In a conservative Northern California county, Mexican immigrants help battle wildfire

Great story.

Mexican, and Latino, immigrants, generally, have always done the hard jobs.  And they get exploited in the process. It's ridiculous that they get reduced to being threats when they give so much and always have.

At least these days, they're getting thumbs up from folks in Northern California who recognize their much-needed contributions.

Thanks to Juan Marinez Maya for sharing.

-Angela

In a conservative Northern California county, Mexican immigrants help battle wildfire

Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times on Aug 3, 2018

Published in News & Features

For the first time in its 110-year history, the U.S. Forest Service has spent more than 50 percent of its budget to suppress the nation's wildfires. Fire seasons are also 78 days longer than in 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Under these conditions, every bit of muscle helps -- and field workers know hard labor.

A 2007 report by the American Immigration Council found that a significant number of wildland firefighters were immigrants, mostly Mexican-born men.

Shasta County is Trump country. The president won the county with 65 percent of the vote. In February, Shasta County voted to become a "non-sanctuary" zone for immigrants in the country illegally.

But for the fire crew of Mexican immigrants, politics never enters the mind. This isn't about Trump or his supporters, or about border walls. It's about the pride of protecting people's homes. Rocha, a Mexican immigrant himself, said residents have been grateful.

"When people appreciate what we do, it makes us feel good," he said. "Even at stores, people thank us and they're happy we're here helping."

The fire crew was trained and hired by R&R Contracting, a private company based in Salem, Ore., and operated by one of Rocha's relatives. The company is also just one of hundreds in Oregon that are contracted by state and federal governments to fight forest fires.

Experts say Oregon is in the forefront of states that have created certification programs for contract firefighters. A sizable number of them are Latino immigrants.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection could not immediately say what percentage of its firefighters were immigrants.

From an observational standpoint, Mike Mohler, deputy director of communications for Cal Fire, said the department is pretty diverse.

"I know we have Russians and we have Mexicans represented up and down the state," he said. "We should have a decent influence, but now I'm curious."

Leaning on his shovel, sweating, 46-year-old Juan Cisneros, a Mexican immigrant, said it was his second year with the crew.

In the off-season, he's out picking mostly oranges in Visalia, earning money to help care for his wife and four daughters.

"This job is hard and a little dangerous," he said. "But you have to do what you can for the family."

Cisneros, who is from Michoacan, said the job is hard work because of the heavy gear and intense labor.

"It can get tiring," he said, adding that while it is physically challenging, it is rewarding.

"I feel important when someone says thank you for the work we do," he said. "When we're walking around people say thank you to us for being here and fighting a fire."

Cisneros said he doesn't like what he hears on the news about immigrants, but he tries to simply ignore it. He hopes critics of immigrants will pay attention to the work he and others do.

"I want them to see our contributions here," he said.

Pablo Araujo, who picks cherries in Washington during the off-season, said the job has been growing on him.

"I've spent most of my life picking cherries," he said. "But now, I don't know. This job is interesting."

Along Quartz Hill Road, where the men were trying to scrape dirt away to get to the smoldering roots of a tree, a man in a white truck drove by with his head out the window.

"Good work guys!" he yelled, giving a thumbs up. "Thank you!"

(c)2018 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.