Firefighters and Camps, Inside CDCR Video

CDCR strike team fights Los Angeles wildfires

January 17, 2025

Strike team members from CDCR search through the rubble in the Palisades, searching for hotspots while helping survivors.

More than 7,500 firefighters, including a CDCR staff strike team, are battling relentless Southern California wildfires. They are working around the clock to protect lives and communities. The specialized 21-person CDCR staff strike team was deployed to the Palisades fire Jan. 8.

Watch the video (story continues below):

The CDCR strike team

The strike team deploys under the direction of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Servies (CalOES), Fire & Rescue Division, which coordinates emergency management efforts statewide.

The team is led by Fire Chief Jesse Corrales, with the CDCR Office of Correctional Safey, and is assigned to the Palisades. They made an immediate impact, playing a critical role in supporting suppression and recovery efforts.

“When we first arrived at scene it was dark, power was out, the roads were filled with downed power poles, burning vehicles, rubble and debris,” Corrales said. “The fire was burning and spreading at a rapid rate.”

To combat the Palisades fire, Corrales joined the efforts of approximately 5,200 firefighters assigned to this massive operation.

He assembled a team of 20 highly trained staff fire personnel from CDCR firehouses across the state, utilizing fire engines from:

Folsom State Prison
California Institution for Men at Chino
Chuckawalla Valley State Prison
Mule Creek State Prison in Ione
High Desert State Prison at Susanville

Despite containment, danger remains

Two members of the CDCR strike put are shown putting out hotspots in the aftermath of the Palisades fire in Southern California. — CDCR staff put out hotspots at the Palisades.

The danger doesn’t stop once the flames are out. Red-flag wind warnings mean the high winds can blow embers from hot rubble, sparking new fires miles away.

For this assignment, the team’s primary responsibilities have been fire suppression, triage, tactical patrol, mop-up, and community support.

They inspect affected properties and vehicles, ensuring no hidden embers reignite during wind events.

“I have been in the fire service over 20 years and responded to well over 100 campaign incidents,” Corrales said. “This is one of the worst I’ve seen in terms of property damage and loss.”

Mop-up operations are meticulous and often somber, as they treat each structure and vehicle as a potential crime scene. Crews search for heat beneath rubble, extinguish it, and, tragically, sometimes recover remains of those who chose to stay or couldn’t escape in time.

They also assist families returning to their homes, helping them navigate the devastation and retrieve belongings—a process known as “re-populating.”

Fire chief with rubble and burned-out home behind him at the Southern California wildfires. — CDCR strike team Chief Corrales surveys damage at the Palisades fire in the Los Angeles area.

Leadership in times of crisis

Corrales’s leadership is pivotal. At the start of each shift at 7 a.m., he attends an operational briefing to receive updates and assignments from the incident command team.

He then coordinates his crew’s duties, whether it’s direct fire suppression or indirect strategies to contain the blaze.

While the strike team’s engines often stay together, they sometimes separate to cover more ground, maximizing their impact.

Raw footage of CDCR firefighting efforts by the staff strike team. Video has no spoken words other than shouts and fire alarms beeping.

CDCR’s strike teams typically work 24-hour shifts, rotating out after 21 days—the maximum deployment period. While the Palisades fire currently has only one CDCR strike team on site, their hard work early on has been crucial in stabilizing the area.

Through suppression, recovery, and community support, Corrales and his team exemplify the dedication and skill of CDCR’s firefighting crews.

“We have been here over a week, and I couldn’t be prouder of my team. They have shown effort, professionalism, and resilience while faced with adversity and uncommon circumstances,” Corrales said.

Story by Todd Javernick, information officer
Photos, video by Richard Tan, TV specialist
Office of Public and Employee Communications