Man, 34, arrested for arson over California fire that has devastated tens of thousands of acres
The Line Fire, sparked Sunday, is threatening some 65,000 buildings
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A 34-year-old has been arrested in connection with a 30,000-acre fire raging in southern California.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg from Norco, California was arrested on Tuesday by the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Department. He is ineligible for bail, according to public records.
Police say Halstenberg has been identified “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.”
Halstenberg has been charged with arson and possession of flammable material in connection with the 30,000-acre Line Fire. He is set to appear in court on Thursday.
The Line Fire has been scorching the Los Angeles area since September 5. The blaze is 14 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon as it threatens 65,000 buildings, including homes.
More than 3,100 firefighters are on the front lines battling the destructive blaze. At least three firefighters have been injured.
Nearly 10,000 nearby structures are under evacuation orders as of Wednesday as smoke chokes residents.
Sammy Baig, a pizza store owner in Highland, California, told The San Bernadino Sun he had to send his employees home earlier this week due to the smoke.
Meanwhile, two other blazes are burning through California.
The largest blaze, the Bridge Fire, began on Sunday in Angeles National Forest — 30 miles outside of Los Angeles. The uncontained fire has scorched nearly 50,000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes as of Wednesday.
Thousands are now under evacuation orders.
“We really didn’t even have time to think,” resident Stephanie Beck told ABC News of the evacuation orders. “It was just throw everything in the car and go.”
The cause of the Bridge Fire is still unknown.
Another uncontained blaze, the Airport Fire, was sparked Monday in Orange County. While the fire has burned just over 3,000 acres, it threatens some 10,000 buildings, including homes.
At least five firefighters and two residents have been injured, Cal Fire reported.