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Arizona to Pay Prisoners $1.50/Hour to Fight Wildfires as Record Heat Scorches Western U.S.

HeadlineJun 18, 2021

As a record heat wave continues to scorch the western United States, with some 40 million people facing over 100-degree weather, wildfires continue to rage in the Southwest. In Arizona, the massive Telegraph fire merged with the Mescal wildfire and has burned over 200,000 acres. This comes as the Arizona Legislature approved a new funding package that will pay prisoners just $1.50 an hour to fight fires. Click here to see our interviews with California prisoner firefighters.

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