Norco man sentenced to 16 years in prison for igniting Line Fire in 2024
The Norco man who was found guilty of starting the 2024 Line Fire in San Bernardino County has been sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.
In May, a jury found Justin Halstenberg guilty of seven counts for the Line Fire, which began on Sept. 5, 2024, and continued for about a month until firefighters fully contained it. The wildfire burned 43,978 acres, destroyed two buildings, damaged five others and injured six firefighters.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested Halstenberg a few days after the fire started. Authorities said he started two smaller fires with incendiary devices in addition to the Line Fire. Prosecutors used surveillance footage to track Halstenberg's location to the ignition points.
"Arson is just one of those crimes that is, to me, unbelievably despicable because it's a head-scratcher," District Attorney Jason Anderson said in 2024. "There's no value to be had out of arson. You light a match, you start a fire. There's nothing to be gained unless there's some unbelievable particular fetish about watching other people's homes burn down or people get injured."
When prosecutors charged Halstenberg, they stated that the Line Fire had caused more than $7 million in damages.
He was also found guilty and sentenced on two counts related to a subsequent fire, including aggravated arson of forest land, property and possession of flammable materials.
