For months, there was intense hypothesis about what prompted the Palisades fireplace.
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors provided an in depth timeline about what they allege prompted the fireplace, which charred 23,400 acres and leveled greater than 6,800 constructions, together with many properties in Pacific Palisades and Malibu and killed 12 folks.
They alleged the seeds of destruction started not on Jan. 7 when the flames entered Pacific Palisades however on Jan. 1. They declare an Uber driver deliberately set the fireplace on a well-liked mountaineering path in what they declare was a weird collection of occasions that included listening to a French rap music. Firefighters responded and believed that they had snuffed it out. However intense winds on on Jan. 7 reignited it.
The suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht, couldn’t be reached for remark and is in custody in Florida. It is a timeline of these fateful two hours on New Years Eve as specified by courtroom data. Among the exact instances are estimates. Authorities allege this led to the destruction of a lot of Pacific Palisades:
LAPD officers hold the general public and media out of the Cranium Rock Trailhead in an space
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Instances)
11:15 pm.: Rinderknecht drops off passengers in his Uber. They later advised authorities he appeared agitated.
11:28 p.m. Suspect listened to the music “Un Zder, Un The,” by the French artist Josman, on his iPhone. Investigators allege the music included themes of “despair and bitterness… Google data point out that he had listened to the identical music 9 instances within the earlier 4 days.”
11:34 p.m.: He drops off a passenger on Palisades Drive and drives towards Cranium Rock Trailhead.
11:38 p.m. He parks at Cranium Rock Trailhead and tries unsuccessfully to achieve a buddy who lived close by. He walks up the path to a small clearing, passing an indication saying “No Fires/Smoking.”
11:47 a.m.: He takes photographs and a video of the realm.
11:54 p.m. He listens to “Un Zder, Un The.”
Las Lomas Place properties have been destroyed close to from Cranium Rock.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Instances)
12:12: a.m. A digital camera reveals the primary indication of a fireplace within the space. He calls 911 but it surely “didn’t undergo, most probably as a result of he was out of cellphone vary.” He tries once more, unsuccessfully. Over the subsequent couple of minutes he tried to achieve 911 a number of instances. Authorities allege he waited at the least a minute earlier than his first 911 name. He additionally allegedly recorded himself attempting to achieve 911. “This means that [he] needed to protect proof of himself attempting to help within the suppression of the fireplace and he needed to create proof concerning a extra harmless clarification for the reason for
the fireplace,” prosecutors wrote.
12:17 a.m. He lastly will get by to 911. In line with the criticism, “he reported the fireplace (by that time a neighborhood resident already had reported the fireplace to 911). Throughout the name, [he] typed a query into the ChatGPT app on his iPhone, asking, ‘Are you at fault if a hearth is raise [sic] due to your cigarettes.’ (ChatGPT’s response was ‘Sure,’ adopted by a proof.)”
12:20 a.m. He drives across the space, sees fireplace vans headed to the fireplace and decides to comply with the vans. He will get to the path space the place firefighters have been now battling the blaze. He “later advised investigators that he provided to assist the firefighters battle the fireplace,” the criticism mentioned.
1 a.m.: Investigators mentioned a witness later advised them they encountered the suspect right now. He allegedly advised the witness he had “been down the hill at a home get together” when he observed the flames.
1:02 a.m. He took a number of photographs capturing firefighters battling the flames.
1:44 a.m. Authorities say his personal video confirmed the glove field of his automotive opened. Authorities mentioned after they later searched the automotive, they discovered a barbecue lighter contained in the glove field. The suspect later advised investigators he admitted bringing a lighter to the path that night time however couldn’t bear in mind what instances, the courtroom submitting say,
Remainder of Jan. 1: Firefighters used water dropping plane and hand crews. “Suppression efforts continued throughout the day of January 1, 2025, as firefighters continued to moist down areas inside the fireplace perimeter. When the suppression efforts have been over, the fireplace crews deliberately left fireplace hoses on website, in case they wanted to be redeployed.”
Jan. 2: “LAFD personnel returned to the scene to gather the fireplace hoses. It appeared to them that the fireplace was totally extinguished.”
