LOS ANGELES — A Florida man was arrested this week on a federal charge accusing him of intentionally starting a wildfire in January that killed 12 people, scorched more than 23,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes in one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods.
Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who moved to Melbourne, Florida, where he was residing at the time of his arrest, has been hit with a charge of destroying property by fire tied to the Palisades Fire. If he’s found guilty, that means a minimum of five years behind bars in federal prison, and it could stretch up to 20. Authorities noted they might tack on extra charges, murder among them.
The blaze kicked off right after midnight on January 1st, sparking up along a hiking path close to the Skull Rock Trailhead in Pacific Palisades—that ritzy seaside spot packed with celebs. At first, it only chewed through around eight acres and folks figured it was out, but it kept simmering below ground until it roared back to life on the 7th, fueled by those brutal Santa Ana winds. The thing burned out of control for over three weeks, wiping out 6,837 buildings, messing up close to a thousand more, and racking up about $150 billion in losses. Some big names lost their places too, like actors Mel Gibson and Jeff Bridges, plus Paris Hilton.
That fire ranks as one of the worst ever to hit Los Angeles—it flattened whole neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and jumped over to Malibu and Topanga nearby. It came amid a string of brutal wildfires, like the Eaton Fire that took out over 9,000 buildings and claimed 19 lives in the area.
Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident who worked as an Uber driver, was arrested Tuesday near his home in Melbourne. He appeared in federal court in Orlando on Wednesday and is expected to be transferred to Los Angeles for trial.
Investigators allege Rinderknecht set the fire with an open flame after dropping off an Uber passenger in the area on New Year’s Eve. Passengers reported him appearing agitated and angry during rides that night. Phone geolocation data placed him just 30 feet from the ignition point, and his device contained videos of the flames and firefighters responding. He made multiple 911 calls to report the fire but provided false statements to authorities during a Jan. 24 interview, prosecutors said.
They pulled digital stuff off Rinderknecht’s phone too, like pics whipped up by AI and old prompts he fed into ChatGPT way before the fire even started—stuff showing some nightmare vision of a forest going up in flames, plus questions on who’s at fault for kicking off a wildfire. One of those from back in July 2024 laid out a whole scene with fire ripping through the countryside as the rich crowd just gawked. Not long after the actual blaze, he hit up the AI asking if you’d catch heat for a fire sparked by tossing a cigarette.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at a news conference that the arrest brings a measure of justice to victims. “The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen,” he said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the development a step toward closure for those affected by the tragedy.
An after-action review by the Los Angeles Fire Department highlighted challenges during the response, including resource shortages, communication delays and evacuation issues amid hurricane-force winds. Firefighters battled the flames for 25 days, often working 36- to 48-hour shifts.
Rinderknecht’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A bond hearing was set for Thursday.
