A Cal Fire employee was arrested Friday on suspicion of starting five small fires in the North Bay this summer, Cal Fire announced.
Robert Hernandez, 38, of Healdsburg will be booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of arson to forest land in connection with the blazes in the Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor areas, Cal Fire said.
"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 in a statement.
Hernandez, a fire apparatus engineer, is accused of starting the following fires while he was off duty: 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, according to Cal Fire.
Together, all five fires burned less than one acre of land, Cal Fire said, crediting the quick actions of residents and firefighters.
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