CDCR

Conservation (Fire) Camps

Welcome to Prado Conservation Camp #28

14467 Central Ave., Chino, CA. 91710
PH: (909) 597-3917

Camp Staff

Information not available.

Camp History

Prado Conservation Camp opened on October 1, 1963 and is located in San Bernardino County, 2 miles south of Chino on Central Avenue. Corrections Staff consists of 6 Correctional Officers, 1 Correctional Sergeant, and 1 Correctional Lieutenant. Cal Fire Staff consists of 8 Fire Crew Captains, 1 Heavy Equipment Mechanic, and 1 Division Chief. Prado Conservation Camp is under the CDCR Administrative Supervision of Sierra Conservation Center (SCC). Cal Fire management direction is provided by the San Bernardino Unit. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) jointly operate the Camp. The camp has an annual operating budget of approximately $1.3 million dollars. The cost of housing an inmate at the Camp is approximately $16,000 dollars a year.

Prado has a designed capacity for 80 male minimum custody convicted felons.  This represents four 17-man inmate fire crews.  The fourth crew is made up of a Helitack inmate fire crew.  The remaining inmates serve as cooks, porters, landscapers, launders, clerks, and maintenance and other support activity workers.

Inmate Programs

Inmates also perform various In-Camp projects that include maintenance, welding, the upkeep and care of a Transplant Nursery, equipment repair, and carpentry. While serving their prison terms, inmates learn valuable experience and work skills. The training the inmates receive at Prado Camp is not only that of hard work and a strong work ethic, but teamwork, self-esteem, and the recognition of a job well done. In addition, eligible Prado Inmates participate in a G.E.D. program in conjunction with the California Institute for Men in Chino. The experiences on the fire-line and on their work projects are life skills that will continue to follow the Prado inmates once they are released and return back to their communities.

Community Projects in Detail

• Prado Camp Nursery:  Plant and maintain multiple species of trees and plants for reforestation within Southern California.
• Corona Ponds:  Removal of non-native species from ponds.  Removal of Arundo & other non-native species in the surrounding area.
• Southern Region Head Quarters:  General maintenance & fire hazard reduction.
• Yucaipa:  General maintenance around fire station, and various jobs to include but not limited to small construction, weed abatement, perimeter clean-up, and fuels reduction.
• California Institute Men’s Gun Range:  Ground maintenance, trash pick up, fire threat reduction, and building target frames.
• Fish & Game:  Maintenance of Chino Fisheries Base:  Weed abatement work for fire control / prevention to include but not limited to trimming bushes and trees and miscellaneous clean-up as needed.
• Doheny State Beach / Park:  General hazard reduction and maintenance at various State Park locations.
• San Clemente State Beach / Park:  General hazard reduction and maintenance at various State Park locations.
• US Forest Service Warehouse / Fire Cache:  Landscape maintenance, warehouse work, and fire tool maintenance.
• Lanterman State Hospital:  Weed abatement, and ground maintenance in helping to provide a safer facility through fire hazard reduction.  
• San Onofre State Beach / Park:  General hazard reduction and maintenance at miscellaneous State park locations.
• Chino Hills:  General maintenance around park, and various jobs to include but not limited to small construction, weed abatement, perimeter clean-up, fuels reduction, and trail maintenance.
• Tanbark:  General fire hazard reduction and trail work within the experimental forest.
• Rialto Airport:  To provide fire hazard reduction by cutting and removing vegetation around perimeter of aviation hangers and property boundaries.
• Corona Fire Break:  Provide buffer zone by reducing fuels on outside perimeter of housing tract and Prado basin, which will reduce potential fire danger from the Prado basin.
• Corona Airport:  Cut and remove trees and saplings in the runway protection zone (RPZ), south ditch area and north flood wall.  Clear limbs and brush.
• Devore: General maintenance around fire station during winter months when station is not in use.  Various jobs to include but not limited to small construction, weed abatement, perimeter clean-up, and fuels reduction.