Trial Opens for Suspect in Deadly Palisades Wildfire
Al Jazeera Staff
US prosecutors allege Jonathan Rinderknecht intentionally started the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 and devastated coastal areas north of Los Angeles. His trial began October 9 in federal court in Los Angeles.
The trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, began October 9 in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. He is charged with intentionally starting the Palisades Fire in January 2025, which killed 12 people and ravaged coastal areas north of Los Angeles.
Federal prosecutors brought three counts: destruction of property by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce, and setting fire to timber. Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Steve Haney, said, “When all the evidence comes in, one thing will be missing: proof that Jonathan Rinderknecht started the fire on January 1.”
According to the allegations, the fire smoldered in the root system on January 1, 2025, before erupting into a major blaze on January 7. Prosecutor Mark Williams told the jury that evidence shows Rinderknecht was on the hill where the fire began: “The defendant set the fire on January 1, and he did it intentionally.”
Prosecutors cited phone data showing Rinderknecht called emergency services 16 times on January 1 and a ChatGPT query from months earlier describing “forest burning” and “people running.” Prosecutor Matt O’Brien asserted, “He wanted revenge – revenge against society for blaming society for all his troubles.”
In contrast, defense attorneys argued that Rinderknecht tried to put out the fire, called firefighters, and led them to the scene. They played recordings of his 911 calls as evidence. Attorney Haney also asked the jury not to draw inferences from his client’s ChatGPT queries.
Fire crews responded to reports of a fire on January 1, but the flames reignited, prompting evacuations and widespread damage. Factors such as extreme drought, climate change, and housing development in wildland areas have increased the lethality of California wildfires. Strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions fueled the Palisades fire.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the blaze spread across more than 23,000 acres. It ranks as the ninth deadliest wildfire in state history and third most destructive in terms of structures lost. All but one of California’s 10 largest wildfires have occurred in the past decade. If convicted, Rinderknecht faces 5 to 45 years in prison.
