The city of Los Angeles is already infamous for its poor air quality. Still, the tragic Los Angeles wildfires, which began on January 7, have devastated neighborhoods, claimed 24 lives, and wreaked havoc across Southern California, destroying homes. According to Mint, the losses reportedly amount to $275 billion. Several houses and cars were burned amid the wildfires in Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates in Los Angeles, California, on January 13, 2025.

With firefighters tirelessly working to control the fire amidst strong gusts of wind, several celebrities, including Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, saw their Pacific Palisades house destroyed. Popular personality Paris Hilton also lost her home. Amidst all the chaos, many stars took to social media to express their support and condolences to affected families, one of whom was reality TV star Kim Kardashian.

The SKIMS founder shared a series of stories on Instagram on Saturday, January 11, containing a statement that read, “I have spent the last week watching my city burning. And have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community.” She then mentioned, “On all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, risking their lives to save us. They are on the Palisades fire and Eaton fire in Pasadena, working 24-hour shifts.”

Kardashian then mentioned the topic of pay parity between firefighters and requested they be paid more. As per Newscreek, she wrote, “get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, [and] some have died to prove to the community that they have changed [and] are now first responders.” Kardashian also explained, “The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1/hour to risk their lives, and this pay has been the same since 1984,” later adding, “This year there was an agreement to raise the incarcerated firefighters’ pay to $5/hour, but it got shot down last minute.”

Despite her good intentions for the people suffering, this post was not well received by Machete star Danny Trejo. Trejo felt that Kim should be helping the wildfire victims, the ones who were severely affected, instead of politicizing the matter. Additionally, the actor, known for his roles in Machete and Desperado, noted that Kim Kardashian’s remarks resonated with him as he served as an incarcerated firefighter during his time behind bars in the 1960s and early 1970s.

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Trejo further claimed that, for the inmates, it was more essential to reduce their sentence than earn minimal wages, as most of their earnings typically go toward restitution. Furthermore, raised in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Trejo, who has been a former felon for alleged assault, theft, and drug-related crimes, has been a strong advocate for the prison inmates and has engaged in efforts such as food donations and raising awareness for organizations that assist individuals affected by substance abuse and homelessness.