Kim Kardashian calls out $1 per hour for firefighters during LA fires after SKIMS promotion backlash

Kim Kardashian faced criticism after promoting her SKIMS winter sale during the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, but she has since focused on raising awareness about the low pay of incarcerated firefighters working tirelessly to control the blazes.

On Sunday, Kim shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories: “I have spent the last week watching my city burning. And I have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community. Of all the 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."

Courtesy: Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Kim continued, “They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, some have died, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes. The incarcerated firefighters have been paid $1/hour to risk their lives, and this pay has been the same since 1984. It has never been raised with inflation. It's never been raised when fires got worse and many died. This year there was an agreement to raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to $5/hour, but it got shot down last minute,”

She also tagged California Governor Gavin Newsom in the post, urging him to adjust the pay to reflect the firefighters’ hard work. Earlier, she had shared a post from her SKKN brand, which expressed support for those affected by the fires and pledged to help during this difficult time.

SKIMS announced that it would make significant donations to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and contribute clothing, socks, and underwear to organizations assisting families and children in need.