to adequate information, training and protection.
Contacting the Palisades Fire Media Line, I was informed that Mexican and Canadian firefighters are no longer participating in media interviews, and are instead focusing on “what they are here to do,” a representative informed me. Their focus is on protecting the people in harm’s way—as ours should be.
The men and women fighting the L.A. fires, especially those who have joined the efforts from Canada and Mexico and from their prison cells, are risking their lives for the well-being of their brothers and sisters. It is our job as Catholics to stand in solidarity with them, and extend that same solidarity and hope back to the world.
