Last night on the frontlines of the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon I was lucky to join the Palin Fork Fire Crew from Ft. Bragg.  This fire crew is a team of incarcerated individuals trained to battle wildfires, working alongside professional firefighters.  For many this was their first fire line in serious conditions. Extreme vertical sections, falling rocks and trees, and flare ups made this a high stakes mission. It was an incredible pleasure to witness as they cut a wide line through dense trees and brush to create a buffer for the vulnerable homes filling this dead end canyon below them. (They were successful!)