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A man named Jonathan Rinderknecht<\/strong> was arrested in connection with the Palisades Fire, which resulted in widespread destruction across Los Angeles County and killed a dozen people in early 2025.<\/p>\n The Department of Justice<\/a> announced on Wednesday, October 8, that Rinderknecht, 29, has been accused of \u201cmaliciously\u201d igniting a fire on January 1 in the Pacific Palisades. The flame ultimately erupted into the Palisades Fire, according to the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n Fire crews managed to suppress the New Year\u2019s Day brush fire, though the fire continued to smolder underground before high wind caused it to surface and spread nearly a week later.<\/p>\n The brush fire caused \u201cwhat became known as the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles City history,\u201d acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli<\/strong> said during a press conference, per CBS News<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Rinderknecht has been charged by criminal complaint with destruction of property by means of fire, according to the Department of Justice. He was arrested on Tuesday, October 7, near his residence in Florida. Rinderknecht is scheduled to appear in Orlando federal court on October 8, officials said.<\/p>\n Who is Kyren Lacy: Everything to Know About the LSU Football Player Who Was Accused of Fatal Crash<\/a><\/p>\n More than 23,000 acres of land were burned in the Palisades Fire, which erupted on January 7. The flames lasted for more than three weeks, with California fire officials saying the fire destroyed nearly 7,000 structures.<\/p>\n According to the Department of Justice, Rinderknecht was living in the Palisades at the time and worked as an Uber driver. After he dropped a customer off in the area of the fire, it\u2019s believed that Rinderknecht caused the fire by lighting a combustible material with an open flame.<\/p>\n Rinderknecht attempted to call 911 several times to report the fire, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, Essayli said Rinderknecht left in his car before he later returned to film firefighters responding to the blaze. Essayli also said there\u2019s no indication that anyone else was in the area when the fire started.<\/p>\n Investigators previously interviewed Rinderknecht on January 24, and he allegedly lied about where he was when he saw the Lachman Fire, which was ablaze around the same time as the Palisades Fire.<\/p>\n