I just cant even begin to tell you the physical impact of this, she says now.
Were just completely surrounded by this wildfire smoke.
Our eyes are just burning.
Inmate firefighter at the Sunset fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Los Angeles.Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
After extinguishing theblaze, though, Mota wasnt treated as a hero.
Theres not much additional support that folks get.
And dont get her started on therapy that would get her disqualified from the program.
So after fires and fatalities and horrors, Mota and her friends just had to suck it up.
We [deserve a] basic level of dignity and humanity.
Forced labor and involuntary servitude is slavery.
And I really think that we as a state and country have to deeply reflect on on on that.
When I was released, I was homeless for six months, sleeping in my car.
It was life changing, he says.
I knew that this would be the rest of my life.
This would be my career.
And people really value this program because it transforms their experience while incarcerated.
I would never want these programs to go away and for incarcerated people to not have access to them.
But what I definitely understand after all of these years is that were a commodity.
Incarcerated bodies that produce labor for the state of California.
Its a heroic job, he says.
Fires dont judge who fights them.
Theyre still going to burn regardless.
They dont care whos fighting it.
