Jury selection commenced Monday in the federal retrial of the man accused of starting the devastating Palisades Fire, a 2025 disaster in Southern California that claimed a dozen lives and scorched more than 23,000 acres.
Jonathan Rinderknecht has entered a plea of not guilty to a revised indictment handed down by prosecutors. The updated charges include one count of destruction of property by means of fire, one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and one count of timber set afire.
The proceedings return to court following a mistrial declared in June by Judge Anne Hwang, after a previous jury reported it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. In response to the mistrial, prosecutors dropped one original charge and modified two others in the new indictment.
Rinderknecht stands accused of initiating a blaze on Jan. 1, 2025, which prosecutors argue grew into the Palisades Fire—marking one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history. The inferno consumed thousands of residential and commercial structures across Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu before full containment was achieved on Jan. 31, 2025.
According to court filings, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver on the day the fire began. Investigators state he drove to the Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his vehicle, and allegedly started the fire. Prosecutors noted that Rinderknecht attempted to place multiple 911 calls from the area but failed to connect due to a lack of cellular service. By the time he reached an area with reception at the base of the trail and contacted dispatch, a nearby resident had already reported the flames.
Law enforcement officials allege that Rinderknecht fled the scene before returning, walking back up the trail, and using his phone to record video of the initial blaze, which was locally designated as the Lachman Fire. While firefighters initially suppressed the Lachman Fire, investigators say the embers smoldered underground before erupting into the massive Palisades Fire on Jan. 7.
A central dispute in the courtroom centers on the suppression efforts following the initial flare-up. Steve Haney, lead defense attorney for Rinderknecht, argued that his client is being unfairly blamed to cover up the failure of firefighting crews to completely extinguish the Lachman Fire. In response to the defense’s strategy, federal prosecutors have requested that the presiding judge instruct jurors not to consider the firefighting efforts when weighing their verdict.
