USA: California inmates help battle raging wildfires

Prisoners from the McCain inmate crew from San Diego clear brush from a road this week in Calistoga, California.

At first glance, these crews battling the devastating California wildfires look like normal firefighters.

Donning orange fire-resistant suits and carrying 60 pounds of support gear on their backs, they’re on the front lines of the wildfires with chain saws and hand tools, clearing brush or setting backfires to stop the flames from spreading. But they aren’t officially firefighters – they’re prison inmates.

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