Law enforcement accuses 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a fire on New Year's Day that was initially put out by fire crews, but continued to smoulder before reigniting during high winds.
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Authorities in California charged a man with starting a fire that erupted into the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history and destroyed much of the wealthy Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, officials announced on Wednesday.
Federal law enforcement officials accuse 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a fire on New Year’s Day that was initially extinguished by fire crews, but continued to smoulder underground before reigniting during high winds, acting US Attorney Bill Essayli said in a news conference.
Rinderknecht was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and is due to appear in court later on Wednesday where he will face charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire.
Rinderknecht fled the scene of the original fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said.
"He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and and watched them fight the fire," Essayli said.
Rinderknecht also made several 911 calls to report the fire, according to a criminal complaint.
During an interview on 24 January, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn’t witnessed it, the complaint said.
He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.
The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he "wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire," the complaint said.
Investigators determined the 1 January fire had been intentionally started, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, according to the criminal complaint.
They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette may have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.
Investigators found a "barbecue-style" lighter inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car on 24 January.
It appeared to be the same lighter as one that was in his apartment on 31 December, based on a photo on his phone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill.
The massive blaze, which erupted on 7 January, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the coastal Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.
The fire ripped through hillside neighbourhoods, destroying mansions with views of the ocean and downtown LA.
Investigators still haven’t determined the cause of a second blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day in the community of Altadena and killed 18 people.
Both fires burned for days, reducing block after block of entire neighbourhoods to gray and black ash and debris.
An outside review released in September found that a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.
The report commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors said a series of weaknesses, including "inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities," hampered the county's response.