California has deployed firefighters from Mexico as well as nearly 1,000 prison inmates to help combat deadly wildfires exploding across Los Angeles since last week.
“As of today, 939 Fire Camp firefighters have been working around the clock cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread, including 110 support staff,” California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) told NPR on Friday.
California has utilized inmates to combat fires for over a century, according to the outlet. The CDCR says inmates participate in the program voluntarily, and are compensated with between $5.80 to $10.24 per day.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also said on Friday that firefighters from Mexico were on route to assist in combating the Eaton wildfire. Newsom did not detail how many people Mexico was sending.
Newsom has faced criticism in the wake of the wildfires, including after Newsweek reported that the governor cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million just months earlier.
Furthermore, Fox News Digital previously reported that Democratic leadership in the state cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s funding by $17.6 million just months prior.
The death toll in connection with the wildfires has jumped to 16, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire.
As of Saturday evening, the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, Cal Fire said. The Palisades and Eaton fires – the two largest wildfires – have so far scorched 59 square miles.
Firefighters are still working to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires. Cal Fire reported containment of the Palisades Fire at 11% and the Eaton Fire at 15% on Saturday night.
With the battle set to continue, firefighters are bracing for another round of strong winds expected starting on Monday, emergency officials said.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and Aubrie Spady, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
