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3h ago

Arrest Made in Palisades Fire as LAFD Report Details Response Failures

Prosecutors cite digital evidence, controlled-burn tests, witness accounts, plus phone data to link a New Year’s Day brush fire to the deadly January blaze.

Images: Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli on X / Court documents
Image
FILE - An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
Firefighters watch the flames from the Palisades Fire burning a home on January 8, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors charged Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, with destruction of property by means of fire after his arrest in Florida, saying additional counts could follow.
  • Investigators allege he set a small brush fire just after midnight on Jan. 1 near the Temescal Ridge trail that smoldered as a holdover and re-emerged during Santa Ana winds on Jan. 7.
  • Evidence outlined includes cellphone geolocation and 911 data, videos, surveillance, witness statements, and an AI-generated image created months earlier depicting fires.
  • The Palisades Fire killed 12 people, scorched roughly 23,000 acres, and destroyed more than 6,800 structures before full containment on Jan. 31.
  • A newly released 70-page LAFD after-action review cites short staffing, communication breakdowns, diminished water supply, responder fatigue, and loss of aerial support as factors that hindered the initial response.