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Crews from Lewis Prison in Buckeye to help fight Flagstaff wildfires
FOX 10's Anita Roman caught up with a crew from Lewis Prison as they prepared to head out to fight the wildfires burning in the Coconino National Forest.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Hundreds of firefighters are battling the Pipeline and Haywire Fires burning in the Coconino National Forest, including a crew from Lewis Prison out in Buckeye.
Sergeant Jeremy Hoffman with the Arizona Dept. of Corrections says there are nine sergeants, including himself, and 24 inmates from the prison who are part of the state's correctional Wildland Fire Crews.
"We probably have about 90% of our guys that leave the Department of Corrections and go to other fire opportunities, like whether they’re working for one of these hotshot crews…we have guys who work at intel in dispatch," Hoffman said. "We have guys all over the state."
There's a strict vetting process to become part of the crew.
"They have to be under five years left with the department, no disciplinary, no major crime, no escapes, no theft," said Hoffman.
The Lewis crew stays at the fire command center. They have tents set up nearby, and will remain here until they're no longer needed in Flagstaff.
MORE: Arizona wildfires 2022: What to know about the fires burning in the state
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Pipeline, Haywire Fires: Crews continue to battle wildfires burning in northern Arizona
Firefighters near Flagstaff continue to battle the Pipeline Fire, which has burned over 20,000 acres, and the Haywire Fire, which merged with the Double Fire and has burned 5,000 acres. FOX 10's Anita Roman reports.