A Florida man accused of sparking the Palisades Fire — one of California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfires — has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges in a Los Angeles courtroom.

According to Reuters, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht faces charges of destruction of property by fire, arson involving property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. He was extradited from Florida earlier this month and remains held without bail.

Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht started a small blaze in the Pacific Palisades area just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2025. That smoldering fire, they say, reignited days later amid powerful Santa Ana winds and grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes and businesses. ABC News reports that the inferno ultimately consumed 23,400 acres before being contained on January 31.

Federal Charges and Digital Evidence

Suspect in Palisades Fire Pleads Not Guilty in Los Angeles
Jonathan Rinderknecht.

Court documents obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California allege that Rinderknecht, an Uber driver, dropped off passengers near the Palisades Highlands shortly before the fire began. Investigators claim he then walked along Skull Rock Trailhead, listened to music referencing fire, and filmed the hillside minutes before sensors detected heat.

When questioned weeks later, Rinderknecht allegedly denied involvement, but geolocation data placed him within 30 feet of the ignition point. Federal prosecutors also said digital evidence — including an AI-generated image from his ChatGPT account showing burning buildings and people fleeing flames — tied him to the case. The Verge reported that he had interacted with the chatbot weeks earlier, asking if someone could be at fault for a fire started by a cigarette.

The Road Ahead

Rinderknecht’s trial is tentatively scheduled for December 16 in Los Angeles federal court. If convicted, he faces between five and 45 years in prison. Officials from the ATF said investigators used cellphone records, surveillance footage, and fire-dynamics testing to trace the blaze’s origins.

The Palisades Fire remains the ninth-deadliest wildfire in California history and the third most destructive by property loss, underscoring the growing toll of climate-driven disasters across the state.