Editor Notes: Timeline note: Although the Palisades fire itself was allegedly set on 01/01/2025, we use 07/11/2024 as the incident date because this is when prosecutors say the suspect first used ChatGPT in connection with the event (reportedly generating an arson-themed image months before the fire). This marks the earliest point at which the AI system was implicated in the chain of events. Federal authorities announced Rinderknecht's arrest and charges on 10/08/2025.