An employee of California’s state fire protection agency, known as Cal Fire, has been arrested on suspicion of starting five forest fires in northern California in recent weeks.
Robert Hernandez, a 38-year-old apparatus engineer, faces five counts of arson and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Hernandez is believed to have ignited the fires while off duty, with incidents occurring in the areas around Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor between 15 August and 14 September.
Fortunately, thanks to the swift response from firefighters and local residents, less than an acre (0.4 hectares) of wildland was burned, local officials reported.
Agency chief Joe Tyler expressed his dismay, stating, “I am appalled to learn one of our employees would violate the public’s trust and attempt to tarnish the tireless work of the 12,000 women and men of Cal Fire.”
Hernandez was arrested on Friday and subsequently booked into Sonoma County Jail. His role as an apparatus engineer at Cal Fire involved operating and maintaining fire engines and water tanks during emergency responses, raising further questions about his alleged actions.
California has faced numerous severe wildfires this summer, with reports indicating that nearly three times as much acreage has burned compared to all of 2023.
In a related case, a 34-year-old delivery driver, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, has pleaded not guilty to 11 arson-related charges in southern California, including starting a major wildfire known as the Line Fire, which devastated 61 square miles (158 square kilometres) in the San Bernardino mountains east of Los Angeles.
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