The accused Cal Fire engineer was an incarcerated firefighter

A Cal Fire firefighter at the center of a local arson case spent months as a firefighter in prison after being convicted of causing a fatal accident, official documents and records show.

They offer insight into the recent story of Robert Matthew Hernandez, the Healdsburg man accused of setting fires near Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor.

The 2016 San Bernardino accident was mentioned for the first time this week in the criminal complaint filed by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, which revealed that Hernandez had a criminal record and, accordingly, experience as an inmate firefighter.

Mary Xjimenez, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections, confirmed that Hernandez participated in a conservation camp program while in custody. He attended from April 3 to December 4, 2018.

“We strongly condemn the actions of individuals who endanger our communities and undermine the valuable contributions of fire camp participants,” she said in an email to The Press Democrat.

Hernandez is accused of starting the Alexander Fire on August 15, the Windsor River Road Fire on September 8, the Geysers Fire on September 12, and the Geyser and Kinley Fires on September 14.

In total, they burned less than one acre, according to Cal Fire officials.

Hernandez was arrested Friday at the Howard Forest Fire Station in Willits and charged by prosecutors Monday with five counts of arson.

The criminal complaint states that he was convicted of negligent homicide while under the influence of alcohol following a collision on July 23, 2016.

The Press Democrat has reached out to San Bernardino police for details on the collision.

Xjimenez wrote that he was sentenced to six years in prison in August 2017, but was given credit for 756 days of time served before the verdict was announced.

Months later, Hernandez joined the Conservation Camp Program, a joint initiative of the state Department of Corrections, Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. There are 35 conservation or fire camps in 25 counties across the state.

“The program paves the way for multiple employment opportunities and benefits upon release,” Xjimenez wrote. “These opportunities allow former inmates to earn professional certifications in emergency response.”

Participants must behave well in prison and participate in rehabilitation programs. Exclusion criteria include rape and other sexual offenses, arson or escape.

Participants support firefighters in emergencies, such as fires and floods.

Fire crew members are responsible for assisting in firefighting efforts using hand tools. They also serve as camp support and maintenance personnel and work as cooks, laundry workers, landscapers and water treatment plant operators, among other roles.

Hernandez participated in the fire camp program at Owens Valley Conservation Camp in Bishop in 2018 until he was released on parole.

While on probation in 2019, Hernandez attended training at the Ventura Training Center from Jan. 2 to Oct. 10. Anyone who completes this program is eligible to apply for entry-level firefighter jobs with local, state and federal agencies.

Hernandez was released from parole on November 6, 2020, and most recently worked for Cal Fire as a fire technician, operating and maintaining fire trucks during emergency response.

Cal Fire officials said he was accused of setting the fires while off duty, but declined to comment on his current status with the agency.

Sonoma County Judge Troye Shaffer on Tuesday ordered Hernandez held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Oct. 1.

Reach staff writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @colin_atagi