California Wildfires Palisades Investigation

A federal trial has begun in Los Angeles for the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fire. It comes as the neighborhood continues to rebuild and the aftermath of the blaze reverberates through the race for LA mayor. Jury selection began Monday in the case against 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. His attorneys argue that Rinderknecht is being made a scapegoat for the fire department’s failure to extinguish the blaze.

Prosecutors in the federal trial of the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fire have laid out a narrative for jurors of a premeditated arsonist who tried to cover his tracks. Jonathan Rinderknecht's attorneys on Wednesday offered an alternate story of a man who tried his best to stop the blaze. The 29-year-old Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Attorneys presented opening statements Wednesday. Whether prosecutors can prove that Rinderknecht started a fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 1, 2025, and that it then turned into the Palisades Fire will be at the center of the trial.