How much firefighters actually get paid as deadly LA wildfires cause devastation for thousands
Earlier this week (7 January), a wildfire broke out in California and has now tragically taken the lives of five people.
The fire has destroyed a number of homes in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, prompting LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley to order more than dozens of thousands of people to evacuate the area, with the roaring blaze spreading from 20 acres to more than 3,000 in a mere matter of hours.
As per the BBC, 1,400 firefighters have been deployed, with surrounding states also providing first responders.
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ABC News has spoken to LAPD official, Lyndsey Lantz, about how the firefighters are faring on the front lines of the destruction.
"We're doing okay," Lantz explained. "Everyone's tired, you know, these first few days, especially, getting everything organised, getting assignments out, figuring out where the fire is, where it's going, how the weather is changing, how the fire is creating new weather.
"These are, these are the most important and most difficult hours so it's one step at a time, it's one hour at a time, and we're all just working together as best we can."
But, how much do these firefighters actually get paid as the deadly Los Angeles wildfires continue to cause devastation for thousands?
Well, according to the official JoinLAFD website, there are three separate annual salary ranges depending on your seniority.
The 'advanced starting salary' for the role titled 'Firefighter I', the lowest salary of all three, is $85,315 per year.
Whereas, the annual salary for the 'Firefighter II' position is between $89,784- $118,055 while those with the 'Firefighter III' title are paid anywhere between $100,596 to $124,549 each year.
Contrastingly, the pay for a firefighter in the UK is far lower.
The lowest starting salary at the London Fire Brigade for the role of a Trainee apprentice is £33,572 while the highest is 'approximately' £66,000 for the role of Group Commander.
Responding to the fire being dubbed 'apocalyptic', Lantz continued: "The fire is reaching parts of the city that are seemingly unconnected to this area, the Palisades.
"On any other given day here in Southern California, downtown is just brown. The air is dirty and sooty, and your eyes burn wherever you are."
Lantz went on to declare: "Apocalyptic is not an exaggeration. We're all connected - these winds are touching everyone today, and I know that the evacuations and the homes lost are touching everyone.
"If you live in the city of LA and don't know someone that has lost their home, it's it's a bit of a miracle right now."
Rhiannon Ingle