The man accused of sparking one of the most expensive disasters in American history made a court appearance on Thursday and denied the charges.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, of Melbourne, Florida, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom to face federal charges for destruction of property by means of fire, arson and setting timber on fire. He pleaded not guilty.

Rinderknecht was arrested earlier this month and identified as the prime suspect responsible for starting the Palisades Fire in January. The deadly blaze burned for several weeks, was responsible for at least 12 deaths, displaced tens of thousands of people, and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.

Prosecutors allege that Rinderknecht, who lived in the L.A. area and was working as an Uber driver at the time, intentionally started

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