Fire engineer arrested on suspicion of setting blazes in Northern California [View all]

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LATimes

While fellow firefighters were battling voracious blazes throughout Northern California, Cal Fire engineer Robert Hernandez is accused of igniting his own fires, according to authorities.

Hernandez, 38, was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of committing arson on forest land in the areas surrounding Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the agency tasked with fire prevention on the state’s more than 31 million acres of privately owned wildlands.

“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,” Joe Tyler, the agency’s director and fire chief, said in a statement.