Palisades arson suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to create images of burning city

October 9, 2025

California wildfire

(Axios) – Federal authorities in Los Angeles arrested a man accused of igniting January’s destructive California wildfires.

The big picture: The Palisades Fire ranks among the most destructive in Los Angeles history, killing a dozen people and destroying more than 6,800 structures.

Driving the news: In a federal complaint, prosecutors alleged that Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old Uber driver from Melbourne, Florida, intentionally set the fire. (Read More)