The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades and Malibu, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people in all.
The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades and Malibu, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people in all.
LOS ANGELES A 29-year-old man has been charged with sparking California’s deadly Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in its history, authorities said Wednesday.
Federal officials said Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the area, started a small fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground before reigniting nearly a week later and roaring through Pacific Palisades, home to many of Los Angeles’ rich and famous.
The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades and Malibu, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people in all and destroying over 17,000 homes and buildings while burning for days in Los Angeles County.
Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday in Florida and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Orlando on charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt while shackled at the ankles, he told a federal magistrate in a soft-spoken voice that he was not under the influence and did not have mental issues.
The judge set a hearing for Oct. 17 to consider bond and extradition proceedings. Messages seeking comment were left for Aziza Hawthorne, the federal assistant public defender assigned to represent Rinderknecht.
Los Angeles Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said the arrest was an important first step toward justice.
The department released a report Wednesday that found firefighters lacked enough resources and struggled to communicate clearly in the first 36 hours of the blaze, and that those challenges hampered their response during a critical time.
