Alleged California arsonist accused of starting Line Fire that has burned more than 34K acres

A suspected California arsonist was arrested days after he allegedly started the San Bernardino Line Fire, which has burned across thousands of acres of forest east of Los Angeles.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg was charged Tuesday following a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department investigation into the wildfire that burned over 34,000 acres (53 square miles, or about half of Queens) since it started last week.

“Highland Station detectives, in collaboration with Cal Fire investigators, identified Justin Wayne Halstenberg as the suspect who started a fire in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the city of Highland, also known as the Line Fire, on September 5, 2024,” the sheriff’s office said.

The 34-year-old suspect was slapped with arson of an inhabited structure, arson of forest land and possession of flammable material charges, jail records viewed by The Post showed.

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He is being held at San Bernardino’s Central Detention Center on $80,000 bail.

Police did not reveal how Halstenberg allegedly started the inferno.

He is scheduled to appear in court at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Line Fire started around 6:33 p.m. Sept. 5 and has destroyed 34,289 acres inside the San Bernardino National Forest. The blaze was only 14 percent contained as of Wednesday morning, according to the California Fire website.

Residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave the area, a popular destination for anglers, bikers and hikers.

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The blaze had charred vast areas of grass and brush and blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke.

The acrid air prompted several districts in the area to close schools through the end of the week because of safety concerns.

Three firefighters have been injured since the blaze was reported Thursday, state fire managers said.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas north and east of the fire including popular ski town Big Bear.

Evacuation warnings were given to the communities directly south of the national forest, which included parts of the city of Highland.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday and deployed the National Guard to assist in the evacuations.

Over 2,800 personnel have been allocated to fighting the fire as 65,600 structures are threatened.

Wildfires have broken out across the Golden State during a triple-digit heat wave that finally broke Wednesday.

Officials hope lower temperatures expected for later in the week will moderate the fire.

Just over 30 miles west on the San Bernardino-Los Angeles County line, the Bridge Fire started on Sept. 8 and has burned 46,727 acres (73 square miles, a little larger than Brooklyn).

With Post wires

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