Willits man in court on 19 counts of arson

<p>Willits resident Steven Gene Hensley, 36, is suspected of lighting fires throughout the summer in the Willits area and Wednesday morning he was arraigned on 19 counts of arson, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.</p><p>Hensley was arrested by state fire officials Monday afternoon. </p><p>Firefighters in the Willits, Little Lake and Redwood Valley area have put out a series of suspicious fires in the past several weeks.</p><p>Hensley has been connected to 19 fires, dating back to July 4, according to a District Attorney's Office spokesman. They were mostly small fires that burned grass and brush. The largest fire was about seven acres.</p><p>At least four of the fires burned last week, bringing a large response from state and local firefighting agencies in an attempt to keep the fires from spreading.</p><p>While no structures were involved in the fires, several homes and buildings were threatened by some, fire officials said.</p><p>Witnesses have identified Hensley as being seen at three of the fires. </p><p>Hensley appeared in court Wednesday morning to be formally charged. He remains in custody in the Mendocino County Jail with bail set at $500,000 for the arson charges.</p><p>But Hensley's arrest also violated his probation for a 2009 domestic violence assault conviction, which means he cannot post bail.</p><p>If convicted of the 19 counts Hensley could face up to 30 years in state prison.</p><p>A motive for the fires, which appeared to be random, remained unclear Wednesday.</p>