In a case that has stunned Los Angeles and reverberated across the nation, federal authorities have charged 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht with igniting the Palisades Fire, the most destructive wildfire in the city’s history. The blaze, which began as a seemingly minor incident on New Year’s Day 2025, ultimately killed 12 people, destroyed nearly 7,000 homes and businesses, and caused an estimated $150 billion in damages, according to the Associated Press and the New York Post.
Rinderknecht, a former Uber driver with ties to both central Florida and the Pacific Palisades area, now faces federal charges of malicious destruction by means of fire—a crime that carries a minimum five-year sentence and, due to the fire’s deadly consequences, could potentially result in the death penalty, federal prosecutors confirmed during a press conference on October 8, 2025.
The story of the Palisades Fire began in the early hours of January 1, 2025, when Rinderknecht, after working a late shift as an Uber driver, parked his car near a popular hiking trail in the hillside of a state park in Pacific Palisades. According to a criminal complaint detailed by acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Rinderknecht appeared “agitated and angry” that night, a sentiment echoed by two of his passengers. After unsuccessfully attempting to contact a former friend, he walked up the trail, took iPhone videos from a hilltop, and repeatedly listened to the French rap song “Un Zder, Un The” by Josman—whose music video features multiple scenes of fire being set. Investigators found that, in the days leading up to the blaze, Rinderknecht listened to the song nine times and watched the video at least three times, as confirmed by Google records and reported by KABC and CBC.
At 12:12 a.m., Rinderknecht allegedly used a barbecue-style lighter to ignite vegetation or paper, starting what became known as the Lachman Fire. The fire was initially knocked down by the Los Angeles Fire Department, but smoldered underground for several days. High winds on January 7, 2025, reignited the embers, transforming the small blaze into the catastrophic Palisades Fire. The inferno tore through hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, reducing entire blocks—including mansions with ocean views—to ash. The fire ultimately scorched more than 9,300 hectares (over 23,000 acres), according to CBC.
Rinderknecht’s behavior in the aftermath drew further attention from investigators. After watching the fire burn for about a minute, he fled the scene, but soon returned to the same trail to watch the fire and firefighters battle the flames. “He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and, and watched them fight the fire,” Essayli recounted during the press briefing, as reported by CBC. Rinderknecht also attempted to call 911 to report the fire, but did not get service. He recorded a three-minute video of himself attempting these calls, and, in a bizarre twist, typed into ChatGPT: “Are you at fault if a fire is lift [sic] because of your cigarettes?” The criminal complaint suggests these actions were intended to create evidence of innocence or an alibi.
Evidence collected from Rinderknecht’s phone and digital accounts painted a troubling picture. Months before the fire, in July 2024, he generated a dystopian image of a burning city using ChatGPT, requesting a scene with “a burning forest” and “a crowd of people running away from the fire.” In November 2024, he messaged ChatGPT to say he had “literally burnt” a Bible and felt “amazing” and “so liberated” afterward, according to the New York Post.
On January 24, 2025, Rinderknecht was interviewed by investigators. During the interview, he revealed the precise origin of the fire—information that was not yet public and that he could only have known if he had witnessed the event. However, he lied about his location, claiming he was at the bottom of the hiking trail at the time, even as cellphone records placed him at the scene. Prosecutors described him as visibly anxious during questioning, noting that his “carotid artery would pulsate and become visible” whenever asked about the fire.
Investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set, likely with a lighter, and excluded other potential causes such as fireworks, lightning, power lines, and cigarettes. A green barbecue-style lighter was found inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht’s car on January 24. This lighter matched one seen in his apartment on December 31, as shown in a photo on his phone, and Rinderknecht admitted to bringing it with him on the night of the fire.
Federal agents arrested Rinderknecht in Florida on October 7, 2025. He appeared in court in Orlando the following day, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, shackled at the ankles. He told the federal magistrate that he was born in Indiana, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and had no mental health issues. “He said he was clear-headed,” as reported by KABC. A detention hearing was scheduled for October 9, with prosecutors indicating they would request no bond.
Neighbors from Rinderknecht’s former Los Angeles apartment described him as quiet and polite, expressing shock at the allegations. “He was actually a really nice guy. He was really quiet. I didn’t know what he did. He just kept to himself. He didn’t seem like an off kid at all. But sometimes when people are really quiet you have no idea what’s going on in their head,” Peter Cheng, a former neighbor, told the New York Post.
The Palisades Fire erupted alongside the Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people in Altadena on the same day, though the cause of that fire remains unknown. Both blazes devastated the region, leaving thousands homeless and many more struggling to rebuild. A review commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors, released in September, found that outdated emergency alert policies and a lack of resources led to delayed evacuations, exacerbating the disaster’s toll, according to CBC.
As rebuilding efforts continue and the community grapples with the aftermath, the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht stands as a stark reminder of the destructive potential of a single act—and the profound impacts such tragedies can have on a city’s fabric.
