Fire crews are being lent a unique hand in trying to slow the blazes tearing through Los Angeles - California's Inmate population.

Hundreds of incarcerated firefighters are working to extinguish the massive blaze scorching Los Angeles. Here's how much they earn.

Hundreds of incarcerated people are firefighting in Los Angeles. They are paid a maximum of $10.24 a day, and receive an additional $1 for each hour that they battle the deadly blazes.

California has deployed firefighters from Mexico as well as nearly 1,000 prison inmates to help combat deadly wildfires that have exploded across Los Angeles since last week.

Critics say using incarcerated men and women to fight fires is cheap labour, but supporters say it is rehabilitative.

More than 1,800 incarcerated firefighters live year-round in minimum-security conservation camps, also known as “fire camps,” located across 25 counties in California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation;