Kim Kardashian
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; ZUMAPRESS.com/megaKim Kardashian Using his massive platform to bring attention to a relatively unknown and overlooked group of firefighters Fire in Los Angeles.
“I spent the last week watching my city burn. And seen and talked to so many firefighters who stay up all night using every ounce of energy they have to save our community,” Kardashian, 44, said in a series of posts shared via Instagram Stories on Saturday, Jan. 11.
“Thank you @CalFire LA County Fire and Los Angeles City Fire for all you do to save lives, homes and property,” he added.
Kardashian then went on to praise firefighters at the prison who battled the blaze. (According to a recent report from The New York TimesAt least 900 inmates are currently battling historic wildfires in and around the greater Los Angeles area.)
“In 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of captive firefighters, risking their lives to save us,” Kardashian explained. “They're working 24-hour shifts on Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire and Pasadena Fire. They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, some even die, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”
According to California Department of Corrections and RehabilitationFirefighters at the jail in the area are “working to cut fire lines and remove fuel to slow the spread of the fire,” the report said. The New York Times. “Their presence provides much-needed manpower for depleted fire crews,” the outlet wrote.
“Inmate firefighters are paid $1/hour for risking their lives and this salary has been the same since 1984,” Kardashian continued on her Instagram Stories. “It has never risen with inflation. It was never raised when the fire got worse and many (firefighters) died. There was a deal this year to raise the wages of incarcerated firefighters by $5/hour, but it fell through at the last minute.”
Kardashian, who is also known for her prison reform advocacy work, then urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase the pay of firefighters imprisoned while battling wildfires.
“I'm asking @cagovernor to do what no governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the salaries of incarcerated firefighters to a rate that honors a man who risked his life to save our lives and homes,” he wrote.
At least 16 people have been killed in five wildfires around LA, according to local officials. According to NBC NewsThe fire has burned through at least 37,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 structures.
Several Hollywood celebrities — from Milo Ventimiglia And Anthony Hopkinsfrom s Eugene Levy And Paris Hilton – lost their homes.
In her post Saturday, Kardashian thanked the “firefighters at @CalFire Ventura Training Center for saving my community when it started burning this week.”
“These are all former incarcerated firefighters who have come home, and want to continue serving our community as firefighters,” he continued. “Because of the bill passed by the @antirecidivismcoalition, these guys can now have their sentences reduced, the crimes expunged from their records for their fire service. And when they come home, working for the fire department can lead to a six-figure job.”
check LAFD website For local wildfire warnings and Click here For resources on how to help victims.