Mother of man involved in California wildfire says 'he didn't start the fire' | Wildfires

The mother of the 34-year-old man accused of starting the Line fire in Southern California – which burned at least 38,000 acres (15,378 hectares) of land and destroyed a home – has spoken out in her son's defense, telling the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that “he did not start that fire.”

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, who is accused of setting the fire in San Bernardino County on Sept. 5, has been charged with arson. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office.

Halstenberg's mother, Connie Halstenberg, told the Los Angeles Times that she did not approve of some of her son's actions, but that he was “not an arsonist.”

Prosecutors with the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office allege Halstenberg attempted to set fires in at least two other locations before succeeding. The first fire, on Bacon Lane in Highland, California, was reported and extinguished by firefighters. “The second was trampled down by a Good Samaritan,” the district attorney's office said.

“Undeterred, he lit a third fire, which we now know as the Line Fire,” prosecutors said in their statement.

Prosecutors said if the fire continues, additional charges could be filed for additional building damage or injuries.

The full extent of the damage caused by the fire is still unclear, but San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said at least one home was destroyed.

By Saturday, the forest fire was 25% contained. Cool weather in the next few days should help, fire officials said.

The Line Fire is burning through dense vegetation that grew after two consecutive wet winters when snowstorms broke off tree limbs and left behind a lot of “dead and fallen fuel,” said Jed Gaines, chief of Cal Fire's operations division.

Four firefighters were injured in the fire, Cal Fire said on Friday. Los Angeles news channel KESQ reported, citing a Cal Fire employee, that a firefighter was flown to a hospital by helicopter after experiencing fainting spells at the front.

Cooler weather helped thousands of firefighters make progress battling three wildfires in Southern California on Saturday, and authorities in northern Nevada expressed hope that nearly all fire evacuees there could soon be back home.

Authorities have begun scaling back evacuations from the largest fire. The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles has burned 80 square miles (210 square kilometers), torched at least 33 homes and six cabins and forced 10,000 people to evacuate. Two firefighters were injured in the blaze, state fire officials said.

Don Freguila, chief of operations, said Saturday that containment was estimated at three percent and improving, with nearly 2,500 firefighters on duty. He said Saturday's focus would be on the fire's western flank and northern edge near Wrightwood, where firefighting aircraft have been dropping flame retardant on the flames in steep, rugged areas inaccessible to ground crews.

“A lot of good work. We're working really hard on it and making good progress,” Freguila said. He said a new wildfire broke out Friday night near the Mount Baldy ski area on the southern edge of the fire, burning only about an acre of land before crews were able to “contain” it.

The Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties was difficult to fight because of steep terrain and dry conditions, and because some areas had not seen fires in decades. The fire was reportedly started by workers using heavy equipment and has now burned more than 37 square miles (96 square kilometers). It was 9% contained as of Saturday.

“Although the construction of direct lines proved difficult due to the rugged terrain, their efforts were aided by favorable weather conditions,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a report released Saturday.

According to the Orange County Fire Department, 11 firefighters and two residents were injured in the fire. The fire destroyed at least 27 cabins in the Holy Jim Canyon area, authorities said.

Fires in Southern California have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other buildings since they escalated during a heat wave with temperatures around 60 degrees Celsius.

Smoke and ash from the wildfires have worsened air quality, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued warnings to residents to minimize exposure to the smoky, orange skies.

The Nevada fire near Lake Tahoe broke out last weekend, destroying 14 homes and burning nearly 23 km² of forest and scrub along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. Earlier this week, around 20,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.

According to the fire department, there is a 90 percent chance that the last evacuees will be able to return to their homes by the end of Saturday.

Containment of the fire was estimated at 76% on Saturday, fire department spokeswoman Celeste Prescott said. Some of the 700 firefighters should be sent to other fires soon, she added.

The firefighters were mostly busy with clean-up work, but expected the wind to pick up in the afternoon and were therefore ready to fight all fires.

“We are on the verge of a major success here,” said Charles Moore, chief of the Truckee Meadows Fire District.