Jury reaches verdict in case over deadly Palisades Fire blaze

A federal jury in Los Angeles reached a verdict in the case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the former Pacific Palisades resident accused of starting the fire that later became the deadly Palisades Fire. The trial before U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang focused on whether prosecutors could connect a small New Year’s Day blaze to the inferno that erupted six days later and left 12 people dead.

Prosecutors tied Rinderknecht to the ignition with witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data and fire-pattern analysis. Prosecutors alleged the 30-year-old, who was living in Melbourne, Florida, when he was arrested on Oct. 8, 2025, intentionally set a small holdover fire on Jan. 1, 2025, and that it smoldered underground in root systems until high winds helped it flare up on Jan. 7. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty.

His defense said the first fire may have been caused by fireworks and argued that Rinderknecht called 911 to report the blaze. Lawyers for Rinderknecht called the government’s case weak, while prosecutors said witnesses described him as angry and ranting about resentment toward the rich and society. The clash put the jury in the position of deciding whether the evidence proved a direct chain from the original ignition to the later wildfire disaster.

Rinderknecht was indicted in October 2025 on three federal counts: destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. If convicted, he faced up to 45 years in federal prison.

Los Angeles County and CAL FIRE put the Palisades Fire at 23,448 acres burned, 6,837 structures destroyed and 973 more damaged. The fire produced more than 2.6 million tons of debris, with estimated economic losses of $5.2 billion to $10.1 billion. About 6,800 businesses and 47,000 workers were affected.