A Florida man has been arrested, accused of starting what became the deadly and destructive "Palisades Fire" on Jan. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. The Palisades Fire killed 12 people, burned more than 23,

Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old man charged with starting what became the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California, was in federal court in Orlando on Thursday.

Jonathan Rinderknecht "maliciously" started the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1, which later became the devastating Palisades Fire, prosecutors said.

Federal investigators say Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire, mocked Trump and posted climate alarmist content online.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is accused of starting the initial fire on New Year’s Day that rekindled to become the Palisades fire days later. He was arrested Wednesday in Florida and charged with destruction of property by means of fire, which carries a minimum of five years in federal prison.

The suspect is accused of sparking January’s raging inferno that devastated more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the wealthy coastal enclave.

Federal investigators arrest 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, charging him with arson for allegedly starting the Palisades Fire .

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, worked as an Uber driver. During the firestorm, federal officials said he relocated to Florida, where he was taken into custody.

Authorities will announce an arrest in connection with the devastating Palisades fire, law enforcement sources said, and are expected to announce a cause of the blaze.