Out-of-control Line Fire in Southern California threatens more than 36,000 homes and structures (2024)

FAQs

What caused the Line Fire in California? ›

The Los Angeles Times, citing sources within the Orange County Fire Authority, reported that the fire was likely started by a spark from heavy equipment used by road workers in the area.

Baldy, officials said. At least 33 homes in Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy have been destroyed and another 2,500 structures in the area are being threatened by the fire, according to Cal Fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, from Norco, allegedly started the fire in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the city of Highland on Sept. 5, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said. He was booked Tuesday at the Central Detention Center on a charge of Arson, held on $80,000 bail.

It first sparked in San Bernardino County, along Base Line and Aplin streets in the city of Highland. As of Wednesday morning, the blaze is an estimated 36,481 acres and 18% contained, according to Cal Fire, or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Human land use plays a major role, with development in fire-prone areas increasing ignition sources and the threat to property and lives. While human sources are responsible for more than 90% of ignitions, the direct causes have changed over time.

Line of fire injuries occur when the path of a moving object or the release of hazardous energy intersects with an individual's body. Three major categories of line of fire incidents are caught-in or between incidents, struck-by incidents, and released energy incidents.

According to the index, ranking the top 150 U.S. cities with the highest home fire risk, the top five cities are: Modesto, Calif., Shreveport, La., Fresno, Calif., Montgomery, Ala. and Memphis, Tenn. A complete list of the 150 U.S. cities can be found at www.thehartford.com/jfm.

1871 – Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the downtown on October 8 and died out the following night. About 250 dead. 1871 – Peshtigo Fire of 1871, several towns destroyed in a firestorm that reached Michigan, 1,500–2,500 dead. Deadliest wildfire in American history.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, was being held without bail. He is accused of igniting the blaze on Sept. 4 near Baseline Road in Highland. Halstenberg was apprehended Tuesday after authorities obtained a search warrant at his home, authorities said at a Wednesday news conference.

What caused the fire at Home Depot in California? ›

On April 9, 2022, according to investigators, 29-year-old Dyllin Jaycruz Gogue intentionally lit a fire in the Home Depot store on Blossom Hill Road as he was trying to steal tools. The store was filled with many customers and employees who ran for their lives from rapidly-spreading flames.

The San Andreas Fault starts in Southern California and runs through Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles counties before heading 800 miles to the north west.

Cal Fire said the wildfire burned about 34,729 acres as of Wednesday and is 14% contained. The fire started amid an intense heatwave in Southern California. The fire started Sept. 5 around 6:30 p.m. near Baseline Road and Aplin Street in Highland, CA.

In southern California the San Andreas Fault often gets most of the attention, and both it and the San Jacinto Fault (the State's second most active fault, which runs through northeast San Diego County) are more than 60 miles away from the more populated parts of the county.

Northern boundary

Southern California is generally considered the area of California south of the latitude 35°45', approximately one-third of the state, formed by the northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties, which are not exactly a straight line.

Scientists have learned that the Earth's crust is fractured into a series of "plates" that have been moving very slowly over the Earth's surface for millions of years. Two of these moving plates meet in western California; the boundary between them is the San Andreas fault.

The Rim Fire burned primarily in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. The fire was caused by a hunter's illegal fire that got out of control, and it was named for its proximity to the Rim of the World vista point, a scenic overlook on Highway 120 leading up to Yosemite.

How the fire started. On Monday at about 1:30 p.m., an Orange County public works employee using heavy equipment to move boulders inadvertently started the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, along Trabuco Creek Road, according to fire officials.

Investigators judged that the "most probable cause" of the fire was a lightning strike, but noted that they could not rule out arson or smoking.