A Cal Fireplace worker has been arrested on suspicion of beginning 5 forest fires in current weeks, native officers mentioned.
Cal Fireplace gear engineer Robert Hernandez, 38, has been charged with 5 counts of arson and is scheduled to seem in courtroom Tuesday.
Between August 15 and September 14, he was suspected of setting fires whereas off responsibility in three areas in northern California.
Because of the fast response of firefighters and native residents, lower than an acre (0.4 hectares) of wildland burned, officers mentioned.
“I’m appalled that one in every of our staff would violate the general public belief and search to tarnish the tireless efforts of Cal Fireplace’s 12,000 women and men,” mentioned Joe Tyler, the company’s chief.
Hernandez was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on Friday.
He’s suspected of beginning 5 fires close to the cities of Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor, about 56-62 miles (90-100 kilometers) north of San Francisco.
Cal Fireplace gear engineers are answerable for working and sustaining hearth vehicles and water tanks throughout emergency responses.
In accordance with the Related Press, California skilled a number of extreme wildfires throughout the summer time, burning nearly thrice the realm in all of 2023.
A 34-year-old supply driver pleaded not responsible Tuesday to 11 arson-related counts filed by Southern California prosecutors.
Justin Wayne Holstenberg allegedly began a significant wildfire generally known as the Wire Fireplace that burned 61 sq. miles (158 sq. kilometers) of the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles space.
