From PBS NewsHour.

Officials on Wednesday charged a man with starting the fire that burned the Pacific Palisades neighborhood earlier this year. It was the most destructive inferno in Los Angeles history.

Authorities say 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht lit a fire near a hiking trail on New Year’s Day. Fire crews contained it at first, but it smoldered for days, and high winds eventually caused it to reignite. Investigators say evidence, including an AI image the suspect had generated depicting a burning city, suggests he lit that initial fire on purpose.

The Palisades Fire claimed 12 lives and scorched more than 6,000 homes and buildings. An investigation into what caused the nearby Eaton Fire, which broke out on the same day, is still ongoing.

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