Lighter Testing to Take Center Stage in Second Palisades Fire Arson Trial

Jonathan Rinderknecht faces a second federal arson trial Nov. 2 after his first ended in a hung jury. His attorney says late lighter testing will undercut the prosecution's case.

Lighter Test Video to Be 'Front and Center' at Second Palisades Fire Trial

A green Bic barbecue lighter recovered from Jonathan Rinderknecht's glove compartment will be the central piece of evidence at his second federal arson trial, NY Post Metro reports, after defense attorney Steve Haney revealed that prosecutors conducted video testing of the igniter nine months after his client was arrested.

Rinderknecht, charged with two federal counts of arson for allegedly sparking the deadly Palisades Fire, appeared in a Los Angeles federal courtroom Thursday ahead of the November 2 trial date.

"The results of the testing will be front and center on video at the trial," Haney told the California Post following the hourlong hearing.

The video is believed to show the lighter being tested and brush being ignited. Haney argued the late timing of the experiment weakens the government's position.

"I don't know why they didn't test the lighter before they charged my client, but they did later," he said. "It's going to be a big issue, the second-guessing to test the cause of the fire months after my client was arrested."

The government's theory holds that Rinderknecht started the Lachlan Fire on January 1, 2025, using the lighter alone, with no accelerants, on a hillside in Pacific Palisades. Prosecutors say that blaze smoldered for days before being reignited by record Santa Ana winds, ultimately producing the massive Palisades inferno. The lighter itself was found by investigators on January 24, 2025, in the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car.

"The cause of the fire according to the government was a lighter, with no accelerants on a hill on January 1st, and they need to prove that," Haney said. "They didn't prove it in the first trial, and I think that will be an even bigger challenge based on the new evidence in the second trial."

Haney noted that the testing was conducted 11 months after the fire and 9 months after his client's arrest.

Rinderknecht's first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked 11-1 in favor of acquittal. During those proceedings, the lighter appeared in the background of a selfie Rinderknecht had taken in his apartment hours before the alleged ignition.

A juror identified only as Bryana from Lompoc told The Post she found the government's case unconvincing. "It's disappointing because of how much money and time they put into the same thing. I don't know … but like, yeah, bullsh–t," she said.

Bill Essayli, Los Angeles's top federal prosecutor, moved quickly to announce a retrial. "The evidence is strong that Jonathan Rinderknecht is responsible for igniting the fire on January 1, 2025, which eventually became the Palisades fire," Essayli posted on X. "We fully intend to retry this case before a new jury and obtain guilty verdicts on all charged counts."

Rinderknecht faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted on both arson counts. Haney said he is pursuing a full acquittal.

"There's some very strong evidence in the second trial that will erode their theory of how that fire even started," the defense attorney said.

Source: NY Post Metro