Man allegedly started extensive forest fire in California

Authorities arrested Justin Wayne Halstenberg on Tuesday and charged him with arson in connection with a massive wildfire in Southern California, according to a news release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Authorities say Halstenberg set a fire in the town of Highland on Sept. 5. That fire eventually developed into the Line Fire, one of three ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

How did the authorities arrest Halstenberg? Investigators linked Halstenberg and his vehicle to the fire, Sheriff's Department Detective Jake Hernandez told reporters Wednesday. They arrested him and searched his home Tuesday night, Hernandez said. After seizing evidence at two locations, officers arrested Halstenberg and charged him with arson. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus believes Halstenberg deliberately set the fires. He would not tell reporters how Halstenberg is believed to have started the fire. Police hope to use technology, including smartphones, to determine whether Halstenberg was involved in other fires.

Were there any further arrests? Authorities have arrested two people suspected of breaking into homes evacuated due to the forest fire, Dicus said.

How much damage did the line fire cause? Three wildfires have ravaged more than 100,000 acres of land in Southern California in recent days. The Line Fire alone has affected more than 35,000 acres and was 14 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon, Dicus said. He said the Line Fire has burned about 73,000 structures and affected about 100,000 citizens. As of Wednesday, no one had died from the Line Fire.

Dig deeper: Listen to Bonnie Pritchett's report for The WORLD and Everything in It about how a new weather system helped firefighters save lives during the Texas Panhandle fires earlier this year.