A Cal Fire firefighter was detained Friday morning on suspicion of sparking five separate wildfires across the state in the previous six weeks.
Robert Hernandez, 38, a fire apparatus engineer, was detained by Cal Fire Law Enforcement agents at a fire station in Mendocino County, California, on suspicion of “arson to forest land,” according to the agency’s news release.
“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,” Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said in the announcement, noting that residents’ “vigilance” had assisted the agency in apprehending Hernandez. Hernandez is suspected of intentionally igniting five separate fires while off duty between August 15 and September 14, according to the announcement. All of the fires were in Sonoma County.
Cal Fire said that the combined fires destroyed only one acre of land, thanks to quick actions by residents and fire suppression crews. Hernandez is charged with five charges of arson on forest land and is being held on a $2 million bail, according to Sonoma County Jail records. It is unclear whether Hernandez has retained an attorney.
A 2016 National Volunteer Fire Council report stated that there is no national data collection system for firefighter arson incidents. “Without an official source for data on firefighter arsonists, researchers, fire service leaders, and investigators are forced to extrapolate based upon samples of known cases,” according to the study. “A survey of news articles suggests that over 100 firefighters are arrested yearly for arson.”
Earlier this month, a 34-year-old man was detained concerning the continuing Line Fire in San Bernardino County. He faces nine charges, including allegations of arson resulting in more than $7 million in damages, causing severe bodily harm to a firefighter who shattered his ankle, and destroying property in the Running Springs hamlet, according to San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson. According to Cal Fire, as of September 1, 91 suspected arsonists had been apprehended this year. Since 2016, Cal Fire has arrested 923 suspected arsonists.
