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Florida Man Arrested, Charged in Deadly Palisades Fire

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested in Florida for allegedly igniting the Palisades Fire that destroyed over 6,000 acres and caused $1.4 billion in damages, officials said.

  • On October 8, 2025, officials revealed that Jonathan Rinderknecht, age 29, had been taken into custody in Florida on felony charges stemming from the devastating January wildfire in Pacific Palisades, which resulted in 12 fatalities and destroyed over 6,000 buildings.
  • Authorities claim that after finishing an Uber shift on New Year’s Eve, Rinderknecht deliberately set a fire with an open flame in the Pacific Palisades area; the fire smoldered for days before intense winds caused it to flare up.
  • Investigators excluded fireworks, lightning, power lines, and cigarettes as ignition sources, gathered evidence including a ChatGPT-generated image of a burning city, and obtained statements showing Rinderknecht returned to view the fire.
  • Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli acknowledged that although the harm caused cannot be reversed, he hopes that holding the suspect accountable in court will offer some justice to those impacted by this devastating incident.
  • The fire ranks among the most destructive in Los Angeles history, prompting a September review that blamed resource shortages and outdated emergency policies for delayed evacuations.
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Orlando court hearing delayed for Palisades Fire suspect

(The Center Square) – The court hearing for the Florida man charged with starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive blazes in the history of Los Angeles, has been postponed to Oct. 17.

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NBC LA broke the news in Los Angeles, United States on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
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