Man charged with sparking the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history will remain jailed

ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida ordered the man charged in California’s deadly Palisades Fire to remain jailed Thursday after a prosecutor said he had traits of an arsonist and his family had worried about his declining mental state

ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida ordered the man charged in California’s deadly Palisades Fire to remain jailed Thursday after a prosecutor said he had traits of an arsonist and his family had worried about his declining mental state.

In ordering Jonathan Rinderknecht to be held in detention, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathan Hill said he had concerns about the suspect’s mental health and his ability to get to California for future court hearings.

Federal officials have said Rinderknecht, who lived in the area at the time, started a small fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground before reigniting nearly a week later and roaring through Pacific Palisades, home to many of Los Angeles’ rich and famous.

The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades and Malibu, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people in all and destroying over 17,000 homes and buildings while burning for days in Los Angeles County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Lyons said during the hearing in federal court in Orlando that Rinderknecht was a flight risk because he had family in France and spoke French.