CAL FIRE Employee Arrested For Arson. Allegedly Started Multiple Wildfires On His Days Off In California.
91 suspected Arsonists arrested by CalFire Law Enforcement this year.
This afternoon, CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler put out a statement praising the work of the Agency’s Law Enforcement arm after they arrested 38-year-old firefighter Robert Hernandez for suspicion of arson on forest land. Hernandez is an Apparatus Engineer for CAL FIRE, and the investigation led to evidence of 5 fires ignited between August 15th and September 14th.
This morning, at approximately 8:00 AM, he was arrested.
The fires were in the areas of Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor, California, and investigators say he is suspected of lighting all of them while on days off. He is suspected of starting the Alexander Fire on August 15, 2024, the Windsor River Road Fire on September 8, 2024, the Geysers Fire on September 12, 2024, and the Geyser and Kinley fires on September 14, 2024.
The CAL FIRE Chief further added:
"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"
All five fires were very small before they were extinguished, with a combined acreage of less than an acre. This speaks to the quickness of the local communities who acted and the swiftness of fire resources arriving on the scene, and it shows that Hernandez is seemingly not good at starting fires. He will be booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of arson to forest land.
38-year-old Robert Hernandez of Healdsburg has done an extreme disservice to the CAL FIRE community, the wildfire community, and first responders altogether. His actions are a horrible look for the Agency that prides itself on community engagement and trust.
This firefighter broke that trust.
Speaking further on the broader matter of Arson in the State of California, the press release added that CAL FIRE investigators have already apprehended 91 arson suspects during this 2024 season.
CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers have arrested 91 suspected arsonists as of September 1, 2024, and 923 since 2016 as part of the Department's ongoing commitment to fire prevention efforts.
The Agency has asked all residents in California to be vigilant when fires start and to look for suspicious individuals in the area when they happen. If you think someone seems suspicious around a wildfire, CAL FIRE asks for the following information: the time, the individual's physical description, and a vehicle description, including the license plate number.
Here is the full press release on the arrest:
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Total piece of shit
What a dumb shit