A North Bay Cal Fire employee was arrested on suspicion of arson, according to the agency.
Robert Hernandez, 38, is accused of igniting five fires on forest land in Sonoma County while off duty since August. The Healdsburg man was arrested at the Howard Forest Fire Station near Fair Oaks on Friday morning.
“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,” Cal Fire Director/Fire Chief Joe Tyler said.
According to a press release, Hernandez, an apparatus engineer, is believed to have started 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 — all on forest land in the Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor areas.
The fires burned less than an acre of wildland combined, according to the release, “due to quick actions of residents and fire suppression resources.”
“CAL FIRE would like to extend our thanks to the residents of the affected communities for their vigilance and information, which helped in the apprehension of the suspect,” it reads.
Hernandez was booked into Sonoma County jail around noon on Friday and is set to appear in court next Tuesday. He is facing five counts of malicious arson.