Thirty-three incarcerated women at Puerta La Cruz Conservation Camp in Warner Springs are training for California's wildfire season as part of CAL FIRE hand crews, according to ABC 10News.

The women are part of a joint program between CAL FIRE and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. ABC 10News reported that Puerta La Cruz is one of two conservation camps in California that train incarcerated women to fight wildfires.

The camp recently completed its annual fire preparedness exercise, including gear inspections, fire knowledge testing, a one-hour hike, a fire shelter drill and fire line construction. CDCR reported that people in the program may work 24-hour or 12-hour shifts, depending on deployment needs.

For Santee and East County residents, the story is a reminder that wildfire response depends on more than aircraft and engines. Hand crews are often the people cutting and holding fire lines in difficult terrain when brush fires threaten homes, roads and backcountry communities.

Read the original report from ABC 10News.