The Line Fire Ripping Through San Bernardino County Was Arson, Officials Say

A 34-year-old man has been arrested for sparking a blaze known as the Line Fire that has devastated massive swaths of San Bernardino County, destroying homes and leading to school closures and evacuations, police officials said.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, was arrested in connection with the fire that started last Thursday in Highland that has since spread across nearly 35,000 acres and is only 14% contained, according to Cal Fire. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department did not provide details on how Halstenberg, a resident of Norco whose LinkedIn page identifies him as a FedEx driver, started the fire and no motive was provided. He is being held on $80,000 bail.

As many as 2,000 firefighters continue to battle the fast-moving wildfire that threatens 65,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. Three firefighters have been injured trying to extinguish the flames fueled by dry winds.

"California is still facing extreme fire behavior with high temps and dry conditions," Cal Fire officials said on social media. The recent heat wave also made the unrelenting attempts by firefighters to contain the blazes even more difficult, officials say.

The Airport Fire that was sparked by heavy equipment being used by public workers in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon on Monday continues to rage as it moves into Riverside County. A dramatic time lapse photo shows a giant fireball moving through an area near Santiago Peak. Cal Fire said the wildfire had crossed Ortega Highway and was “actively impinging upon structures in the area.”

The fire is life threatening, officials say, as mandatory evacuation orders were put in place for parts of Orange and Riverside Counties. A day before the Airport Fire broke out, the Bridge Fire began to tear through nearly 45,000 acres in Los Angeles and Riverside Counties.