Cal Fire employee arrested for allegedly starting fires in the North Bay.
Cal Fire said a firefighter was arrested for allegedly starting several fires in the North Bay.
According to Cal Fire, a Cal Fire employee was arrested Friday on suspicion of igniting five small fires in the North Bay this summer.
Robert Hernandez, 38, of Healdsburg, is set to be booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of arson related to fires in the Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor areas, the agency announced.
Cal Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler expressed his dismay over the situation in a statement: “I am appalled that one of our employees would breach the public’s trust and tarnish the tireless efforts of the 12,000 men and women of CAL FIRE.”
According to Cal Fire, Hernandez, a fire apparatus engineer, is accused of starting the following fires while off duty: the Alexander Fire on August 15, the Windsor River Road Fire on September 8, the Geysers Fire on September 12, and the Geyser and Kinley Fires on September 14.
Sonoma County Division Chief Fire Marshal Cyndi Foreman echoed the department’s shock: “The press release this morning is a tough pill for all of us to swallow. This is incredibly difficult news for everyone in the fire service.”
Cal Fire reported that the fires, which were quickly contained thanks to the prompt actions of residents and firefighters, collectively burned less than one acre.
The charges have struck a nerve in a community that has suffered greatly from wildfires over the past decade and remains vulnerable.
“It’s very sad,” said Windsor resident Diana Elsbree. She helped fund the county fire district’s new firewise demonstration garden, unveiled on the same day as the arrest. Elsbree’s home was nearly destroyed in the 2019 Kincade Fire.
“Not only did they save the house, but they stayed outside in their truck for five days to make sure there were no new outbreaks,” she recalled. “I was diagnosed with PTSD afterward, so when fire season comes, it triggers my PTSD all over again.”
Hernandez is being held on $2 million bail.