Man Charged With ‘Maliciously’ Starting Massive LA Fire
Firefighters battle flames during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles in January 2025.
Photographer: Kyle Grillot/BloombergFederal authorities arrested a 29-year-old man on charges that he intentionally started the blaze that days later became the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the Pacific Coast area of Los Angeles.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with maliciously setting the fire on New Year’s Day, Bill Essayli, the US Attorney in Los Angeles, said Wednesday. He was arrested a day earlier at his home in Florida, and appeared in court in Orlando, where a magistrate judge ordered that Rinderknecht remain in custody until a hearing Thursday. His court-appointed lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.