San Bernardino County man arrested for allegedly starting line fire, burning over 33,000 acres

A 34-year-old man from San Bernardino County has been arrested in connection with the Line Fire, which has burned more than 33,000 acres since it erupted late last week. Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a resident of Norco, is suspected of starting the fire on September 5 near Baseline Road and Alpin Street in Highland, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

As of the latest update on Tuesday evening, firefighters are struggling to contain the blaze, which has scorched 32,905 acres and is only 14% contained. The wildfire has forced thousands of residents to evacuate and prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. The National Guard has been deployed to assist in the evacuation efforts, and there are reports of homes destroyed in the Running Springs area.

While authorities have not disclosed the method used to start the fire, Halstenberg was taken into custody on Tuesday and booked at the Central Detention Center on charges of arson. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department identified the victim in this case as the “State of California.”

Halstenberg is currently being held on $80,000 bail as the investigation continues.