how did the palisades fire start

The Palisades Fire started when Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old former Uber driver, intentionally set a small fire on New Year's Day, January 1, 2025, on a hiking trail near Pacific Palisades. Although firefighters initially extinguished the blaze, it continued to smolder underground. On January 7, strong winds rekindled the embers from this initial fire, leading to the large and destructive Palisades Fire that eventually charred 23,400 acres, destroyed more than 6,800 structures, and caused 12 deaths. Investigators found evidence including Rinderknecht's digital devices and determined he maliciously started the fire, leading to his federal arrest and charges of destruction of property by fire. There were also questions raised about the fire department's handling of the initial fire suppression and pre- deployment of firefighting resources ahead of the wind event that escalated the fire.