Justin Halstenberg, a 35-year-old man from Norco, California, was found guilty of starting the Line fire, which burned 44,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains. The fire injured six firefighters and triggered evacuations for over 11,000 residents. Halstenberg was tied to the fire through a license plate reading and was arrested shortly after the ignition. He faces possible life imprisonment on multiple arson charges, including aggravated arson of forest land. Despite his conviction, his mother maintains his innocence, stating he did not light the fire.
Halstenberg became a subject of interest after an automatic license-plate reader linked his pickup truck to a location near the start of the Line fire.
Prosecutors accused him of deliberately starting three fires within a single hour in the city of Highland, with the last one turning into the Line fire.
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