US inmates drafted to serve teams battling to douse fires

A huge village has sprung up on the golden sands of a beach in Malibu, becoming a temporary home for thousands of firefighters from all over North America to eat, sleep and recuperate when they aren't battling fires across Los Angeles.

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Nearly 5,000 first responders mingle among trailers and tents, where they are served calorie-laden breakfasts by inmates drafted in to help the enormous effort.

"This is a small town that was built from the ground up," firefighter Edwin Zuniga said of the vast encampment at Zuma Beach, a short distance from the blazes.

The camp comes to life before dawn, as thousands of firefighters line up for breakfast.

The standards of dozens of firefighting battalions mark the presence of crews from all over California and the western United States, as well as a contingent of newly arrived Mexicans.

Emotional support dog Ember trots happily along, offering an enthusiastic greeting to anyone and everyone who wants to pet her, a welcome distraction from the long, hard days on the front lines.

"The dogs are great," says the trainer, firefighter Bari Boersma.