Federal officials arrested a man they said started a small blaze in January that later rekindled and grew into the fire that devastated Pacific Palisades.

The Palisades Fire devastated a sizable portion of Los Angeles after it broke out in January 2025, and its effects are still being felt in the region where it took place.

According to the criminal complaint, Rinderknecht's two Uber passengers on the night of December 31, 2024, noticed that he appeared agitated and angry.

A Florida man, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested for allegedly starting the devastating Palisades Fire. Federal authorities used digital footprints, including geolocation data and online activity, to link him to the ignition site.

Jonathan Rinderknecht was identified as the suspect who is accused of lighting a fire that destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of igniting a fire that eventually turned into the destructive Palisades Fire, authorities announced.

Working in concert with ATF agents, West Melbourne police officers arrested Rinderknecht after they conducted a traffic stop Tuesday morning, according to West Melbourne Police Chief Greg Vesta.

Federal authorities arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht after evidence showed he intentionally ignited the New Year's Day fire that became the devastating Palisades Fire.

A Florida man, Jonathan Rinderknecht, has been charged with starting California's destructive Palisades Fire on New Year's Day. The blaze, initially a smoldering underground fire, reignited days later,