From Prison Crew to Pros, the Firefighters Who Beat the Odds – and Are Giving Back
We’ve been hearing a lot about prison fire crews battling California’s wildfires, risking their lives for a few dollars a day. Once they get out, it can be a challenge finding a job fighting fires as a professional. But this week, the California legislature passed a bill that would allow incarcerated people who sign up for prison fire crews to have some crimes expunged from their records, making it easier for them to get a job on the outside. Ariella Markowitz has a story about two friends who met at a prison fire camp, whose dream was to reinvent themselves –– and figure out a way to help other former inmates get firefighting jobs too.
They Volunteered to Fight Fires, Then Lost Their Own Homes to the Flames
Firefighters continue to battle more than 20 wildfires around the state. And many of the men and women on the frontlines are volunteers who are needed now more than ever. More than two-thirds of the nation’s firefighters hold down day jobs and respond to emergencies in their local communities. KQED science reporter Lesley McClurg has the story of two courageous volunteers in Napa County.
Poverty and Racism Leave People More Vulnerable to Wildfire Smoke
Even if you’re not in the path of a wildfire, you’ve likely been smelling and breathing the smoke that’s been blanketing many parts of the state. And as we’ve seen with the COVID pandemic, place and race play a role when it comes to who is affected most by bad air. Today we’re heading to one neighborhood in the Solano County city of Vallejo to meet an 11-year-old girl with asthma. It turns out the place where she lives is bad for her health, for all kinds of reasons. And as reporter Lee Romney tells us, these recent fires are just the latest to tax her young lungs.
What Big Basin's Redwoods Mean to You (and Why They'll Be OK)
One of the fires that’s been burning in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties has scorched California’s first state park, Big Basin. Nearly all of the park’s historic buildings have been lost, but the good news is many of its enormous old growth redwoods are expected to survive. Those giant trees have inspired so many people, in different ways. Our listeners share their memories of Big Basin.
