Lawless Planet

Who's to Blame for L.A.'s ‘Zombie Fire’?

April 13, 2026·49 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

On New Year’s Eve 2024, an Uber driver named Jonathan Rinderknecht allegedly started a fire in the Pacific Palisades. The fire was quickly contained, but it lingered on underground as a “zombie fire.” Days later, fueled by Santa Ana Winds, it exploded into the Palisades Fire, the most destructive conflagration in Los Angeles history. A second fire, ignited just hours later, destroyed much of neighboring Altadena. In the aftermath, angry residents wanted accountability – but who is to blame for a fire when the earth is now a tinderbox?Featured in this episode:Brad Weisshaupt, LA County Fire DepartmentTraci Park, LA City CouncilIndia BradleyNic Arnzen, Altadena Town CouncilDaniel Swain, University of CaliforniaSources:The Los Angeles TimesKTLA 5 NewsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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