LOS ANGELES — As relentless wildfires tore through Los Angeles, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) strike team saved a man and his home in a rescue that highlighted their dedication to protecting lives and communities.
Harry Leonhardt, a resident in one of the affected neighborhoods, described the moment he realized the flames were closing in.
“The whole hillside went up in flames like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Leonhardt told CDCR. “I didn’t want to leave here until I could figure out what was going on.”
Leonhardt said he was outside when the force of the wind slammed his door shut, locking him out of his house. As flames crept closer, panic set in.
“I couldn’t get back into my house,” he told CDCR. “I’m sitting up there thinking I’m not going to make it through this.”
That’s when a CDCR fire truck appeared, offering a glimmer of hope.
“I screamed and they saw me, thank God,” he said. “The next thing you know, (they said), ‘We’re going to be right back with (more) guys and we’re going to help you out.’”
Leonhardt credits the strike team with saving his life.
“These firefighters, man, I cannot say enough about what they did for me,” Leonhardt said. “I was in deep trouble in there and they ended up finding me. It was like the cavalry showing up.”
CDCR staff strike team Chief Jesse Corrales explained some people stayed in their homes as flames spread throughout the area.
“They didn’t want to leave so they’re trapped here,” Corrales said. “There was a long time when they were not allowed to leave the neighborhood and come back due to road closures. They are here without water, food, gas (or) anything they need really to survive.”
In addition to fighting fires, the CDCR strike team played a critical role in supporting residents who remained in the area.
“We’re driving around providing … drinking water, food supplies (or) whatever it is we have in our vehicles,” Corrales explained. “We’re giving that to the community if needed (and) any other logistical help they need.”
As of Jan. 17, over 1,120 inmate fire camp crews have been working around the clock alongside 141 CDCR staff, cutting fire lines and clearing fuel to slow the spread of flames. These efforts are part of a broader operation that includes more than 75,000 firefighters battling the Southern California wildfires.
The specialized 21-person CDCR strike team deployed to the Palisades fire on Jan. 8 has been instrumental in surveying damage, helping survivors and providing crucial services, CDCR said. In the Eaton fire area, CDCR and CAL FIRE mobile kitchen units are feeding and supporting crews as they return to the incident command post.
The strike team operates under the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), Fire & Rescue Division, which oversees emergency management efforts across the state.
Corrales, a fire chief of the CDCR Office of Correctional Safety, assembled a 20-person team of highly trained firefighters from CDCR firehouses statewide, utilizing engines from:
- Folsom State Prison
- California Institution for Men in Chino
- Chuckawalla Valley State Prison
- Mule Creek State Prison in Ione
- High Desert State Prison in Susanville
