SoCal man ignited Line fire that scorched 44,000 acres, hurt 6 firefighters. He faces life term
On Thursday, 35-year-old Justin Halstenberg was found guilty of seven counts related to the Line fire and two counts related to a subsequent blaze, according to the San Bernardino County district attorney's office. His charges include aggravated arson of forest land and property, and possession of flammable materials.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said.
Halstenberg became a subject of interest after an automatic license-plate reader linked his pickup truck to a location near the start of the Line fire, which began Sept. 5. He was arrested in his family's Norco home, around 20 miles from the ignition site, Sept. 10.
Prosecutors accused him of deliberately starting three fires within a single hour in the city of Highland.
His first attempt was extinguished by firefighters near Bacon and Lytle lanes, prosecutors said. The second was stomped out by a good Samaritan just east of Bacon Lane.
The third was set by the intersection of Base Line and Aplin streets and went on to become the Line fire. That blaze forced the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and damaged several properties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Halstenberg pleaded not guilty to starting the Line fire. His mother previously defended him to The Times, saying, "I do want to say this about my baby boy. He did not light that fire, I repeat he did not light that fire."
Read more: 'He did not light that fire' says mother of man charged with starting California wildfire
In closing arguments, prosecutors said that Halstenberg had practiced starting fires in Jurupa Valley in 2023 using an ignition device consisting of a cigarette box filled with paper and coins that were used to weigh it down when tossed, according to reporting from the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Detectives discovered a similar device at the start of the Line fire, the outlet reported.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe praised investigators and prosecutors for sending a message that arsonists will be held accountable for their destructive actions.
"I commend the integrity and diligence of the District Attorney, County Sheriff, County Fire, and Cal Fire, who never lost sight of the gravity of the damage caused," she said in a statement. "Today, they delivered justice for the victims, our residents, and the land we all cherish."
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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