While other firefighters battled ravenous fires throughout Northern California, Cal Fire Engineer Robert Hernandez is accused of starting his own fires, according to authorities.
Hernandez, 38, was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of arson on forest land in the Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor areas, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the agency tasked with preventing fires on the state’s more than 31 million acres of privately owned wildlands. markers.
“I am appalled to learn that one of our employees would violate the public trust and attempt to smear the tireless work of the 12,000 men and women of Cal Fire,” Joe Tyler, the agency’s director and fire chief, said in a statement.
A Cal Fire spokesperson said the agency would not provide additional details.
Hernandez’s case is unusual but not unique.
Former Glendale fire captain John Orr proclaimed his innocence even as he was was sentenced in 1992 to 30 years in prison for setting fire to three stores in the San Joaquin Valley in 1987 while driving home from a conference for arson investigators in Fresno.
Orr, a 17-year firefighting veteran, was also sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the 1984 fire at Ole’s Home Center in South Pasadena.
Cal Fire law enforcement officials allege Hernandez, a native of Healdsburg, started five fires while on leave: the Alexander fire on Aug. 15, the Windsor River Road fire on Sept. 8, the Geysers fire on Sept. 12, and the Geyser and Kinley fires on Sept. 14.
The fires, in total, burned less than an acre of wildland, according to Cal Fire, in part because of firefighting resources promoted by the agency.
Hernandez was booked into the Sonoma County Jail just before 1 p.m. He was charged with five counts of arson, according to county inmate records.
He will appear in court on Tuesday.
Cal Fire is asking residents to take note of suspicious people when a fire starts.
Anyone with information about potential arson is asked to contact Cal Fire’s arson hotline at (800) 468-4408. Callers can remain anonymous.