California fire agency engineer arrested, suspected of starting 5 wildfires

A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection employee was arrested for starting five separate wildfires in California in the last month, according to officials.

Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers arrested 38-year-old Robert Hernandez, a Cal Fire fire apparatus engineer, on Friday morning according to a press release Cal Fire shared with USA TODAY. He is suspected of starting five different wildfires between Aug. 15 and Sept. 12.

“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,” Joe Tyler, Cal Fire director and fire chief, said in a statement.

Hernandez was arrested at the Howard Forest Fire Station in Willits, California, about 132 miles northwest of San Francisco.

What was Robert Hernandez charged with?

Hernandez was charged with six felonies: Five counts of arson of forest land or structure and one count of arson during a state of emergency, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

He will appear in court again on Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m. PT, and is being held on a $2 million bail.

Since Sept. 1, Cal Fire has arrested 91 people suspected of committing arson, and 923 people since 2016.

What fires is Robert Hernandez suspected of starting?

Hernadez is suspected of starting the following fires while off-duty, according to Cal Fire:

• Alexander Fire: Aug. 15, 2024
• Windsor River Road Fire: Sept. 8, 2024
• The Geysers Fire: Sept. 12, 2024
• Geyser Fire: a different fire from the one listed above- Sept. 14, 2024
• Kinley Fire: Sept. 14, 2024

In total, the fires burned less than an acre of wildland "due to quick actions of residents and firesuppression resources," according to Cal Fire.

"CAL FIRE would like to extend our thanks to the residents of the affected communities for their vigilanceand information which helped in the apprehension of the suspect," the agency said in a statement.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com