In a brief face-to-face exchange through plexiglass with the Sentinel this week, accused arsonist Justin Wayne Halstenberg denied he lit the fire in northeastern Highland on the afternoon of September 5 that grew into the 39,232-acre conflagration known as the Line Fire.

Today, September 20, the Line Fire had charred 61.3 square miles and and was, according to the California Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, better than 54 percent contained. There are sporadic hot spots in the San Bernardino Mountains, but they are for the most part being attended to, as 2,956 firefighters, off and on, have been devoted to arresting the flames in the 15 days since its ignition.

Over the last three days, there has been minimal activity across the Line Fire area. Most of the smoke from the fire is coming from the Santa Ana River and Bear Creek drainages. This afternoon, a storm system moved across the area. Though out and out thunderstorms did not develop, the system dropped drizzle that was of use in muffling the fire danger.

That was not the case during the third to ninth day of the fire.

Originally dubbed the Baseline Fire, it resisted efforts by the California Division of Forestry, known by the acronym CalFire, which serves as the contract fire department for the City of Highland, and the San Bernardino County Fire Division, to knock it down.

A CalFire incident management team was activated on September 6, as the steep terrain of the area into which the fire was spreading created challenges.

With the escalation of the surrounding heat, the fire began to expand rapidly on September 7 into the San Bernardino Mountains, prompting evacuation orders for the communities of Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake, thereafter followed by evacuation orders to those in the communities of Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and all campgrounds and cabins in the area; Green Valley Lake north from Highway 18 along Green Valley Lake Road; the community of Forest Falls; and the community of Mountain Home Village. Those orders pertained to 11,400 structures under what was deemed to be immediate threat.

There are currently 56,100 structures threatened, including 11,400 under evacuation orders and 44,700 under evacuation warnings. Damage inspection teams are working in the fire area. So far, they have identified three structures that were damaged and one that was destroyed. Their inspections include residences, multi-family dwellings, outbuildings, and commercial buildings.

Evacuation orders were based upon the incident commander’s determination that there was an immediate threat to life in the area covered by the order. The issuance of the orders carried the full weight of California law, authorizing law enforcement officers to arrest those who did not comply. The areas were lawfully closed to public access.

On September 7, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency existed in San Bernardino County as a consequence of the fire, and he authorized the use of a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover elements of the firefighting effort.

The California National Guard was deployed, including four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, two C-130 aircraft, hand crews, and one military police company to assist with evacuations.

As firefighters became increasingly involved in the effort, which included the deployment of the California National Guard, including four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, two C-130 aircraft, four 20-person hand crews assigned to work in support of CalFire’s efforts and a military police company to support the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department with evacuations and traffic control points in evacuated areas, the United States Forest Service issued Forest Order NO. 05-12-00-24-09, creating a forest closure area around the Line Fire. All National Forest lands, trails, and roads were closed to the public within that zone.

Additionally, evacuation warnings, promptings short of orders, were given to residents and businesses within the communities of Cedar Glen, Lake Arrowhead, Twin Peaks, Crestline, and Valley of Enchantment, along with the area from Garnett Street east to Bryant Street and Carter Street north to Mill Creek and the area of Big Bear Valley from the dam to Cactus Road, Erwin Lake, Sugar Loaf, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, and Fawnskin. The evacuation warnings pertained to 44,700 structures under less than immediate threat.

In total, according to CalFire, there were 56,100 structures threatened. CalFire dispatched damage inspection teams in the fire area. In the initial round of inspections, they identified three structures that were damaged and one that was destroyed. The inspections extended to residences, multi-family dwellings, outbuildings, and commercial buildings.

On Tuesday, September 10, as the Line Fire galloping northward and upward through the forest overran and destroyed the Keller Peak Fire Lookout, a 98-year-old facility near Running Springs. Erected in 1926, it was the oldest of a handful of remaining original towers, and the one deemed to have the most picturesque view, which included Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory on the south side of the mountain and Lake Silverwood on the north side of the mountain and both the Pacific Ocean and Santa Catalina Island to the distant west.

The same day, 50 miles from Keller Peak and 36 miles from where the fire had started in Highland, detectives with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department sojourned across the San Bernardino County/Riverside County line to a home at 1394 Detroit Street in Norco, where they arrested 34-year-old Justin Wayne Halstenberg, whom they maintain was the persistent arsonist who had touched off the Line Fire near the intersection of Baseline Road and Alpin Street on September 5.

After investigators, led by Battalion Chief Matt Kirkhart with CalFire and Jake Hernandez of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s specialized arson unit, had determined that the fire had been deliberately set with the use of materials they said for prosecutorial reasons they cannot presently identify, they began examining available video footage including traffic cameras around Baseline Road, identifying a white truck as the vehicle used by the arsonist. Further evidence implicating Halstenberg was obtained from at least one license plate reader in the area. Investigators made a direct link between Halstenberg and the ignition of the fire on the basis of his vehicle license plate, which was documented by the license plate recorder as being in the area at the time of what can be shown as the third and successful effort to start the fire, as well as at two previous unsuccessful attempts.

A search warrant was served at Halstenberg’s home at the time of his arrest. According to investigators, material indicating he was responsible for setting the wildfire was found during that search.

On Thursday, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office charged Halstenberg, who remains in jail without bail, with nine felony counts, including a single count of aggravated arson, three counts of arson on structure or forest land, three counts of possession of material or a device for arson, one count of arson resulting in bodily harm, and a count of arson of an inhabited structure.

He was set to be arraigned on Friday September 13, in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court, but the matter was postponed until Monday, September 16.

On September 16, however, that arraignment was delayed until the following, Tuesday, September 17, as arrangements to provide Hastenberg with legal representation unfolded.

On Tuesday, at 8:01 a.m., by means of a closed-circuit transmission from the West Valley Detention Center, where he is being held in special confinement in Unit 13, Halstenberg made a non-physical/virtual appearance in the West Valley Courthouse in Rancho Cucamonga in Department R-? before Judge Arthur Benner II. Present were Deputy District Attorney Andrew Peppler, who is prosecuting the case and had complete and unfettered access to the investigative file on Halstenberg, and Deputy Public Defender Marty Miller, who is defending Hastenberg and had only a single page charge sheet relating to the case, FSB24003353, and no further information.

Eleven charges were rolled out against Hastenberg, a single count of PC451.5(A)-F: Aggravated Arson; a single count of PC451(A)-F: arson causing great bodily injury; four counts of PC451(C)-F: arson of forest land; three counts of PC453(A)-F: possession of material or a device to set a fire; and two counts of PC451(B)-F: Arson of an inhabited structure or property Hastenberg pleaded not guilty to all counts, each of which is being charged as a felony.

Judge Benner assigned Miller and the public defenders to serve as Hastenberg’s legal counsel.

A pre-preliminary hearing was set for September 23 at 8:30 a.m. in Department S3 at the San Bernardino Justice Center before Judge Glenn Yabuno and a preliminary hearing for September 30, also before Judge Yabuno In Department 3 of the San Bernardino Justice Center.

Halstenberg is being held without bail.

On September 18, the afternoon custody sergeant at the West Valley Detention Center preempted the Sentinel’s scheduled interview with Halstenberg, after the department on September 17 had cleared the Sentinel to speak with the inmate.

The Sentinel immediately rescheduled the interview for the next day.

On September 19, the Sentinel was able to speak with Halstenberg via electronic hook-up in a booth in the visitors room immediately adjacent to Unit 13 at the West Valley Detention Center. The Sentinel was not allowed the use of a notebook or writing utensil nor of a recording device.

After introductions and the Sentinel’s opening question about the accusations against him, Halstenberg said, “I’m innocent.”

To the Sentinel’s follow-up question, Halstenberg indicated there was some order of mistaken identity at play in the case.

Before the Sentinel could zero in on his whereabouts on September 5 and the specifics in the allegations in the district attorney’s complaint, Halstenberg informed the Sentinel that he did not want to discuss the case or make any statement.

Before hanging up and terminating the exchange with the Sentinel, Halstenberg said, “My mom only has four months to live. This is wrong.”