As wildfires roar into residential neighborhoods, firefighters in California and elsewhere are finding that water systems can’t keep up with the demand.

Among the thousands of boots on the ground battling the wildfires in Los Angeles are hundreds of incarcerated individuals — a fact that has renewed attention on California's longstanding, but controversial inmate firefighter program.

Incarcerated firefighters working to battle the widespread Los Angeles brush fires are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, plus $1 for active emergencies.