Before fleeing the flames, the man accused of starting the Palisades fire reportedly asked ChatGPT if he’d be at fault for a blaze caused by cigarettes. Hours later, Los Angeles was burning.
A 29-year-old Uber driver named Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested on Oct. 8, 2025, for maliciously starting the deadly Palisades wildfires, which took the lives of 12 people and destroyed around 6800 structures in Los Angeles’ wealthy neighborhoods. Rinderknecht was reportedly the only person present at the site of the origin of the wildfires, and even offered to “help” the firefighters as they arrived.
