LOS ANGELES | A federal arson trial begins Monday for the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fire as the area struggles to rebuild and the aftermath reverberates through the Los Angeles mayor’s race.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Prosecutors say Mr. 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 hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and the city of Malibu. Mr. Rinderknecht faces at least five years in prison if convicted of charges that also include malicious destruction by means of fire.
Lead defense attorney Steve Haney has said Mr. Rinderknecht is being made as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the Jan. 1 blaze. Jury selection is expected to last several days before opening statements begin midweek. The trial is likely to take about two weeks.
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 weeds and wildflowers and the skeletal frames of homes. Of the more than 450 construction projects, only 17 homes have been certified for occupancy.
Ms. 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 usual 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,” Ms. Wald said. “It’s also hard to imagine what it’s going to be like. It will never be the same.”
Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that the defense can’t introduce evidence or arguments about alleged negligence by the fire department, saying it was irrelevant and could confuse the jury.
Defense attorneys had planned to include testimony from a firefighter that the earlier fire was visibly smoldering when first responders left the scene. That was gathered as part of a civil lawsuit filed by fire victims against the city.
Mr. Haney said he also plans to argue that the government lacks solid evidence or witness testimony linking Mr. Rinderknecht to the first fire, and that first responders heard fireworks in the vicinity of where the blaze started.
