When it comes to arson investigations, I’m reminded of a Phoenix case where an arson investigator actually testified that his dog was better at detecting accelerants than the state crime lab. The defendant, Barbara Sloan, was dragged through prosecutorial hell because the key witness was a dog. Think about that. To admit this evidence, the handler had to testify under oath about what the dog supposedly told him. That’s not science, that’s comedy. Yet this kind of junk evidence appears to have resurfaced in the Pacific Palisades arson case against 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht.
Before this arrest, the fire was blamed squarely on Southern California Edison’s decrepit equipment, Mayor Karen Bass’s inept leadership, and Fire Chief Kristyn Crowley’s department failures. Then suddenly we’re told it was arson. How convenient. With billions in damages and at least a dozen lives lost, everyone on the hook just got an early Christmas gift, a patsy to absorb all the blame. The utility’s neglect, the city’s empty reservoir, and bone-dry hydrants are suddenly forgotten. The odor surrounding this investigation isn’t just smoke, it’s politics and money.
New Timeline of the Disaster
• Ignition: The Lachman Fire began just after midnight on January 1, 2025, near Skull Rock Trailhead in Pacific Palisades. It quietly smoldered underground for a week in bone-dry brush and hurricane force winds.
• Explosion: By January 7, it exploded into a firestorm that incinerated 23,400 acres, destroyed or damaged more than 6,800 structures, and killed 12 people. Santa Ana winds hit 80 mph, turning the blaze into one of California’s deadliest.
• Aftermath: Damages topped 10 billion dollars. Thousands were displaced. FEMA moved in, and Pacific Palisades is still digging out of the ashes.
Before the Arrest: The narrative was quite different.
For months, the narrative was clear. Systemic failure, not arson. SCE was accused of ignoring its crumbling power lines. Mayor Bass faced fury for botched evacuations and budget cuts that left fire prevention crippled. And Fire Chief Kristyn Crowley took the heat for allowing the initial Lachman Fire to rekindle.
Crowley, the first woman and openly LGBTQ+ fire chief, had risen from firefighter to the top post in 2022. Under her watch, LAFD was short 200 firefighters, equipment was delayed, and critical water supplies were dry. When the Palisades went up in flames, her department couldn’t contain it. Public outrage was so intense that Bass fired her in February 2025, replacing her with a man and calling it a safety decision. Crowley called it political revenge for opposing budget cuts. Either way, she became the fall gal until Rinderknecht showed up.
The Arrest
Federal investigators claim Rinderknecht, an Uber driver, lit the fire using a barbecue lighter, then filmed it and called 911 for kicks. His phone data put him near the ignition site. He allegedly made AI images of burning cities and listened to rap songs about fire. He fled to Florida, where he was arrested and charged with destruction of property by fire. The feds promise closure.
Rinderknecht will very quickly be dragged back to Los Angeles. You can count on state multiple murder charges added it on to his federal beef. The death penalty is a given. These trials will be a battle of the arson experts like no one has ever seen.
The Reality
Closure? Hardly. With this arrest, officials can wash their hands and pretend corruption, incompetence, and decay had nothing to do with it. The truth is, the fire was a perfect storm of neglect, politics, and greed fanned into catastrophe. Rinderknecht may be guilty, or he may just be convenient. Either way, the real inferno is still burning in City Hall.
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