A California firefighter has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with a series of small fires in wine country, officials announced. Robert Hernandez, 38, a Cal Fire apparatus engineer, is accused of starting five fires between August 15 and September 14 while off-duty. According to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the fires were located around Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor. While the fires together scorched less than an acre of wildland, they were quickly extinguished thanks to the prompt actions of residents and fire suppression resources. The region, located north of San Francisco, has faced severe wildfires over the past decade, including the devastating 2017 Tubbs Fire, which claimed 22 lives and destroyed nearly 6,000 homes and businesses. As of this year, nearly one million acres have burned in California, with rapid wildfires in Southern California posing threats to tens of thousands of homes and forcing thousands to evacuate in the foothills of San Bernardino County. — Agencies
