Trending Topics

CAL FIRE engineer arrested on suspicion of setting wildfires

CAL Fire officials said the apparatus engineer is suspected of setting five fires while off duty

US-NEWS-CALIF-WILDFIRES-DMT.jpg

Photo/Dreamstime/TNS

By Rick Hurd
Bay Area News Group

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A CAL FIRE employee suspected of setting five different wildfires has been arrested, authorities said Friday.

Officers with the agency arrested 38-year-old Robert Hernandez, of Healdsburg, about 8 a.m. Friday, according to a statement from CAL FIRE. He is suspected of arson to forest land in the areas surrounding Geyserville , Healdsburg, and Windsor , authorities said.

According to CAL FIRE, Hernandez was an apparatus engineer for the agency.

CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler in a statement said he was “appalled” to learn of the arrest.

The Alexander Fire (which started Aug. 15 ); the Windsor River Road Fire ( Sept. 8 ), the Geysers Fire ( Sept. 12 ) and the Geyser and Kinley Fires ( Sept. 14 ) burned less than an acre combined. Authorities said investigators suspect Hernandez set all the fires during his off-duty time.

Authorities said they booked Hernandez into the Sonoma County Jail.

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Visit at mercurynews.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Learn how to identify the signs of firefighter arson within your own ranks and the actions fire chiefs can take to mitigate the problem
Trending
A former Waterbury firefighter contesting his firing for medical marijuana use could be held in contempt after allegedly violating court orders, including sending a defiant email to the mayor
After a four-year hiatus, the FDNY’s iconic fundraising calendar is back, featuring 25 of the department’s fittest first responders
Rock Hill first responders teamed up with the community to collect enough cereal for tens of thousands of servings during the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive
Collapse
Three Philadelphia rowhouses collapsed after a fire and explosion in Nicetown, leaving one person dead and two others hospitalized