With Southern California prison inmates stepping in to help firefighters tackle the wildfires in and around Los Angeles, Kim Kardashian is advocating for those assisting in getting higher pay.
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In a post on her Instagram Stories, the reality TV icon pointed out that she has witnessed the fires firsthand and spoken to many firefighters tackling the blazes. She also gave the inmates a personal shout-out by calling them heroes.
“Of all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters risking their lives to save us,” she wrote. “They are on the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in Pasadena working 24 hour shifts. They get paid almost nothing, risking their lives, some have died to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”
The BBC reported that more than 1,000 incarcerated men and women are currently fighting the Los Angeles wildfires alongside the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
“The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1/hour to risk their lives, and this pay has been the same since 1984,” Kardashian explained. “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 firefighters’ pay to $5/hour, but it got shot down at the last minute.”
Kardashian encouraged California Governor Gavin Newsom to do “what no governor has done” in decades.
“Raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate that honors a human being risking their lives to save our lives and homes,” she declared.
She thanked the firefighters for saving her community when it was threatened by the Kenneth Fire.
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS is Donating Clothing to Those Impacted By the Los Angeles Wildfires
Meanwhile, Kardashian’s SKIMS clothing brand is reportedly donating clothing to Los Angeles residents impacted by the wildfires.
“We have donated to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation,” Kardashian shared in an Instagram Stories post, per Page Six. “Providing critical resources to the heroic first responders protecting our city.”
The Kardashians also donated to the non-profit organization Baby2Baby. They provided underwear, clothing, and socks through their donation.
Kardashian further pointed out that her community faces the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfire.
“Our hearts are with all those impacted,” she noted. “And we are committed to helping during this challenging time.”
Kardashian encouraged her Instagram followers to help the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires as well.
“Together, we can bring hope and relief to those who need it most,” she added.
Kardashian, as well as the rest of her famous family, reportedly evacuated from their mansions amid the fires. Fortunately, the evacuation orders were lifted and their homes were not devastated by the Kenneth Fire.
Khloé Kardashian said her family donated “hundreds” of meals from Carousel Restaurant to firefighters.
“They whipped up hundreds of individual meals for so many firefighters, volunteers, first responders,” she wrote. “And we could not be more thankful! “Thank you for putting your lives on the line for all of us!”
The Kenneth Fire burned more than 1,000 acres northwest of Calabasas.