A California firefighter, Robert Hernandez, was arrested on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting five small fires in wine country between August 15 and September 14 while off-duty. The fires burned less than one acre of land and were quickly extinguished. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) expressed shock and disappointment at the actions of one of their employees, stating that Hernandez’s actions tarnished the hard work of the department’s staff.
Hernandez, a Cal Fire apparatus engineer, is accused of five counts of arson to forest land and is being held on $2 million bail. The region where the fires were set, just north of San Francisco, has a history of devastating wildfires. In recent years, wildfires such as the Tubbs Fire in 2017 and the Glass Fire in 2020 have caused significant damage.
In 2020, California experienced a record-breaking year with over 4 million acres burned in wildfires. So far in 2021, nearly a million acres have burned, with fast-moving blazes threatening homes and prompting evacuations throughout the state. The arrest of a firefighter for suspected arson adds further complexity to the ongoing battle against wildfires in California. It was not immediately clear if Hernandez has legal representation to speak on his behalf.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com