The California Conservation Corps has sent more than 700 corpsmembers -- the largest number in the program’s 32-year history -- to wildfires throughout the state.

CCC Director David Muraki said there are currently 709 corpmembers -- 58 crews-- assisting CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service on fires throughout the state. Most of the CCC crews are assisting with logistical support at the fire camps; some corpsmembers have been dispatched by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to help at an evacuation shelter.

Corpsmembers work 12-to-16-hour days while assigned to a fire, for stints up to 21 days.

CCC Director David Muraki said the Corps will do everything it can to assist the fire agencies and OES.

“We’ve called out more CCC crews right now than we’ve ever dispatched in the Corps’ history,” Muraki said. “While right now we’ve switched from our day-to-day natural resource projects to disaster response, we’ll be out there as long as they need us.”

The California Conservation Corps, created in 1976, hires young women and men for a year of environmental work and emergency response. Typical projects include building parks and trails, planting trees, improving fish and wildlife habitat and much more. The CCC has responded to nearly every major wildfire since the program was established, and also helps with forest rehabilitation efforts when the fires are out.