A Cal Fire employee has been arrested on charges of arson, following an investigation into a series of forest fires in northern California. Robert Hernandez, a 38-year-old apparatus engineer with the state fire protection agency, faces five counts of arson. Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The fires, which are suspected to have been started by Hernandez while he was off duty, occurred between August 15 and September 14 in the regions near Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor. Despite the severity of the allegations, local officials reported that prompt action by firefighters and residents contained the damage to less than an acre (0.4 hectares) of wildland.
Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler expressed profound disappointment at the situation. “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,” Tyler said.
Hernandez was arrested on Friday and has been booked into Sonoma County Jail. As an apparatus engineer, Hernandez was responsible for operating and maintaining fire engines and water tanks during emergency responses.
The arrest comes amid a challenging wildfire season in California, which has seen nearly triple the acreage burned compared to all of 2023, according to the Associated Press. The state has been grappling with severe wildfires throughout the summer.
In a separate incident, a 34-year-old delivery driver, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, pleaded not guilty to 11 arson-related charges in Southern California on Tuesday. Halstenberg is accused of igniting the Line Fire, a major blaze that scorched 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) of the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.
The cases highlight ongoing concerns about wildfire management and the need for vigilance both in prevention and in holding accountable those who undermine fire safety efforts.
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