The Palisades Fire, one of Los Angeles’ most destructive wildfires, now has a human face behind it. After an intense and painstaking investigation, officials have detained a 29-year-old man suspected of intentionally starting the fire that charred 23,400 acres and destroyed thousands of homes. The magnitude of the crime and the meticulous work required to locate the perpetrator have left many in awe, and MMA icon Bruce Buffer weighed in on the effort in his own unique way.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, who was detained in Florida, is now facing a three-count federal indictment for property destruction by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce property, and setting timber ablaze. Prosecutors claim he set the fire after dropping off a passenger on New Year’s Eve, returning to a hilltop trail near Pacific Palisades, and reportedly lighting a fire after listening to a rap video featuring fire imagery.

The wildfire ultimately killed 12 people, destroyed approximately 6,000 structures, and caused $150 billion in property damage, coinciding with the neighboring Eaton Fire in Altadena. All this and the later arrest made Bruce Buffer take a moment during a conversation with MMA coach Ray Longo to emphasize the outstanding investigative effort that led to the perpetrator getting arrested.

“They finally got somebody,” Buffer said on his YouTube channel. “He was putting images on ChatGPT depicting a burning city, and I don’t know what other evidence they got. But can you imagine the amount of leads, shall we say, forensics material, everything the police had to go through to come down to arresting this one individual? I couldn’t even fathom how much they had to do or how little they had to do to make this happen.”

His words highlighted the thorough effort and precision necessary for law enforcement to apprehend a suspect in such a large investigation. And thanks to all this effort, for now, Rinderknecht remains in jail without bond and is expected to file a plea in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

The federal indictment allows prosecutors to bypass a preliminary hearing and proceed directly to trial, keeping the focus squarely on holding him accountable for the tragedy. Meanwhile, local authorities and citizens are still processing the scale of the destruction and the human recklessness that caused it, while Bruce Buffer has asked the judiciary to give a strict verdict against the accused.

Bruce Buffer demands 20+ years for Jonathan Rinderknecht

Bruce Buffer and Ray Longo didn’t mince words when discussing the Palisades Fire suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht. Both legends of the sport demanded a harsh sentence, stating that anything less than 20 years would be unjust. “If he saw less than 20 years, it would be an injustice,” Longo said, with Buffer adding, “Yeah. Total injustice,” highlighting the scale of the damage done.

The wildfire, which burned over 23,400 acres, damaged thousands of homes, and killed 12 people, has left the town in shock. Rinderknecht is now facing the formal weight of the legal system.

On October 15, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles delivered a three-count indictment charging him with property destruction by fire, arson affecting interstate commerce property, and setting fire. According to the US Department of Justice, if convicted as charged, he may face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 45 years in prison, a range that aligns with Buffer and Longo’s call for a substantial sentence.