LOS ANGELES — Reality television personality Spencer Pratt is urging accountability from local and state authorities regarding the Palisades Fire. This plea follows federal prosecutors’ announcement on Wednesday, confirming suspicions among residents that the blaze was triggered by a previously started fire that had not been extinguished properly.
“Our legal team informed the court months ago about the cause of the Palisades Fire, and now the Department of Justice has validated our claims. It was a rekindling of the New Year’s Eve Lachman Fire, which was inadequately managed by the city fire department,” Pratt, who lost his home in the devastating fire, stated in a TikTok video.
“The city allowed it to continue burning, and the state did nothing for nearly a week on their property. They are now responsible for the hazardous conditions that led to the destruction in our community. I told you so!”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom have faced significant criticism for their handling of the fire and for not preventing it from occurring in the first place.
This information, which was initially discussed in the days following the January 7 Palisades fire, became public when federal prosecutors charged former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, with igniting the earlier Lachman Fire on January 1.
While that fire was quickly extinguished, prosecutors reported it reignited days later — causing the loss of 12 lives, the destruction of nearly 7,000 homes, and inflicting over $150 billion in damages.
Rinderknecht’s arrest has validated theories raised during the investigation into the origins of the fire, which reportedly began at an observation point called Skull Rock, situated along the popular Temescal Ridge hiking trail in the affluent coastal area.
Initially, investigators suggested to the Los Angeles Times in January that the fire might have stemmed from “human origins,” possibly due to fireworks.
Now, authorities have accused Rinderknecht of having “maliciously” set the fire before fleeing the area and subsequently calling 911 to report it.
Judy Wagner, a former resident of Pacific Palisades who also lost her home to the wildfires, characterized the official response to the incident as “mismanaged.”
“I would like for authorities to uncover precisely what occurred, but ultimately, it matters little. A fire occurred, and the central issue is managerial failure in addressing it. That is a fact, regardless of who started it,” she communicated to The Post, questioning whether others might have played a role apart from Rinderknecht.
“This disaster was entirely preventable, but while this individual may be culpable, I’ve seen that location where many kids gather to set off fireworks, which is a high-fire risk zone.”
Federal arson charges can have severe penalties, with mandatory minimum sentences ranging from five to 20 years, and even harsher penalties if injuries or fatalities occur.
Rinderknecht, who was interviewed by authorities shortly after the fire but allegedly misrepresented his role at the time, will be brought back to California to face trial, officials confirmed.
The Palisades Fire erupted concurrently with the Eaton Fire, which resulted in 19 fatalities, yet authorities have yet to disclose a cause for that incident.
<pCritics have harshly scrutinized city and state officials for what they deemed ineffective decision-making and inadequate response to the initial fire report.
Bass, who faced backlash for being in Ghana during the fire’s onset, became defensive with the press when questioned about her crisis management, especially regarding fire hydrants running dry while emergency crews struggled to connect hoses.
Additionally, she came under fire for reducing the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by $17.6 million before the incident occurred.
Newsom received harsh criticism for going back on his promise made on his first day in office in 2019 to revamp the state’s wildfire preparedness, which entailed clearing accumulated dried vegetation in the Pacific Palisades hills.
Instead, he cut the fire prevention budget by approximately $150 million and overstated the amount of brush cleared, claiming 90,000 acres were treated, while the actual figure was closer to 12,000 acres.
