An Uber driver is in trouble with the law. Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is 29 years old, is being accused of starting a fire that later became a huge and damaging wildfire in California.
Officials say that Rinderknecht started a small fire called the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Day in 2025. Even though firefighters put it out quickly, the fire kept burning secretly underground.
Later, this underground fire grew into the Palisades Fire, which caused a lot of damage and sadly, led to the loss of 12 lives.
After looking into the matter for nine months, investigators believe that Rinderknecht used a lighter to start the Lachman Fire. They say he lit some dry stuff on fire, like plants or paper.
Before the fire, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Some of his passengers said he seemed upset and angry.
The investigators also found out that Rinderknecht called 911 to report the fire, but he had trouble getting through. When he finally did, someone else had already reported it.
Interestingly, Rinderknecht also asked a computer program called ChatGPT if he would be responsible if a fire started because of his cigarettes. The program said yes, but the investigators ruled out smoking as the cause of the fire.
After the fire started, Rinderknecht is said to have watched the firefighters and even took videos. He also told the authorities different stories about where he was when he saw the fire.
Other clues that point to Rinderknecht’s involvement include a picture he made with ChatGPT that showed a city on fire and a message he sent about burning a Bible.
If Rinderknecht is found guilty, he could spend at least five years in prison, and maybe even up to 20 years.
