Authorities charge man with sparking deadly January wildfire that leveled LA neighborhoods
FILE - An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 29-year-old man charged with sparking the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history likely used a lighter to start a fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground and reignited almost a week later, killing 12 people in a wealthy hillside neighborhood, authorities said Wednesday.
Federal law enforcement officials charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with lighting the Jan. 1 fire that was extinguished by fire crews only to flare up days later during high winds, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.
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