Florida man accused of starting New Year's Day fire that became deadly Palisades Fire days later

A 29-year-old man accused of starting a New Year’s Day brush fire that smoldered underground for days and eventually re-ignited to become the deadly Palisades Fire has been arrested in Florida, authorities announced Wednesday.

The suspect was identified as Jonathan Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident living in Florida who is charged by federal prosecutors with destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht ignited a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days in the dense root structure in the LA County coastal community before it was re-ignited and fanned by powerful winds on the morning of Jan. 7 to become one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in county history, authorities said at a Wednesday news conference.

Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday at his Florida residence. His initial court appearance was set for later Wednesday. NBC4 Investigates first reported the arrest in connection with the fire before authorities provided more details at a morning news conference.

The Palisades Fire began in the Palisades Highlands, where a week earlier, a relatively small brush fire now called the Lachman Fire was reported early New Year’s Day. The Los Angeles City Fire Department declined to share records or information about the cause of the New Year’s fire, but officials and the sources said earlier this year ATF agents and local fire investigators were considering whether embers from the New Year’s fire could have reignited in the intense winds Jan. 7.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Rinderknecht, who lived in the neighborhood near where the Lachman Fire started, was in the Pacific Palisades area on the night of Dec. 31 after working as an Uber driver. Two passengers, one of whom was dropped off in the Palisades area, reported that he appeared agitated, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In a statement, Uber said Rinderknecht was not on the company’s app at the time of the fire, but the company worked with investigators to help determine his location by providing information that included GPS data. His access to the Uber platform was removed after the company learned of a connection to the fire, the statement added.

After dropping off the passenger, Rinderknecht parked near Skull Rock Trailhead and walked up the trail, Essayli said. He then used his phone to photograph a hilltop area and listened to a French rap song that included references to lighting fires, he added. Essayli said he listened to the song several times in the days before the fire.

About twelve minutes into the new year, sensors indicated a fire had started in the area.

Rinderknecht was interviewed Jan. 24, but claimed he was near a hiking trail, despite geo-location that showed he was standing in a clearing about 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew, Essayli said. Prosecutors said Rinderknecht left the area of the fire’s origin, but came back later that night and recorded video.

“Rinderknecht called 911 several times, but didn’t get through because his iPhone was out of cellphone range,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “When he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire. By that point, a nearby resident already had reported the fire to authorities.

“Rinderknecht then fled in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. He then turned around and followed the fire engines to the scene, driving at a high rate of speed. Rinderknecht walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters. At approximately 1:02 a.m., he used his iPhone to take more videos of the scene. “

Essayli said Rinderknecht was arrested based on digital evidence, including a ChatGPT profile that authorities said displayed a fire burning and people fleeing from the flames in what appeared to be an urban setting. The image, which also featured burning structures, was produced a few months before the fire, Essayli said.

In the criminal complaint, prosecutors said Rinderknecht typed a question into his ChatGPT app, “Are you at fault if a fire is lift (sic) because of your cigarettes?”

The response was, “Yes,” followed by an explanation, prosecutors said.

Witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and an analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene also were part of the investigation. The ATF staged several controlled burns near the point of origin to test the detection of smoke and flames by wilderness cameras and other remote sensors, officials said.

ATF experts had also been working to evaluate the possibility that embers or material not fully extinguished from the New Year’s fire could have reignited a week later. The findings from those tests have not previously been made public.

Federal law enforcement officials told NBC News that an open flame was the ignition source of the New Year’s Day fire. The officials did not specify the flame’s ignition source.

The 26-page federal criminal complaint does not specify what exactly started the fire, but detailed what investigators were able to discount as part of the probe. In the complaint, prosecutors appeared to exclude potential causes, including fireworks, power lines, refraction of sunlight and smoking.

The Palisades Fire is considered a “holdover” fire, a continuation of an earlier fire.

“The fire was a holdover fire, meaning it was deeply seeded in dense vegetation and roots, and continued to burn undetected until catastrophic weather ensued, resulting in the Palisades Fire,” said Kenny Cooper, special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Los Angeles City Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said Wednesday that fire department resources were on scene for more than 36 hours after the Lachman Fire.

In another high-profile case of fire re-ignition, a 1991 fire in the Oakland Hills was thought to be extinguished, but embers continued to smolder under dense brush and the fire re-ignited in strong winds the next day to become one of the deadliest fires on record in California, resulting in 25 deaths and hundreds of destroyed structures.

The Palisades Fire expanded to 23,400 acres before it was contained Jan. 31. Twelve people were killed and more than 6,800 structures, including residences and businesses, were destroyed.

“While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy,” Essayli said.

The Palisades Fire is the ninth-deadliest wildfire on record in California and the third-most destructive.

“This action was deliberate, intended to cause devastating harm to the City of Los Angeles,” Villanueva said in a statement. “This arrest is a critical step toward ensuring accountability, justice, and healing for our city.

“We are forever grateful to our frontline responders, law enforcement partners, and the people of Los Angeles for their vigilance and support for one another during this incredibly challenging year. Although the flames have been extinguished, the impact of these fires will linger for years to come. Our hearts are with the families and neighborhoods who faced tremendous loss.”

Prosecutors said additional charges are possible in connection with the fire.

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