Arson Device Linkage
Justin Halstenberg (35) was convicted of starting the 2024 Line Fire in Southern California. The fire was determined to have been started by an incendiary device. Investigators initially identified Halstenberg’s vehicle license plate in images captured by an automatic license-plate reader in the vicinity of the Line Fire.
Subsequently, during the investigation, Halstenberg was linked to the fire through the construction of the device. Investigators found evidence of an arson device consisting of a cigarette box filled with paper and coins, the coins likely used as weight. This type of device was likely prepared in advance and remotely deployed by tossing it into the vegetation.
A similarly constructed device was recovered at the Line Fire site. While incendiary devices are not commonly used in wildland fire cases, when discovered, they provide crucial evidence and a direct link to a suspect. Such devices may contain fingerprints and DNA, and the specific details of device construction can be used to connect an individual to multiple fires.
If an incendiary device is found at a fire scene, investigators should exercise caution and avoid attempting to disassemble the device themselves. The device must be sent promptly to a crime lab. The crime lab can then process the device for fingerprints and DNA, as well as carefully deconstruct it. The lab should also take detailed measurements and evidentiary photographs of the device’s construction and components.