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New York Post
Alleged California arsonist accused of starting Line Fire that has burned more than 34K acres
By Nicholas McEntyre,
6 hours ago
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 Line Fire started around 6:33 p.m. Sept. 5 and has destroyed 34,289 acres inside the San Bernardino National Forest. ZUMAPRESS.com
Halstenberg, a resident of Norco, Calif., has been a delivery driver for FedEx since February 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He previously worked as a letter carrier for the US Postal Service and was a meat clerk for grocery store chain Stater Bros. Markets.
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.
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.
Halstenberg was slapped with arson of an inhabited structure, arson of forest land and possession of flammable material charges. Getty Images
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.
Evacuation warnings were given to the communities directly south of the national forest, which included parts of the city of Highland.
The acrid air prompted several districts to close schools through the end of the week because of safety concerns. Getty Images The fire could be seen from residential areas as it continues to burn in Trabuco Canyon, California, September 10, 2024. CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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.
People watch the Line Fire from the side of the Cal. 38 highway as it burns in the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest on Sept. 9, 2024. APU GOMES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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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