“These crews provide critical support to the state’s firefighting response, going where bulldozers and heavy equipment cannot go,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. In addition to the Mule Creek State Prison crew, CDCR strike teams have deployed from state prisons and correctional facilities in Tehachapi, Susanville, and Blythe. There are currently eleven major wildfires in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Governor Schwarzenegger has proclaimed a State of Emergency in order to make more resources available to fight the fires. The CDCR fire crews are part of the Conservation Camp Program established in 1946. More than 4,400 offenders participate in the program, which has approximately 200 fire crews. Crewmember responsibilities include a wide range of emergency assistance, as well as work on conservation and community service projects on public land.