Retrial Begins for Man Accused in Palisades Fire
Jury selection starts Monday in the federal retrial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of starting the January 2025 blaze.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Accidents
Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday in the federal retrial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, accused of maliciously starting a brush fire on January 1, 2025 that later re-ignited into the Palisades fire. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty after an initial trial ended in a hung jury in late June.
Why it matters
The case is the only criminal prosecution tied to the two January 7 blazes that devastated Los Angeles, which killed 31 people and destroyed thousands of structures. The outcome will determine whether a single defendant is held responsible for fires that caused losses prosecutors and residents have described as enormous.
Rinderknecht has been in custody since his October 2025 arrest in Florida and faces up to 40 years in prison under the latest indictment. The federal retrial follows a June mistrial in which jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal.
The players
Jonathan Rinderknecht
The 30-year-old defendant accused of starting the January 1, 2025 brush fire that led to the Palisades blaze, who has pleaded not guilty.
Steve Haney
Defense attorney representing Rinderknecht, who argues prosecutors lack physical evidence linking his client to arson.
Anne Hwang
The federal judge who declared a mistrial after the jury deadlocked in the June trial.
The details
Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT whether someone could be found at fault for lighting a fire because of cigarettes, and that security camera footage and cellphone location data place him as the only person near the January 1 blaze when it began. They also allege he harbored deep anger at society, particularly the wealthy, and channeled that rage into arson.
Timeline
January 1, 2025: Brush fire started in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, later re-igniting into the Palisades fire.
January 7, 2025: Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires ignited nearly simultaneously.
October 2025: Rinderknecht arrested in Florida.
Late June 2026: Initial trial ended in a hung jury and mistrial.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Jury selection begins for the federal retrial.
Legal Context
The retrial is the only criminal prosecution tied to the January 7, 2025 Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires, which together killed 31 people and devastated Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Its outcome will shape how responsibility for those fires is assigned in the courts.
Residents of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods have a direct stake in whether responsibility for the January 2025 fires is established in court. The verdict could affect how the public understands the origins of losses that reached an estimated $150 billion.
The takeaway
The retrial tests whether a single prosecution can account for two of the most destructive fires in recent Los Angeles history. Readers following the case should track the verdict, since it will define the legal record for the January 2025 blazes.
What happens next
Jury selection for the federal retrial was scheduled to begin Monday, November 2, 2026, with the trial to follow.
Further reading
Explore more Los Angeles accident coverage for context on the region's recent wildfire losses.
