Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of starting the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, is seeking dismissal of charges after new testimonies from firefighters suggested negligence by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in handling the initial Lachman Fire. The Palisades Fire, which began on January 7, 2025, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, killed a dozen people, and torched more than 23,000 acres of land.
Key Takeaways
The defense team for Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the Palisades Fire, is calling for the dismissal of charges after new testimonies from Los Angeles firefighters suggested negligence in handling the initial Lachman Fire. The fire destroyed thousands of homes and killed a dozen people.
- Defense attorney Steven Haney argues that new evidence shows LAFD's failure to extinguish hotspots, not Rinderknecht, caused the Palisades Fire.
- Firefighter Scott Pike testified that there were still active hotspots when crews left the scene on Jan. 1.
- California State Parks admitted they did not patrol the area as initially stated.
- The U.S. Attorney's Office has declined to comment but will see Rinderknecht in court.
- Rinderknecht has been jailed for 150 days without bail.
The defense team for Rinderknecht argues that the new evidence calls into question the foundation of the charges against him. According to Steven Haney, Rinderknecht's attorney, depositions from LAFD firefighters reveal that hotspots were still active when crews left the scene on January 1, just six days before the Palisades Fire broke out.
The key testimony comes from firefighter Scott Pike, who testified in an ongoing civil case filed against the city of Los Angeles and the state of California. Pike stated that ash pits were still hot when they left the scene on January 1, and that at least five hotspots were still actively smoking as crews began to roll up their hoses. 'I saw something, I said something, and to my best ability, I felt like we could have done more,' Pike testified.
Other LAFD firefighters testified that the land where the Lachman Fire broke out is part of California State Parks. However, testimony from a California State Parks representative revealed that no one from the agency returned to the scene that day. The agency later stated they are not a firefighting agency and that fire response is the responsibility of LAFD.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California declined to comment beyond saying, 'We’ll see Mr. Rinderknecht in court.' Haney plans to file a motion next week to suppress all evidence obtained through search warrants that lacked probable cause.
Rinderknecht has been jailed for 150 days without bail and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The next pretrial conference in the case is scheduled for April.
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