Cal Fire employee accused of starting 5 Northern CA fires spent months as inmate firefighter

SAN FRANCISCO -- A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection worker charged with starting 5 brushwood fires spent months arsenic an inmate firefighter aft being convicted of causing a fatal collision, according to officials and nationalist records.

Robert Hernandez, 38, was arrested past Friday astatine the Howard Forest Fire Station successful Healdsburg, California, connected suspicion of arson to wood land, Cal Fire said. Hernandez worked arsenic an apparatus technologist for the agency, operating and maintaining occurrence engines and h2o tanks during exigency responses.

A tribunal ailment filed by the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office revealed Hernandez's transgression grounds and consequent acquisition arsenic an inmate firefighter, the Press Democrat reported Wednesday.

Records amusement helium was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter portion intoxicated, stemming from a 2016 collision successful San Bernardino. He received a six-year situation condemnation but successful 2018 was granted information successful a rehabilitation programme that lets incarcerated radical articulation occurrence camps crossed the state, the paper reported.

Participants enactment firefighters during emergencies, including fires and floods.

Neither Cal Fire nor the national representing Cal Fire employees person said whether they cognize if Hernandez has retained an lawyer for the arson charges.

Cal Fire said past week that Hernandez ignited the blazes portion disconnected work betwixt Aug. 14 and Sept. 15 successful wood onshore adjacent Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor.

The blazes burned little than an acre combined owed to the speedy actions of residents and firefighters, the bureau said.

"I americium appalled to larn 1 of our employees would interruption the public's spot and effort to tarnish the tireless enactment of the 12,000 women and men of CAL FIRE," Cal Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said successful a statement.

Ari Hirschfield, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said successful an email Friday that the bureau would not reply further questions astir the arrest.