California Fire Agency Engineer Arrested for Suspected Arson After 5 Wildfires

Firefighters from Cal Fire work to contain a wildfire that blackened 187 acres in the Agua Caliente area of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in eastern San Diego County, Calif., on June 2, 2024. Courtesy of Cal FIRE San Diego

A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection employee was arrested on Friday for allegedly setting five small fires on forest lands in the state while off duty, according to officials.

Robert Hernandez, a 38-year-old fire apparatus engineer with Cal Fire, was accused of starting fires near the areas of Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor between Aug. 15 and Sept. 14, the state agency said.

The fires burned less than an acre of land combined and were quickly extinguished by local residents and firefighters, according to the agency.

The agency stated that Hernandez allegedly ignited the fires on purpose while he was off duty.

“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 stated.

Hernandez’s arrest follows the case of Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, who was charged for arson and accused of starting a fire in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the city of Highland, known as the Line Fire, on Sept. 5. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Line Fire threatened more than 65,000 homes and injured four firefighters. It is one of three wildfires that exploded across Southern California this month following a triple-digit heat wave.

A report by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) said firefighter arson is “a long-standing problem,” and it edtimates about 100 firefighters are arrested for arson every year.

The number of arrests was based on a survey of news articles, as there is no national data collection system for firefighter arson cases, according to the report. The NVFC said the lack of official data forced researchers and investigator to “extrapolate based upon samples of known cases.”

“History suggests that firefighter arson is not a new phenomenon. The problem has received more exposure in recent years in part because of the internet,” the report stated.

The report found that there is no “archetypal firefighter arsonist,” and that many firefighter arsonists do not fit neatly into one profile.

In July, Texas volunteer firefighter David Matthew Neet, 44, was arrested on 20 counts of arson charges in connection with multiple brush fires that started in the area of Alpine, Texas, between 2023 and 2024. Neet was also an emergency medical services crew member.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.