California Line Fire update: Man arrested on suspicion of inciting fire and setting thousands of acres ablaze
California Line Fire update: Aman has been placed under custody on charges of starting the Southern California Line Fire, which has destroyed thousands of acres. After a joint investigation by detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a resident of Norco, has been placed under arrest. Detectives have stated the 34-year-old was detained on suspicion of arson. It is yet unknown how the fire originated.
What is Acknowledged
San Bernardino Police said in a statement that Halstenberg was taken into custody on Tuesday night. After being charged with arson, he is still being held by police at Highland Station without having paid $80,000 in bond.
It is advised that anybody with more information on the fire’s cause call the investigators at (909) 425-9793.
The Line Fire, which started on September 5 near Baseline Road and Alpin Street in Highland, is situated on the northeast edge of San Bernardino, around 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
Although Californian authorities first claimed they did not know what caused the fire, it is now thought to have been caused by humans. The FBI defines arson as “any willful or malicious burning or attempting to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.”
As of September 9 at 10:38 p.m., according to a Cal Fire report, the Line Fire is 14% contained and has destroyed about 35,000 acres of land in San Bernardino County. 52 fire units with a combined total of over 2,684 workers are now fighting to put out the fire. There are three wounded firemen.
The county has been placed under a state of emergency by California Governor Gavin Newsom. “I appreciate President Biden’s prompt approval of funding to help the efforts of our first responders and firemen in putting out this fire and defending nearby towns. Residents in the affected regions must maintain their vigilance and be ready to leave right away if requested to do so by local authorities, he said in a statement.
There are seventeen active fire occurrences in California at the moment. While some of them, like the Line Fire, are still blazing, others have been almost entirely controlled.
Two more significant fires are now raging in California in addition to the Line Fire. On Tuesday, the Bridge Fire in the Angeles National Forest flared to a staggering 34,000 acres, forcing numerous towns to evacuate.
The Airport Fire destroyed several residences in addition to wreaking havoc on around 20,000 acres in Orange and Riverside Counties. At the moment, neither is 100% confined.
