Strawberry pickers in a field near Camarillo, California's jobs were threatened last week when they left their posts during a nearby fire.
When the workers had difficulty breathing at Crisalida Farms in Oxnard, they began filing out of the fields, despite the foreman's warning about what might happen if they left.
One worker told NBC LA that the smoke became too much to bear, and he and some colleagues found it necessary to leave, as they could hardly see or breathe, their noses and eyes obstructed by the heavy, black smoke.
"The ashes were falling on top of us," the worker said. "They told us if we leave, there would be no job to return to."
"Oh, yeah, the smoke was very bad. That's no doubt about that," said one of the United Farm Workers Lauro Barrajas. "No worker shall work under conditions where they feel his life or health is in danger."
The fire was just one of the string of blazes that has plagued Southern California's Ventura County.
As of now, the flames have been largely contained since the fires began around 7 a.m. last Thursday.
Still, some areas remain affected, including one surrounding the Oxnard strawberry field.
The farm has adamantly refuted the claim that some workers were threatened, saying it was all just a misunderstanding.
Dave Murray at Crisalida Berry Farms told a local Southern California TV station that the workers did not, in fact, lose their jobs.
"There was clearly a misunderstanding," he said. "These workers were not fired and we welcome them back on our farm."
Since then, there have been conflicting reports of what happened in the aftermath. Some say that the farm did let some workers go, then offered to re-hire them. Some of the workers claim they got other jobs instead.
