A Southern California man pleads not guilty to setting a fire that exploded into a massive wildfire

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, California — A California man has pleaded not guilty to setting a fire that authorities say turned into a huge forest fire and thousands of homes had to be evacuated.

Online court records show Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, entered a plea Tuesday from jail in a video arraignment in the San Bernardino city of Rancho Cucamonga. He was denied bail and has been assigned a lawyer, records show.

Halstenberg’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday. An email was sent to the attorney listed on his behalf.

Halstenberg is charged with 11 arson-related crimes, records show. Authorities said the delivery driver from the city of Norco tried to start three fires within an hour — two that were extinguished by firefighters and a Good Samaritan and a third that became the Line Fire, which has charred 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) in the mountains east of Los Angeles.

According to authorities, Halstenberg’s vehicle is connected to the areas where the fires broke out on September 5.

The Line Fire threatened more than 65,000 homes and injured four firefighters. It is one of three forest fires which exploded in Southern California this month after a heat wave with temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit.