Authorities have arrested a 29-year-old man for maliciously igniting a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days and later exploded into the deadly Palisades Fire.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, of Melbourne, Florida, was arrested Tuesday on a federal charge of destruction of property by means of fire, Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli announced at a Wednesday morning news conference. He was due to make his initial appearance in federal court in Florida later in the day.

“The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” Essayli said.

Rinderknecht is accused of maliciously setting the Lachman Fire shortly after midnight on January 1. This fire, ini

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