Minutes after midnight one year ago, federal prosecutors allege, a man-child preacher's kid, with anger issues and a fixation for setting his Bible on fire, took the long barbecue-type lighter he had in his car and set the blaze that later would incinerate more than half of the Pacific Palisades. Six days later, a Santa Ana wind — the Devil's Winds — would spark the fire back into existence to kill twelve people and destroy 6,800 homes. More than half the homes in Pacific Palisades would be burned along with billions in possessions, lost art, real estate, and mementos belonging to the people who called that wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood home.
While the visible flames were put out, firefighters knew the fire danger was far from over, according to texts revealed last October, which I covered in "Bombshell Texts Reveal L.A. Fire Brass Knew Fire That Burned Down Palisades Wasn’t Out." Indeed, this week, PJ Media's Stephen Green (Vodkapundit) wrote about another tranche of texts showing that there was no interest in putting out the underground fires because of environmental concerns. Of course, PJ Media readers know this all too well, as I wrote about in "Stunner: California Saved a Shrub Instead of Protecting Humans in the L.A. Fire."
This past year, however, Palisades homeowners would learn only too well that the safety of people was a lower priority than plants and edicts from environmental czars.
The Lachman Fire, as it was called, was started shortly after the stroke of midnight last New Year's Eve, according to the federal indictment charging a former L.A. resident with setting it:
The first indication of the Lachman Fire was captured at 12:12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2025, from a camera approximately 4.7 miles away. Footage taken from that same camera 35 seconds earlier did not show a fire. A closer camera, approximately two-tenths of a mile away from the Hidden Buddha clearing, first captured the glow of the fire at 12:12:21 a.m.
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Shortly after the fire call came in, California State Parks employees texted the LAFD to find out if the local firefighters would be using bulldozers and other heavy equipment to fight the fire.
“Heck no that area is full of endangered plants,” Capt. Richard Diede replied at 9:52 a.m, five hours after LAFD declared the fire contained.
“I would be a real idiot to ever put a dozer in that area,” he wrote. “I’m so trained.”
...LAFD decided early on not to use bulldozers, but has not explained why. LAFD announced it had contained the fire at 4:46 a.m. Jan. 1, less than 20 minutes after the first state parks official arrived at the command post.
The texts are part of discovery and depositions in the case brought against the state by hundreds of Palisades home owners.
Pacific Palisades residents no doubt loved the trails and canyons to hike in, but did they know that their lives and homes would be surrendered to plants? Had California officials, answering to the left's environmental priorities, fully informed them that if a fire occurred, plants would take priority?
Federal prosecutors say that seconds after setting the fire, Jonathan Rinderknecht tried to call 911, but bad cell service prevented the call from going through. His GPS was working, however, because that's how the feds pinpointed the then-28-year-old walking on the Skull Rock Hiking Trail after dropping off a fare. Video footage verified that he was there.
The indictment shows his car on the road.
While driving away from the scene, Rinderknecht saw fire crews going in the opposite direction. He turned around and offered to help them fight the fire, according to an interview he gave to federal investigators.
Rinderknecher, who grew up in France with his Baptist missionary parents, often excitedly discussed with his constant companion, ChatGPT, about burning his Bible and how excited that made him feel. According to the indictment against him, in the days and, indeed, minutes leading to the fire, he listened to a French tune "'Un Zder, Un The,” by the French hip hop artist Josman and watched the video of the song, which features the singer setting a fire.
Federal arson investigators believe Rinderknecht started the fire using a piece of paper or dried brush and not a cigarette or other smoking materials.
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Investigators believe the former Palisades resident fixated on the wealth of that neighborhoods' home owners, as shown in a photo he spoke into existence on ChatGPT using this prompt included in the indictment:
On July 11, 2024, RINDERKNECHT provided the following prompt to ChatGPT: “A dystopian painting divided into distinct parts that blend together seamlessly. On the far left, there is a burning forest. Next to it, a crowd of people is running away from the fire, leading to the middle. In the middle, hundreds of thousands of people in poverty are trying to get past a gigantic gate with a big dollar sign on it. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people. They are chilling, watching the world burn down, and watching the people struggle. They are laughing, enjoying themselves, and dancing. The scene is detailed and impactful, highlighting the stark contrast and the direct connection between the different parts of the world.
Here's the photo ChatGPT conjured for the suspect:
On the state's pecking order, the people of the Palisades and their homes were at the mercy of a crazy, wealth-obsessed arsonist and the whims of state environmental policy.
In my next installation of looking back at the 2025 LA Fire Lies, the mayor leaves town and the local government takes leave of its senses.
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