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Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was indicted on three federal felonies for allegedly igniting the Palisades fire that killed 12 people and destroyed 6,800 structures across 23,400 acres, authorities said. Prosecutors say the blaze began as the Lachman fire near Skull Rock just after midnight on Jan. 1 and reignited amid Santa Ana winds days later. Evidence includes witness accounts, video, cellphone data and fire-pattern analysis; an AI-generated image was found on his phone. He faces 5 to 45 years if convicted. The Los Angeles Fire Department faces scrutiny over whether it could have prevented the rekindling.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.