Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Fire
29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people


What happened
Federal officials in Los Angeles Wednesday announced the arrest of a 29-year-old former Uber driver for allegedly sparking the Palisades Fire, which tore through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood and parts of Malibu in January, destroying thousands of homes and killing 12 people. The suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested at his home in Melbourne, Florida, on Tuesday.
Who said what
“A single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen,” acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. According to authorities, Rinderknecht “appeared to be obsessed with fire” and deliberately ignited an open flame on a hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains early Jan. 1, then fled and “called 911 to report it” but returned and “used his phone to take videos of the response,” The New York Times said. Firefighters suppressed that fire after it burned eight acres, but “officials said it continued burning underground until winds ignited what became the Palisades Fire” a week later, Fox News said.
Investigators “went through exhaustive efforts to rule out potential ignition sources,” including “fireworks, cigarettes or downed power lines,” The Wall Street Journal said. California leaders welcomed the arrest as a “significant development in closure and justice for the thousands of people affected by the fire,” which was one of several “unprecedented and disastrous” blazes that ravaged Los Angeles County in January amid “strong and erratic winds.”
What next?
At a brief hearing in Orlando Wednesday, a federal judge ordered Rinderknecht back to court on Oct. 17 to “consider bond and extradition proceedings,” The Associated Press said. If convicted, he faces between five and 20 years in prison.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Could air traffic controllers help end the government shutdown?
Today’s Big Question The controllers were crucial in ending the last shutdown in 2019
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace plan
Speed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan church
Speed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
7 charged in LA for 'largest jewelry heist in US history'
Speed Read The purported thieves stole an estimated $100 million worth of items
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband