Federal authorities have apprehended a Florida man linked to one of California’s most devastating wildfires. This inferno, which started as a New Year’s spark, destroyed around 7,000 structures and claimed 12 lives.

Prosecutors allege that 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht set off a fire just after midnight on January 1 on the Temescal Ridge Trail in Pacific Palisades. What initially appeared to be a minor brush fire on federal land swiftly evolved into a massive blaze, eventually known as the Palisades Fire, which consumed over 200 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

In an unusual development, it is reported that Rinderknecht consulted ChatGPT following the incident to inquire if he could be held accountable for the catastrophe.

Details from a criminal complaint by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) outline the events that led to the fire and Rinderknecht’s capture. He faces charges of arson of property receiving federal financial support, a felony that could lead to a 20-year prison sentence. The federal complaint provides a precise sequence of the events.