Southern California man arrested for allegedly sparking devastating Line Fire in San Bernardino County
By Dean Fioresi
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RIVERSIDE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Authorities have identified and arrested a Riverside County man for allegedly sparking the devastating Line Fire, which has torched nearly 35,000 acres of brush and destroyed at least one home.
While details surrounding their investigation remain scarce, Cal Fire investigators worked with detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to identify the suspect as 34-year-old Norco man Justin Wayne Halstenberg.
They believe that he is responsible for igniting the fire, which started in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in Highland on Friday. It has since exploded in size, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake as it continues to burn through the San Bernardino Mountains, closing in on Big Bear at the latest.
Related: Trio of wildfires put stress on California firefighting resources; track their burn areas with interactive maps
Halstenberg was arrested on Tuesday before being booked for arson. He is being held in lieu of $80,000 bail, detectives said.
They did not reveal how they believed Halstenberg started the fire.
Anyone who knows more is asked to contact SBSD investigators at (909) 425-9793.
The Line Fire is one of three major wildfires currently burning in Southern California, along with the Bridge Fire in the Angeles National Forest, which erupted to 34,000 acres on Tuesday, forcing multiple communities to evacuate, and the Airport Fire which has consumed nearly 20,000 acres between Orange and Riverside Counties and destroyed multiple homes.
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