The 34-year-old man accused of starting the devastating Line Fire in the mountains of San Bernardino County, which has burned for almost a month and charred nearly 44,000 acres, prompting evacuations as recently as this week, made another appearance in court Wednesday, officials announced.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a Norco resident, was arrested for arson just four days after the massive wildfire erupted on Sept. 5.
Investigators said they were able to use license plate readers and other means that put the 34-year-old in the vicinity of where the fire started in Highland on Sept. 5 and added that they have surveillance footage among other evidence collected during the investigation.
“We were able to look at several different videos and determine who the suspect was,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Lt. Kari Klaus said shortly after his arrest on Sept. 9.
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A crew member carries a hose as the the Line Fire burns near Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County, California, September 30, 2024. The Line Fire has burned over 43,000 acres and is 80% contained, according to the San Bernardino National Forest Service. (Photo by David SWANSON / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images) -
A flare up on the Line Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains has prompted additional evacuation orders and warnings on Sept. 30, 2024. (OnScene.TV) -
A flare up on the Line Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains has prompted additional evacuation orders and warnings on Sept. 30, 2024. (Valley Fire Photo) -
A view of the Line Fire on Sept. 29, 2024. (RMG)
The 34-year-old pleaded not guilty at a court appearance on Sept. 17.
A day and half-long preliminary hearing for the alleged arsonist, which ended Oct. 2, included testimony from several CAL FIRE investigators, financial analysts, a DNA expert and a SBSD deputy sheriff, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.
Prosecutors said CAL FIRE’s financial administrators testified that costs related to aircraft and manpower resources used to fight the Line Fire were estimated at a staggering $82 million just 18 days into the fire, which has now burned for 27 days.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office also said that incendiary devices used to ignite the fire were described as legal paper wrapped around coins.
A DNA analysis done on the coins, which were recovered from Base Line Road, near Alpin Street in Highland where the fire started, contained Halstenberg’s DNA profile, the spokesperson added.
“The Honorable Judge Powell held the defendant to answer on all 14 felony charges and he will be arraigned on that information at [the] San Bernardino Justice Center on Oct. 11th,” the DA’s office said in the post.
As of CALFIRE’s most recent update on Wednesday morning, the Line Fire has burned 43,890 acres and is 79% contained.