Authorities charge man accused of starting deadly LA wildfire

Police accidental 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht was down occurrence that destroyed overmuch of the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.

Authorities successful California charged a antheral with starting a occurrence that days aboriginal erupted into the astir destructive blaze successful Los Angeles past and destroyed overmuch of the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, national instrumentality enforcement officials person said.

Authorities accused 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a occurrence connected New Year’s Day that was enactment retired initially, but continued to smolder underground earlier reigniting during precocious winds, acting US Attorney Bill Essayli said during a quality league connected Wednesday.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3‘Buckle up’: IMF main warns of economical uncertainty
• list 2 of 3Ted Cruz blames Nigeria for ‘mass murder’ of Christians: What’s the truth?
• list 3 of 3RSF onslaught connected infirmary successful Sudan’s el-Fasher kills 12, medics say

Rinderknecht fled the country of the archetypal fire, but returned to the aforesaid way wherever he’d been earlier to ticker it burn, Essayli said. During an interrogation with investigators, helium lied astir his location, claiming helium was adjacent the bottommost of the hiking trail, Essayli said.

He was arrested Tuesday successful Florida and was owed to look successful tribunal Wednesday. Essayli declined to accidental however investigators judge Rinderknecht started the January 1 fire.

The blaze, which erupted connected January 7, killed 12 radical and destroyed much than 6,000 homes and buildings successful the Pacific Palisades, a affluent coastal neighbourhood of LA. The occurrence ripped done hillside neighbourhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the water and downtown Los Angeles.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is posed aft his apprehension connected charges that helium intentionally ignited the Pacific Palisades Fire successful Los Angeles, earlier his archetypal tribunal quality successful Orlando, Florida, US, October 8, 2025 [Department of Justice/Handout via Reuters]

Investigators determined the occurrence was intentionally lit, apt by a lighter taken to vegetation oregon paper, according to a transgression complaint.

Authorities archetypal interviewed Rinderknecht connected January 24, according to the transgression complaint. He told them helium had been successful the country connected January 1 and did not spot anyone other determination astatine that time.

Investigators excluded different possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and powerfulness lines. Authorities besides looked into whether a cigaret could person caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the ailment says.

Investigators inactive haven’t determined the origin of a 2nd blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke retired the aforesaid time successful the assemblage of Altadena and killed 18 people.

Both fires burned for days, reducing artifact aft artifact of full neighbourhoods to grey and achromatic debris.

An extracurricular reappraisal released successful September recovered that a deficiency of resources and outdated policies for sending exigency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.

The study commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors said a bid of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities”, hampered the county’s response.