Fire Santa Rosa: five arrested as 17 arsons investigated
Santa Rosa police have arrested five people after investigators linked a fire Santa Rosa surge to at least 17 intentionally set blazes among more than 30 fires tracked since June 30. Officials say the suspects are not believed to have acted together, more arrests could follow, and about a dozen suspicious fires remain unsolved as dry conditions raise risk.
Key Takeaways
- Since June 30, Santa Rosa investigators have tracked more than 30 vegetation and suspicious fires; at least 17 are believed to have been set intentionally.
- Five people were arrested in separate cases; police say they do not believe the suspects acted together.
- Blazes ranged from a few square feet to about three-quarters of an acre near trails, creeks, and greenways.
- The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said it will not file charges on one suspect for insufficient evidence; charges for the other four were still being prepared.
- About a dozen suspicious fires remain unsolved, and officials say more arrests could be coming.
For North Bay residents who already lived through major wildfires, even small intentional fires land differently. Dry grass, hot weather, and familiar trail corridors meant a cluster of recent blazes quickly became a public-safety story—not just a crime blotter item.
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What happened in the fire Santa Rosa investigation?
According to KTVU and local police statements reported by CBS News and Patch, Santa Rosa authorities began seeing an uptick in fire activity in late June.
Since June 30, the Santa Rosa Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau and the Santa Rosa Police Department have investigated more than 30 vegetation and suspicious fires across the city. At least 17 are believed to have been intentionally set.
Reported locations include the College Creek Trail, Joe Rodota Trail, Prince Memorial Greenway, and the Santa Rosa Creek Trail. Fire sizes ranged from a few square feet to roughly three-quarters of an acre.
Santa Rosa Fire Department Division Chief Paul Lowenthal said the pattern in certain areas prompted a different response, with investigators and officers actively patrolling known hotspots. One blaze burned along College Creek Trail behind the fire department's training facility. Another, under a Highway 101 overpass near Ninth and Morgan streets, was witnessed by a patrolling officer.
In at least four incidents, witnesses called police or a suspect appeared on surveillance video. Lowenthal said that still left several fires technically unsolved, including a recently contained blaze on Fresno Avenue and a fire along Joe Rodota Trail.
Who was arrested, and what are they accused of?
Police arrested five people in connection with five separate fires. Investigators do not believe the suspects acted together, but they continue to examine whether any may be linked to additional unsolved fires.
Adan Alvarez-Florez, 32, of Santa Rosa: Arrested after a July 7 fire along the Santa Rosa Creek Trail near West Eighth Street and Simpson Avenue. Police said paperwork had been intentionally set on fire less than a foot from tall, dry grass. Officers found him standing next to the fire. He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of reckless burning of personal property.
Wuilton De Leon Reyes, 46: Linked to a July 13 fire on the 700 block of A Street involving a fence and backyard. Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly. Investigators used security-camera images to identify him and arrested him in Old Courthouse Square on suspicion of arson.
Corey Bynum, 42: Arrested after a July 20 fire on the 700 block of Seventh Street in which a man reportedly set another person's property on fire, burning decorative vegetation and a plastic storm drain grate. Using surveillance footage, officers found him on the 300 block of Sixth Street and arrested him on suspicion of arson, vandalism, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jason Cass, 37: Identified in a July 18 intentionally set grass fire along the College Creek Trail near West College Avenue that burned a 10-by-15-foot patch of dry cut grasses. He was arrested July 22 on suspicion of arson, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Patch described him as a transient.
Jessica Lucas, 36: Arrested minutes after a July 24 fire near Ninth and Morgan streets. Two witnesses said they found a suspect setting dry grass on fire, extinguished the flames, and helped officers locate her nearby. She was arrested on an outstanding out-of-county warrant and on suspicion of reckless burning.
KTVU reported that the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office will not file charges on one of the five suspects due to insufficient evidence, while it continued working on charges for the other four. Sgt. Patricia Seffens of the Santa Rosa Police Department said investigators were still trying to determine whether any of those arrested might be responsible for more than the single act of arson tied to each arrest.
Why does this fire Santa Rosa case matter to residents?
Community members in the North Bay have already lived through four major wildfires in a short span—the Tubbs, Nuns, Glass, and Kincade fires—Lowenthal told KTVU. That history, he said, has changed how the city and residents respond when flames appear.
Jackie Ganiy of Santa Rosa, who lost her home in the Tubbs Fire, told KTVU she moved closer to downtown after that loss. Learning that a suspect was caught burning property nearby still left her nervous. Small fires and larger ones both carry risk in hot, dry conditions, officials warned.
Police and fire officials credited prompt resident reports, surveillance cameras, and coordinated investigations with helping stop potentially larger fires as Santa Rosa entered the height of fire season. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department's Property Crimes Investigations Team at 707-543-3575 or submit an anonymous tip through the city's crime-tips system at srcity.org/CrimeTips. Emergencies should still be reported by calling 9-1-1.
The broader probe continues. With roughly a dozen suspicious fires still unexplained and officials signaling that more arrests could follow, the fire Santa Rosa story remains an active public-safety watch for trail users, neighbors near creeks and greenways, and a community that knows how quickly a small flame can grow.