San Bernardino fire decimates mountains
On Sept. 5, the Line Fire started in San Bernardino County on Baseline Road and Aplin St., at its peak spanning over 39,000 acres and threatening the towns of Highland, Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs. The fire, whose suspected source is arson, threatened 65,600 structures within San Bernardino County, destroying one and damaging four.
Large amounts of dry brush and vegetation created the ideal conditions for this large fire during a triple digit heat wave. The steep terrain made it extremely difficult for the firefighters to try to stop the fire, and after eight days it was only 21 percent contained. The fire burned hot enough to create its own weather system, including pyrocumulus clouds and dry lighting, as well as wind that spread the blazes further. Dry lighting greatly increased the risk of new blazes occurring in the nearby area. Conditions of the fire changed every day as the weather shifted toward cooler temperatures and higher moisture levels in the air.
Justin Wayne Halstenburg was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire and had his home and car searched, revealing evidence connecting him to the incident. Surveillance images and videos helped investigators determine who the suspect was and license plate readers placed him in the area when the fire began. Prosecutors believe Halstenburg attempted to start a fire multiple times, the first attempt being extinguished by a firefighter. He appeared in San Bernardino court on Sept. 17 via video call to plead not guilty to all 11 arson-related crimes with which he was charged and was denied bail.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County and deployed the National Guard to help fight the fire. The Redlands Unified School District chose to cancel school for the week of Sept. 9 to 13 due to poor air quality. “The Line Fire continues to pose significant risks, with many of our families and staff still under potential evacuation orders,” Redlands USD Superintendent Juan J. Cabral said in a message on Sept. 11 to families and staff. The school district reopened the following week after evacuation orders had been lifted.
3,179 personnel were assigned to fight the fire, including 22 helicopters, 23 bulldozers and 386 fire engines. So far, three firefighters have been injured. Highways to Big Bear were closed and some civilians were evacuated. Many other communities were under evacuation orders as of Sept. 13, including Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake.
The community is still searching for answers as to if Halstenburg set the fire and what his sentence will look like. In the meantime, the fire continues to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest; the USDA Forest Service has closed the area until at least Nov. 30.
