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A 29-year-old has been arrested and charged with intentionally starting the deadly Pacific Palisades wildfire, which killed twelve people and destroyed large parts of Los Angeles at the beginning of the year. Jonathan Rinderknecht, of Florida, was arrested on Tuesday, October 7, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. He is accused of starting a fire on Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority property shortly after midnight Jan. 1. Rinderknecht is scheduled to appear in court in Florida before being transferred to California to face charges there. (He has not yet entered a plea.) If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, with a minimum sentence of five years.
From the Lachman Fire to the destructive Palisades fire
The original fire that Rinderknecht allegedly set was known as the “Lachman Fire” and was initially quickly extinguished. What firefighters and other authorities didn’t know at the time, however, was that the embers of the Lachman Fire continued to burn underground and came back to the surface on January 7th due to strong winds. The resulting Palisades Fire became one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.
It destroyed 23,400 acres of land and nearly 7,000 homes in the Pacific Palisades region. “The lawsuit alleges that the recklessness of a single individual caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in loss of life and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “While we cannot give the victims back what they have lost, we hope that this criminal trial will provide them with some measure of justice.”
Suspicious behavior and digital traces
According to an affidavit from an investigator with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve. Two passengers that night described him as “agitated and angry.” Shortly before midnight he is said to have played the song “Un Zder, Un Thé” by the French rapper Josman. According to investigators, he heard the song “nine times in the last four days” and saw the music video – in which fire is a recurring motif – three times.
The lyrics of the song are intended to address themes such as “despair and bitterness”. (Rinderknecht later explained that he grew up in France and was fluent in French.) After playing the song, Rinderknecht drove to a hiking trail in Pacific Palisades near his former home, according to investigative documents. He apparently tried to contact an old friend who also lived in the area but was unable to contact him. He then went to a place called “Hidden Buddha Clearing,” where there is an old utility pole stump where Buddha images are often placed. There he is said to have recorded several videos of the area and heard “Un Zder, Un Thé” again.
The night of the fire
It is unclear exactly when Rinderknecht is said to have set the fire. It was first recorded around twelve minutes after midnight by environmental measurement platforms at the University of California in San Diego. Rinderknecht is said to have tried to call the emergency number at the same time, but failed due to poor cell phone connection. After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally reached the police – at a time when the fire had already been reported by residents.
During the call, Rinderknecht also allegedly entered a question into ChatGPT: “Is it your fault if a fire breaks out because of your cigarette?” ChatGPT answered “Yes” and added an explanation. When Rinderknecht left the place, he met firefighters who were on their way to the scene. He later told investigators he turned around and offered to help – behavior the ATF agent described as “highly unusual.” Rinderknecht apparently stayed nearby and filmed more videos of the fires and firefighters from the hill.
Further notes and previous ChatGPT requests
The affidavit notes that “arsonists sometimes like to watch firefighters respond to the fires they set.” The document also points to other possible evidence of Rinderknecht’s intentions, including several ChatGPT queries about fire. In July 2024, he is said to have asked the AI to create a “dystopian painting” showing a “burning forest” from which people are fleeing, while on the other side of a wall sits “a conglomerate of the richest people” who “watch the world burn down, laugh, have fun and dance.”
About a month later, Rinderknecht allegedly wrote to a family member: “I burned the Bible I had.” In another ChatGPT post in November, he explained: “This just happened. Maybe like three months ago or something. The realization of all this. I literally burned the Bible that I had. It felt incredible. I felt so liberated.”]