Current:Home > Contact-usCalifornia fire agency employee arrested on suspicion of starting 5 blazes-InfoLens
California fire agency employee arrested on suspicion of starting 5 blazes
View Date:2024-12-23 10:28:45
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection employee was arrested Friday on suspicion he started five brush fires in Northern California in recent weeks, officials said.
Robert Hernandez, 38, was arrested at the Howard Forest Fire Station in Healdsburg, California, on suspicion of arson to forest land, the state agency said in a statement.
Hernandez is an apparatus engineer with the agency, which entails operating and maintaining fire engines and water tanks during emergency responses.
Neither Cal Fire nor the union representing Cal Fire employees would say Friday whether they know if he has retained an attorney.
Cal Fire said Hernandez ignited the blazes while off duty between Aug. 14 and Sept. 15 in forest land near Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor.
The blazes combined burned less than an acre thanks to the quick action of residents and firefighters, the agency 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 and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said in the statement.
Ari Hirschfield, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said in an email that the agency would not answer further questions about the arrest.
On Tuesday, a delivery driver pleaded not guilty to starting the massive Line Fire on Sept. 5. The blaze forced the evacuation of thousands of people east of Los Angeles, injured a firefighter and destroyed a home.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, was charged with 11 arson-related crimes, court records show.
Authorities said Halstenberg, of Norco, attempted to start three fires within an hour. Two of the blazes were extinguished by firefighters and a good Samaritan, and a third became the Line Fire, which has charred 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) in the San Bernardino mountains. It was 53% contained on Friday.
In July, a man was arrested on suspicion of starting the Park Fire in Northern California by pushing a burning car into a gully. Ronnie Dean Stout was charged with felony arson of an inhabited structure or property. He pleaded not guilty.
veryGood! (946)
Related
- After entire police force resigns in small Oklahoma town, chief blames leaders, budget cuts
- 18 Top-Rated Moisturizers Under $25: Honest Beauty, Clinique, Mario Badescu, Aveeno, and More
- Kim Kardashian Asks Late Dad Robert Kardashian Sr. to Visit in a Dream in Heartbreaking Birthday Message
- Kate Hudson Felt She Failed After Chris Robinson and Matt Bellamy Breakups
- Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
- What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing
- Pregnant Rihanna Will Lift You Up at the 2023 Oscars With a Performance
- Why Selena Gomez Initially Deleted This Sexy Photo of Herself
- Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani wins reelection to Arizona US House seat
- Dancing With the Stars' Emma Slater Files for Divorce from Sasha Farber
Ranking
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- Brace yourself for a bleaker 'Bridgerton' in the new 'Queen Charlotte' spin-off
- Why Fans Think Sam Smith Is Appearing on And Just Like That... Season 2
- Apple Music Classical aims to reach music lovers the streaming revolution left behind
- It's cozy gaming season! Video game updates you may have missed, including Stardew Valley
- She wants fiction writers to step outside their experiences. Even if it's messy
- CIA confirms possibility of Chinese lethal aid to Russia
- 'Some Like It Hot' leads with 13 Tony Award nominations
Recommendation
-
As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence
-
Here's the latest list of the '11 Most Endangered Historic Places' in the U.S.
-
The White Lotus Season 2 Nearly Starred Evan Peters as THIS Character
-
30 Lululemon Finds I Think Will Sell Out This Month: Jumpsuits, Bags, Leggings, Sports Bras, and More
-
Wisconsin agency issues first round of permits for Enbridge Line 5 reroute around reservation
-
Author Fatimah Asghar is the first winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
-
In 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' the ladies live, laugh, and love in Italy
-
Belarus dictator Lukashenko, a key Putin ally, lauds China's peaceful foreign policy before meeting Xi Jinping