Californian Justin Wayne Halstenberg is accused of starting a wildfire that burned more than 34,000 acres

A suspected California arsonist was arrested days after he allegedly started the San Bernardino Line Fire that has devastated thousands of acres of forest east of Los Angeles.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg was charged Tuesday after the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department began an investigation into the wildfire that has burned more than 34,000 acres of land since it started last week.

“Highland Station Detectives, in conjunction with Cal Fire investigators, have identified Justin Wayne Halstenberg as the suspect who set a fire, also known as the Line Fire, in the area of ​​Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the Town of Highland on September 5, 2024,” the sheriff's office said.

The 34-year-old suspect was charged with arson of an inhabited structure, arson on wooded property and arson by possession of combustible material, according to jail records obtained by The Post.

He is being held at San Bernardino's Central Detention Center on $80,000 bail.

The police did not disclose how Halstenberg is said to have triggered the inferno.

His court date is scheduled for September 12th at 12:30 p.m.

The Line Fire began at 6:33 p.m. on Sept. 5 and has burned 34,289 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest. The fire was only 14 percent contained as of Wednesday morning, according to the California Fire website.

Residents along the southern shore of Big Bear Lake were asked to leave the area, a popular destination for anglers, cyclists and hikers.

The fire had charred more than 130 square kilometers of grass and bushland and covered the area with a thick, dark cloud of smoke.

Because of the acrid air, schools in several districts in the region were closed until the end of the week due to safety concerns.

Three firefighters have been injured since the fire was reported on Thursday, the state fire department said.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas north and east of the fire, including the popular ski resort of Bear Bear.

Evacuation warnings have been issued for communities directly south of the national forest, including parts of the city of Highland.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday and deployed the National Guard to assist with the evacuation.

More than 2,800 personnel have been deployed to fight fires as 65,600 buildings are at risk.

Wildfires broke out across the Golden State, beginning during a heat wave with triple-digit temperatures that finally ended Wednesday.

Authorities hope that cooler temperatures expected later in the week will curb fire activity.

Nearly 30 miles west on the San Bernardino-Los Angeles County border, the Bridge Fire has burned 46,727 acres of land.

The fire between the counties began on September 8 and has

With post wires