Prisoners and firefighters from Mexico are being called upon by California to help battle the Los Angeles wildfires.

Nearly 1,000 prison inmates and firefighters from Mexico have been deployed in Los Angeles to combat deadly wildfires that have been raging since last week.

According to NPR, as of today, 939 Fire Camp firefighters have been working tirelessly to cut fire lines and remove fuel from behind structures to slow the spread of the fire, with the assistance of 110 support staff.

For over a century, California has employed inmates to fight fires, with the CDCR stating that participation in the program is voluntary and inmates receive compensation of between $5.80 to $10.24 per day.

On Friday, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, announced that firefighters from Mexico were en route to aid in fighting the Eaton wildfire. He did not specify the number of individuals being sent.

The governor has faced criticism over the wildfires, particularly after Newsweek reported that he reduced funding for wildfire and forest resilience by over $100 million just before the fires occurred.

The Los Angeles Fire Department's funding was cut by $17.6 million by Democratic leadership in the state just months prior, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

The number of deaths related to the wildfires has increased to 16, with five deaths linked to the Palisades Fire and 11 attributed to the Eaton Fire, as per the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

The Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest wildfires, have so far consumed 59 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, Cal Fire said.

On Saturday night, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades Fire was contained at 11% and the Eaton Fire was contained at 15%. Firefighters are still working to contain both fires.

Emergency officials announced that firefighters are preparing for another round of strong winds starting on Monday, as the battle continues.

This report was contributed to by Alexandra Koch and Aubrie Spady of Planet Chronicle Digital, as well as The Associated Press.