A California man could face life in prison after he was found guilty of starting the Line Fire, which burned 44,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate in Southern California last September, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said.
The man, Justin Halstenberg, from Norco, Calif., was found guilty of aggravated arson of forest land, arson of property and possession of flammable materials, among other charges, the district attorney’s office said in a statement late Thursday.
The fire started Sept. 5 in San Bernardino County, east of downtown Los Angeles. It spread quickly, aided by temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with little respite at night. Two years of wet conditions had enabled the growth of grass and shrubs, which then dried out during the hot summer of 2024, providing fuel for the fire.
The fire caused more than $7 million in property damage, according to prosecutors.
The police arrested Mr. Halstenberg on Sept. 10 and charged him with 11 counts of arson, including using incendiary devices to set multiple fires.
Prosecutors said at the time that the Line Fire was ignited on Mr. Halstenberg’s third attempt within an hour to start a blaze. The first fire he set was reported and extinguished by firefighters, prosecutors said. His second attempt was “stomped out by a good Samaritan,” according to the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office.
“Undeterred, he ignited a third fire,” the district attorney’s office said.
Peak fire season in California has traditionally been from August to October, but they are a year-round threat in the state.
Wildfires are burning hotter and moving faster, with soaring temperatures worldwide leading to heat waves and drought. That can leave communities vulnerable to dangers like mudslides when heavy rains return to scorched terrain.
Santa Ana winds — dry desert winds that happen in colder months — can also fuel fires. Those winds helped fuel the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January, during which at least 30 people died and thousands of buildings in the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods were destroyed.
Claire Moses is a Times reporter in London, focused on coverage of breaking and trending news.
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