Federal officials announced the arrest of a 29-year-old man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, a blaze that devastated parts of Los Angeles earlier this year. The fire, which began on New Year’s Day, tragically took 12 lives and destroyed thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades area.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was charged with deliberately igniting the fire. He was taken into custody at his Florida home and appeared in court in Orlando, where a judge ordered him to remain detained until a hearing the following day. His court-appointed attorney has not yet made any public statements.
Authorities say Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve. After dropping off a passenger near the spot where the fire began, he hiked up a nearby trail. While on a hilltop, he took videos on his phone and listened to a rap song with lyrics mentioning “objects being lit on fire.” Shortly after midnight on January 1, sensors detected the fire’s start. Rinderknecht called 911 to report it but then fled the scene by car. He returned after seeing fire trucks heading toward the fire.
The fire did not immediately rage out of control. Instead, it smoldered underground, burning through the root systems of dense vegetation. A week later, on January 7, strong Santa Ana winds fanned the hidden flames above ground, turning the small fire into one of the worst wildfires in Los Angeles history. The Palisades Fire ultimately burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed over 6,800 buildings before being fully contained at the end of January.
Investigators found an image on Rinderknecht’s digital devices that he created using ChatGPT, showing a burning city — a detail that adds a chilling insight into his mindset. Federal officials believe Rinderknecht moved to Florida hoping to avoid detection. While they have not revealed a motive, the investigation is ongoing.
The fire caused widespread damage, prompting multiple lawsuits against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the city’s largest utility. Some residents say the utility failed to provide adequate safety measures and water supply during the fire’s outbreak and spread. Attorney Roger Behle, representing affected residents, explained that issues like the utility’s failure to shut off power contributed to spot fires around the area after the initial blaze. He also said the recent arrest does not weaken the claims against the utility.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed gratitude to the federal agencies responsible for apprehending the suspect. She recalled the city’s difficult months battling the fire, remembering the lives lost and homes destroyed.
Longtime resident Gary Baum witnessed flames shooting from root holes during the fire’s spread on January 7 and described the scene as unlike anything he had ever seen. Though he welcomes the arrest, Baum said it cannot undo the destruction or heal the community’s pain. “The fire’s not as bad as the consequences afterward,” he said.
The arrest follows months of investigation and detailed examination, including a re-creation of the fire’s start. Officials say they can now confirm without doubt that the Palisades Fire began as a “holdover fire” on January 1, which later exploded into the massive disaster that claimed lives and homes across the region.