Federal prosecutors have revealed that the devastating Los Angeles blaze once pinned on climate change was actually deliberate. The Palisades fire arson case has shattered months of political and media narratives that blamed the tragedy on global warming and fossil fuels.
Federal prosecutors in California have charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with “one count of destruction of property by means of fire,” a crime carrying up to 20 years in prison. “While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy,” said acting U.S. attorney Bill Essayli. Investigators said their conclusion was based on “witness statements, video surveillance, cell phone data, and an analysis of fire dynamics conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
That evidence directly contradicts what Democrats and major media outlets claimed at the time. Gov. Gavin Newsom posted, “If you don’t believe in science, believe your own damn eyes,” as he tied the fire to climate change and President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords.
President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Reps. Jared Huffman and Jasmine Crockett each used the fire to call for sweeping climate policies. Meanwhile, outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and NBC News published stories linking the blaze to “climate disasters compounded.”
The new charges suggest something far simpler — and more criminal — than climate change was to blame for the Palisades inferno.
