(Bloomberg) — Federal authorities arrested a 29-year-old man on charges that he intentionally started what became the Palisades Fire, a January blaze that destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area.

Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged in a criminal complaint with maliciously setting the fire on New Year’s Day, Bill Essayli, the US Attorney in Los Angeles, said Wednesday. He was arrested Tuesday at his home in Florida, and is expected to make an initial appearance in Orlando.

The loss of life and property in the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive in California history, has led to a flurry of lawsuits against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the biggest municipal utility in the US. Some residents who lost homes, businesses and loved ones alleged the utility f

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