A 74-year-old Thermal man was charged with battery after he allegedly punched a firefighter in the face, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.
A report of an assault on a firefighter on Tuesday, March 21, brought deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Thermal Station to the scene on the 53000 block of Fillmore Street, Sgt. Adan Yamaguchi of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in the report.
Deputies arrived on the scene and arrested Bernabe Aceves Ruiz for allegedly punching a firefighter in the face as he was extinguishing a fire from an illegal burn on Fillmore Street, Yamaguchi said.
Ruiz was booked into John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio on a charge of battery, according to the release.
Ruiz posted $5,000 bail and was released from jail on the following day, Palm Desert Beach reported. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department provided no further information on the case. There was no report of the firefighter needing medical attention as a result of the incident.
According to California Legislative Information, when someone like a firefighter or emergency medical technician is the victim of battery during the performance of their duties and sustains an injury, the crime can be punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000, a county jail term not to exceed one year, or both fine and imprisonment.
Even in counties where open burning is allowed, there are many rules that govern this activity. In fact, residents are advised to call their local air quality management agency to make sure it is a permissive burn day in their neighborhood before conducting a burn, according to the CA.gov website. Additionally, outdoor burning must always be done without causing a smoke nuisance, the website said.