SoCal man ignited Line fire that scorched 44,000 acres, hurt 6 firefighters. He faces life term
A Norco man has been convicted of intentionally igniting the Line fire that scorched some 44,000 acres of the San Bernardino Mountains and injured six firefighters, authorities said.
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.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-22/arsonist-convicted-line-fire-san-bernardino
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