Firefighter charged with starting Northern California blazes

As his fellow firefighters battled raging blazes across Northern California, Cal Fire engineer Robert Hernandez is accused of starting his own fires, authorities say.

Hernandez, 38, was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of arson on forest lands in the areas surrounding Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the agency responsible for fire prevention on the state's more than 31 million acres of private wildland.

“I am appalled to learn that one of our employees would violate the public trust and attempt to tarnish the tireless work of the 12,000 women and men of Cal Fire,” Joe Tyler, the agency’s director and fire chief, said in a statement.

A Cal Fire spokesperson said the agency would not provide any additional details.

Hernandez's case is unusual but not unique.

Former Glendale Fire Capt. John Orr has maintained his innocence even though he was sentenced in 1992 to 30 years in federal prison for setting fire to three stores in the San Joaquin Valley in 1987 while driving home from an arson investigators' conference in Fresno.

Orr, a 17-year veteran of firefighting, was also sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the 1984 fire at Ole's Home Center in South Pasadena.

Cal Fire law enforcement officials allege Hernandez started five fires while off duty: the Alexander Fire on Aug. 15, the Windsor River Road Fire on Sept. 8, the Geyers Fire on Sept. 12 and the Geyser and Kinley fires on Sept. 14.

In total, the fires have burned less than an acre of wildland, according to Cal Fire, thanks in part to firefighting resources promoted by the agency.

Cal Fire said it was in the process of booking Hernandez into the Sonoma County Jail.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Hernandez had not been arrested as of 11 a.m. Friday.

Cal Fire is asking residents to be alert for suspicious persons when a fire breaks out.

Anyone with information about a potential arson is asked to contact Cal Fire's arson hotline at (800) 468-4408. Callers may remain anonymous.