The individual facing charges for igniting the devastating Palisades Fire in Southern California on New Year’s Day has been known to share anti-Trump sentiments on social media, coupled with concerns about climate change. Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old from ProPublica, posted various articles, including one discussing how climate change is prompting new migration patterns in America, illustrated by an image of a hillside ablaze.
He also shared a piece headlined “Sen. Kamala Harris Says Meat is Destroying the Planet” and even a link aimed at supporting former President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. Among his posts were images of Trump supporters expressing distress over their 2020 election loss, and a claim that Trump had inherited a thriving economy from Barack Obama, only to ruin it during the pandemic.
Rinderknecht often commented on climate issues, posting in 2020 about a phenomenon termed “The Great Climate Migration Has Begun,” and another article warning that summer temperatures might become “too hot for humans.” Although he didn’t share numerous photos, one from 2014 caught attention, showing him with face paint styled like a skeletal figure.
Arrested in Florida on Tuesday, Rinderknecht was charged with causing damage to property through fire, as stated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri. A federal judge decided on Thursday to hold him in custody due to characteristics suggesting he could be an arsonist. “The complaint claims that an individual’s recklessness sparked the deadliest fire in Los Angeles’s history, resulting in loss of life and significant damage in the Pacific Palisades area,” Esseri mentioned. “While we can’t undo what the victims have lost, we hope this case can provide some form of justice for those impacted by this tragedy.”
Additionally, Rinderknecht had been working as an Uber driver in Los Angeles around the time of the fire, with passengers observing he seemed upset after a drop-off in Pacific Palisades. Allegedly, he ignited the fire after parking at the Skull Rock trailhead and later called 911, questioning whether cigarettes might be the cause.
Prosecutors assert that Rinderknecht started what’s known as the Lachman Fire, which was put out on January 2, but that strong winds fanned underground embers into what became the catastrophic Palisades Fire. This fire resulted in twelve fatalities and forced widespread evacuations.
