A Florida man has been arrested and charged with starting the Palisades Fire. The fire that erupted in early January was considered to be one of the most devastating fires in Los Angeles’ history.
In early January of this year, a majority of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood was burned down by a fire in the region. The fire caused 12 casualties, while 6,000 homes and buildings were burned down in the area. The Pacific Palisades is a wealthy neighborhood located in LA.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old man from Florida, has been arrested for starting the fire that caused the enormous fire. It was discovered that Rinderknecht lit the fire intentionally.
After carefully investigating the video surveillance, cellphone data, and pairing it with witness statements, the man was arrested. Authorities found out that maliciously set fire to the neighborhood.
Rinderknecht started the fire on January 1, right after midnight. The Lachman Fire started at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. The fire was brought under control and doused by the efforts of the Fire Department.
Today we are announcing the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.
⁰The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht’s started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Day –… pic.twitter.com/UzrFa0Lmrz— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 8, 2025
During a news conference, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli shared how the same fire smoldered underground and then turned into the devastating fire that took the Pacific Palisades after a week.
The Melbourne resident, who is now under arrest, managed to elude authorities after he fled the scene after setting the fire. According to an official report, Rinderknecht came back to the scene to watch the fire burn.
Authorities brought him in on January 24th for an initial interrogation, where he lied. A criminal complaint states that the man claimed he had been in the area on January 1st and did not see anybody else there.
“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” Essayli stated.
He went on to acknowledge how what the victims lost cannot be brought back. “We hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy,” the Acting United States Attorney added.
According to an official affidavit, the Palisades Fire was concluded to be a continuation of the Lachman Fire that was started on New Year’s Day 2025. The fire continued to smolder underground within the root structure of dense vegetation.
The affidavit reveals that the same fire was carried to the wealthy neighborhood by heavy winds. Rinderknecht was arrested and charged with destruction of property by means of fire and is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
