In Line Fire, thousands in California's Big Bear Valley can return home while some evacuations remain
Thousands fled their homes as the Line Fire tore through more than 39,000 acres and authorities arrested a man on suspicion of starting the massive Southern California blaze.
A little over a week after the wildfire started on the evening of Sept. 5, thousands of residents in cities such as Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City and communities like Lake Arrowhead were allowed to return home. By Sept. 19, evacuation warnings in Big Bear were lifted and evacuated zoo animals were heading home after a temporary stay in the desert.
However, many mandatory evacuation orders still remain in place.
More than 4,000 firefighters have responded since the blaze was sparked by a suspected arsonist last week in the city of Highland in San Bernardino County, near Base Line and Aplin streets, authorities said.
Law enforcement officials announced the arrest of Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, of Norco as the suspect on Tuesday.
Most of the people living in Big Bear Valley were no longer facing mandatory evacuations by Saturday while some remained under voluntary warnings. For some areas, even warnings were lifted as the San Bernardino County Sheriff announced online: "Clear to go home."
Click here to jump to a map of the evacuation zones
Three firefighters have been injured in the huge wildfire while one structure has been destroyed and another three damaged as of Saturday, according to Cal Fire, or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
By Sunday, it was estimated to be 39,232 acres and 75% contained, Cal Fire officials said. Early last week, the state fire agency said that 56,100 structures were at one point threatened, including 11,400 that were under mandatory evacuation orders and 44,700 facing evacuation warnings.
Over Thursday night, improving weather conditions aided firefighters as they continued battling the flames. More progress was made as containment inched up over the next two days. On Saturday, Cal Fire officials said favorable weather was continuing to help in the firefight while some hot spots remained an issue.
"Late Friday night and into the early hours Saturday, Line Fire activity was moderated due to higher moisture levels," reads a Saturday update from Cal Fire. "The fire did however continue to smolder and creep in dry vegetation, and it made occasional runs in drainages and along slopes."
Cooler weather over the next several days should help firefighters as they keep strengthening control lines, officials said.
The wildfire is currently the fifth-largest wildfire in California so far this year. It's one of three major blazes been burning across multiple counties in Southern California over the past week.
The Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, which exploded in size within a few hours, is currently the third-largest wildfire in the state so far this year. Meanwhile, the Airport Fire destroyed several homes Tuesday night as it also kept spreading. It's currently the seventh-largest so far in 2024, according to Cal Fire.
The latest status of mandatory evacuation orders and warnings can be found here.
Firefighters face an uphill battle
Over the past week, firefighters' efforts against the Line Fire have been complicated by challenges including hot, dry conditions coupled with steep, rugged terrain and even smoke from the blaze creating clouds similar to those that come with thunderstorms. This wildfire-induced storm system strengthened winds which then fanned the flames and caused them to spread even further.
"The Line Fire continues to grow in steep terrain with difficult access, especially in the Big Bear area," Cal Fire officials said in an update Wednesday morning. "Near vertical slopes make putting in control lines challenging."
Last week, it surpassed 7,000 acres on Sept. 7 before quickly scorching through thousands more acres over the weekend and in the days since. Firefighters have been battling the flames through efforts by air and ground, flying helicopters through thick clouds of smoke as bright red, actively burning flames tear through hillsides in mountain areas.
Some structures have been destroyed, with the damage still being assessed. There has been no loss of life, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Wednesday.
"We're going to do our very best to keep it that way," Dicus said. "The fire behavior in this fire — from the briefings that we've had from our fire partners — has been some of the strangest and let's just say 'not typical' of fire science is what's being explained to me."
"And we are constantly flexing and moving," he said.
Evacuations expand as authorities warn: "Nothing is worth it"
Earlier this week, people in communities like Arrowbear Lake, Forrest Falls and Running Springs were just some of the residents facing mandatory evacuations.
"My advice for people that don't want to leave is to get off the mountain," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pascua said at the time. "Nothing is worth it — your lives, your families' lives are not worth it."
"It's just smarter to leave, get off the mountain before it becomes an order," Pascua said, urging people to flee even if they are only under a voluntary evacuation warning rather than a full-on, mandatory order. "It's better to do it early."
Jennifer Riser, who lives in the evacuated community of Runnings Springs, said it was "scary" waiting to hear whether she would be forced to leave.
Before long, she was told she had to go.
"We just packed up our cats about an hour ago and only because we were told to," Riser said Tuesday.
Last week, just a day after the fire broke out, people waited to hear whether they would have to flee.
"We're just kind of on the edge, just waiting," resident Diya Hirpara said Friday, as she bought groceries and tried to prepare.
While firefighters initially managed to keep the blaze within the San Bernardino National Forest, winds started to sweep it toward homes — leading to the first set of mandatory evacuation orders being issued on Sept. 7 as the fire surpassed 7,000 acres that afternoon.
Arson suspect, two alleged burglars arrested
Law enforcement officials said they launched an investigation into Halstenberg on Sept. 6 — just a day after the wildfire broke out — and found evidence inside his home and vehicle linking him to the blaze upon serving a search warrant.
Investigators have not said how they believe he started the fire but did say they discovered "incendiary devices" as evidence.
"While we're still in the thrust of the preliminary investigation, we believe this was intentional," Sheriff Dicus said Wednesday.
Halstenberg has worked for FedEx as a third-party delivery driver, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Detective Jacob Hernandez, who said Halstenberg is also suspected of starting two smaller blazes near the site of the Line Fire.
The arson suspect was charged with nine counts including charges related to $7 million in damages and an injury to a firefighters.
Authorities have not identified a suspected motive behind the alleged arson.
"Arson is just one of those crimes that is, to me, unbelievably despicable because it's a head-scratcher," San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said Thursday, while announcing the charges.
"There's no value to be had out of arson. You light a match, you start a fire," Anderson said. "There's nothing to be gained unless there's some unbelievable particular fetish about watching other people's homes burn down or people get injured."
Meanwhile, Sheriff Dicus said two other people suspected of breaking into homes in an evacuated area were also taken into custody. He issued a stern warning to those who try looting homes where residents have fled and said law enforcement officers are standing by.
"We live in these communities, we've also been evacuated and we're going to make sure that the public knows that their homes are our homes," Dicus said. "And I'm drawing a line in the sand when it comes to things like this. If you're going to be an opportunist in San Bernardino County, and we catch you, you are going to jail."
Below is a map of evacuation orders. The latest information on road closures and more can be found here.
