Authorities in California charged a 29-year-old man with starting a fire that days later erupted into the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history and destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, federal law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.
Authorities accused 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of lighting a fire on New Year’s Day that was put out initially, but continued to smolder underground before reigniting during high winds, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.
Rinderknecht fled the scene of the original fire, but returned to the same trail where he’d been earlier to watch it burn, Essayli said. During an interview with investigators, he lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.
He was arrested Tuesday in Florida and was due to appear in court Wednesday. Essayli declined to say how investigators believe Rinderknecht started the Jan. 1 fire.
The blaze, which erupted on Jan. 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighborhood of LA. The fire ripped through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the ocean and downtown Los Angeles.
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally lit, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, the criminal complaint said.
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Authorities first interviewed Rinderknecht on Jan. 24, according to the criminal complaint. He told them he had been in the area on Jan. 1 and did not see anyone else in the area at that time.
Investigators excluded other possibilities including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette could’ve caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.
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 neighborhoods to gray and black 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An outside review released in September found that a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.
The report commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors said a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.
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