ORLANDO, Fla. — A Central Florida man is set to appear in federal court on Thursday, accused of starting one of the deadliest wildfires in California history.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is expected to appear before a judge in Orlando.
He is accused of igniting a fire that killed 12 people, burned more than 23,000 acres, and destroyed or damaged nearly 7,000 structures.
“Geolocation data for the 911 calls showed that he was standing above the fire in a clearing nearly 30 feet from the blaze as it rapidly grew,” said Bill Essayli, Acting U.S. Attorney.
Investigators say Rinderknecht was living in the area at the time of the fire and moved to Melbourne afterward.
They have collected more than 13,000 pieces of evidence against him.
Among the evidence are AI-generated images Rinderknecht created on ChatGPT, which investigators say depict a dystopian city being burned down.
Rinderknecht appeared in court on Wednesday and told the judge he is not mentally ill.
He faces federal charges of destruction of property by fire, and legal experts suggest more charges could be forthcoming.
Channel 9 will have a reporter inside of the courtroom and provide updates on Eyewitness News.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
