A federal arson trial began this week for the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fir
e as the area struggles to rebuild and the aftermath reverberates through the Los Angeles mayor’s race.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, appeared in court for jury selection wearing a white shirt and blue
tie, having pled not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, and it burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up on Jan. 7.
The Palisades Fire ultimately killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes as it incinerated hillsid
e neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and the city of Malibu. Rinderknecht faces at least five years in prison if convicted of charges that also include malicious destruction by means of a fire.
Lead defense attorney Steve Haney has said Rinderknecht is being made as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the Jan. 1 blaze. The trial is likely to take about two weeks.
A group of more than 80 potential jurors were sworn in Monday. Jurors will fill out a questionnaire and return to the courthouse Tuesday, where attorneys
on both sides will have the opportunity to question them and dismiss ones they believe are unsuitable to be on the jury.
News of the trial drew mixed reactions from residents of the Pacific Palisades, who have spent the last year and a half tussling with insurance claims and red tape for building permits as they try to regain normalcy in their lives.
“It drums up all of the emotions over this past year and makes me think about all of the suffering and chaos of all of our neighbors and friends’ lives,” said Meghan Wald, whose home was among the few left standing in her block.
Palisades streets are now crowded with construction vehicles and workers, and charred trees have recovered their luscious green. But vacant lots abound, filled with
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weeds and wildflowers and the skeletal frames of homes. Of the more than 450 construction projects, only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy.
Wald and her family now live in nearby Brentwood, but she visits weekly to support the handful of businesses that have reopened, including her hair salon, her usua
l CVS pharmacy and the Palisades Garden Cafe, where her kids used to grab snacks after school.
“It’s great to see the shops that we know and love coming back,” Wald said. “It’s also hard to imagine what it’s going to be like. It will never be the same.”
