An employee of a California fire protection agency has been arrested for allegedly starting five wildfires in the past few weeks, local officials said.
Robert Hernandez, 38, a mechanical engineer with Cal Fire, has been charged with five counts of arson, and will appear in court on Tuesday.
He is accused of starting fires while on duty at three locations in northern California between August 15 and September 14.
Thanks to the quick response of firefighters and local residents, less than 0.4 hectares of land was burned, officials said.
“I am shocked to learn that one of our employees would violate the public trust and attempt to undermine the hard work of the 12,000 men and women of Cal Fire,” said Chief Joe Tyler.
Hernandez was arrested Friday and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on Friday.
He is accused of starting five fires near the towns of Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor, about 90-100 kilometers north of San Francisco.
Apparatus engineers at Cal Fire are responsible for operating and maintaining fire engines and water tanks during emergency responses.
California saw several wildfires this summer, with three times more acres burned than in 2023, the AP reports.
On Tuesday, the 34-year-old truck driver pleaded not guilty to 11 charges related to arson prosecutors in southern California.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg is accused of starting the massive wildfire – called the Line Fire – that burned 61 square kilometers (158 square miles) in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.
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