California firefighter arrested on suspicion of arson in wine country fires

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - A California firefighter was arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with a series of small fires in wine country, according to officials.

Robert Hernandez, 38, was accused of starting five fires between Aug. 15 and Sept. 14 while off-duty, according to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the NBC News reported on Saturday.

Hernandez, a Cal Fire apparatus engineer, is accused of starting fires around Geyserville, Healdsburg, and Windsor, according to the department.

The fires, which together scorched less than an acre of wildland, were put out thanks to "quick actions of residents and fire suppression resources," the department noted.

The area where Hernandez is accused of starting the fires, located north of San Francisco, has endured severe wildfires over the past decade, including the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which claimed 22 lives and destroyed nearly 6,000 homes and businesses.

So far, nearly one million acres have burned this year, with rapid wildfires in Southern California endangering tens of thousands of homes and forcing thousands to evacuate in the foothills of San Bernardino County.