OAN Staff Jenna Lee
6:15 PM – Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Opening statements have begun in the trial for the man accused of setting the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles that caused the deaths of 12 people and destroyed over 6,800 homes in January 2025.
Jonathan Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to sparking what has become one of the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history. According to prosecutors, Rinderknecht started the fire on January 1, 2025, which burned undetected in root systems before flaring up on January 7th.
“Although no amount of courtroom justice will ever restore what was lost, they deserve answers and accountability. While the jury will determine the facts, our community will never forget the pain, loss, and destruction caused by this tragedy,” said Traci Park, representing the Palisades on the Los Angeles City Council.
According to court filings, Rinderknecht had lived in an apartment in North Hollywood the month before the disaster and was reportedly working as an Uber driver the night the fire began. Soon after dropping off his last passenger in Pacific Palisades on New Year’s Eve, Rinderknecht hiked a trail, lit a fire in the chaparral right after midnight and called 911.
Authorities say in court filings that he “maliciously” ignited the Lachman fire near Skull Rock in Temescal Canyon. Prosecutors point to witness accounts, surveillance footage, data from Rinderknecht’s cellphone and an analysis of the fire’s point of origin.
“You’ll hear that in 2024, [the] defendant was lonely with no real friends,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew O’Brien said. “He lived by himself and was withdrawn,” adding that evidence suggested Rinderknecht wanted “revenge against society because he blamed society for all his troubles.”
O’Brien added that Rinderknecht had already admitted that he started the fire out of resentment for the wealthy, saying that, “we’re basically being enslaved by them.”
In the wake of these revelations, local residents have expressed deep frustration and anger over how the preventable disaster upended their lives.
Len Kendall, a Pacific Palisades resident whose home burned down in the fire, stated the outcome of the trial “doesn’t even make the top 10 list of concerns,” emphasizing that survivors’ ongoing struggles are more consequential.
“You care about rebuilding your life and getting back to normal. And this dude rotting in jail isn’t going to change that, right?” said Kendall.
Jonathan Zasloff, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, resided in Pacific Palisades until he lost his home in the fire last year. He is currently a plaintiff involved in civil litigation over the Palisades fire. Zasloff stated that regardless of what becomes of Rinderknecht, the city of Los Angeles and other government agencies could face civil liability for failures during both fires.
“I want to know what happened. I also don’t want to be in the position of finding the one scapegoat, because I think it’s bigger than that,” Zasloff declared.
Since a federal grand jury indicted him on three felony arson counts — including destruction of property resulting in death — Rinderknecht faces up to 45 years in federal prison.
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