• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

LisaHendey.com

Author & Speaker & Missionary Disciple

  • Home
    • About Lisa
    • Contact
  • Substack
    • Blog Archives
  • Books
    • Spirituality
      • O Radiant Dawn: 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath
      • The Handbook for Catholic Moms
      • A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms
      • As Morning Breaks, Daily Gospel Reflections
      • The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections
      • The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living
      • The Catholic Mom’s Desk Calendar: One-Minute Prayers for Each Day
    • Children’s Books
      • I Am Earth’s Keeper
      • I’m a Saint in the Making
      • I Am God’s Storyteller
      • Chime Travelers
    • Chime Travelers Kids
      • The Secret of the Shamrock
      • The Sign of the Carved Cross
      • The Whisper in the Ruins
      • The Mystery at Midnight
      • The Strangers at the Manger
  • Chime Travelers
    • The Books
      • The Secret of the Shamrock
      • The Sign of the Carved Cross
      • The Whisper in the Ruins
      • The Mystery at Midnight
      • The Strangers at the Manger
    • Faithful Resources For Teachers & Librarians
    • Chime Travelers Press Kit
  • Podcast
  • Speaking
    • Invite Lisa
    • Television
    • Testimonials
  • Appearances
  • Spirituality
  • Children’s Books
  • Chime Travelers
  • All Books

Fireboys

August 3, 2021 by Lisa M. Hendey

Fireboys opens on August 3, 2021. Image courtesy 1091 Pictures. Used with permission.

As a California resident, I’m acutely aware that “fire season” is no longer a small, hot sliver of the year out here. With the combined impact of climate change and drought, Californians pay attention to fire risk all year long. Our firefighters are deservedly considered heroes. But sadly too few of us know the hours of training and sacrifice that goes into their vocational calling. The new documentary Fireboys, available today nationwide on streaming platforms, looks at a unique subset of these heroes: young men who have taken the unlikely journey through the state’s juvenile correction system into fire crews to save homes, communities, and perhaps even their own futures.

Synopsis:

Fireboys is the untold story of young men incarcerated in California who are offered a way out: by fighting wildfires. Immersive and personal, this coming-of-age story examines a correctional path that is both hopeful and destructive. Every summer, California burns. As these seasonal blazes rage across the state, thousands of professional firefighters including incarcerated volunteers battle the fires for many months on end, sometimes into the winter. Pine Grove firefighters have fought in all of the deadliest and largest fires in California’s recent history, including the Camp and Mendocino Complex fires of 2018. Without incarcerated firefighters, California would not be able to manage the growing intensity of fire season. The employment of incarcerated firefighters – and the opportunities and challenges that await them upon their release from prison – are at the core of Fireboys.

Source: 1091 Pictures

Fireboys doesn’t hide the fact that the young men it profiles, largely not identified in the film to prevent discrimination on the grounds of criminal histories, have committed serious crimes. Early in the film, while he is still incarcerated in a locked-down detention facility, we meet “Alex”, a candidate for the Pine Grove training program. It’s nearly impossible not to root for Alex, as he endures both physical and mental tests to apply to and successfully pass his training period. While Alex seems polite and for the most part hard-working, he is also a young man who committed serious offenses.

Alex speaks with Captain P. during his application to Pine Grove. Image courtesy 1091 Pictures. Used with permission.

At the other end of the spectrum is Jesus “Chuy” Hernandez, a perpetrator of violent offenses who is serving out his final days as a “First Boy” fire crew leader as he prepares to leave Pine Grove and return to his home and an uncertain future. Even with the love and support of his family, Chuy faces the unknown before him with trepidation. Having found success for perhaps the first time in his life as a firefighter, he will have to learn again a new identity since violent offenders are not eligible for employment with Cal Fire.

Chuy anticipates his release from Pine Grove and his desire to serve as a firefighter. Image courtesy 1091 Pictures. Used with permission.

Fireboys succeeds in offering us a vantage point through which we see young men who have messed up badly but also have found the courage and commitment to strive for lasting change in their lives and to serve others while they take these steps. We also meet the staff of Pine Grove, who are tough on their wards because their lives depend upon stringent training. Behind every boy is a story, most of them heartbreaking, about why they are where they are. And not every young man has the fortitude to choose conversion.

Catch @LisaHendey's review of Fireboys @fireboysdoc – the untold story of young men incarcerated & offered a way out: by fighting wildfires. Looks at service, purpose, and the possibility of conversion in each of us. Share on X

But more than a story of stories, Fireboys is also a challenging examination of social justice issues attendant to both the criminal justice system and the use of incarcerated labor working life-threatening jobs for suboptimal payment. In a portion of their remarks on Fireboys, Filmmakers Jake Hochendoner and Drew Dickler shared, “We hope Fireboys will make audiences aware of the impact of incarceration, the extraordinary potential of those currently inside, and the need of a justice system built on restoration and opportunity, not punishment.”

The young men who serve on the Pine Grove Fire Crew earn approximately $2-$4 per hour and work alongside professional firefighters in their duties. Image courtesy 1091 Pictures. Used with permission.

Fireboys is the type of film that I would love to have watched with my now young adult sons when they were teens. Not simply a look at the life-long ramifications of a single bad choice on an individual and their family, Fireboys is also a consideration of service to others, of purpose for our lives, and of the possibility within each of us to change, to evolve, and to grow when offered the right support, education, and accompaniment.

Find Fireboys (not rated) streaming online

Related

Filed Under: Movies Tagged With: Documentaries, Documentary, Laudato Si, Movie Reviews, Movies, Social Justice

Primary Sidebar

FOLLOW LISA

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On Instagram

Substack Logo to go to Lisa's substack

FIND IT

Featured Films

Wicked

MOVIES

  • The Keeper: 3 Minutes with Angus Benfield
  • The Mission
  • The Burial

More Posts from this Category

Lisa’s Updates

Headshot of Lisa Hendey in 2025

Looking Forward with Hope

UPDATES

  • What’s Up with Lisa? Update from the Ball Chair for 11/15/23
  • In the Making: Update from the Ball Chair for 10/15/20
  • Companions for the Journey: Update from the Ball Chair for 09/14/20

More Posts from this Category

When you make a purchase using Lisa's Amazon links, she earns a small commission on your order. Thank you for your support!

Footer

 

 

Keep up with Lisa’s latest news:

QR Code for Lisa's Substack

Copyright © 2025 · Lisa M. Hendey - All Rights Reserved