Pacific Palisades · Curbwire

Jun 23, 2026

Closing Arguments Begin in Palisades Fire Arson Trial

45

yrs max
exposure

Closing arguments began today in downtown Los Angeles in the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 30-year-old former Uber driver accused of intentionally igniting a brush fire above the Palisades on New Year's Eve 2024 — the blaze that smoldered underground for six days before erupting as the catastrophic Palisades Fire on January 7, 2025.

Why it matters: Rinderknecht faces three arson counts and up to 45 years in prison; a conviction would mean one person's alleged act is held legally responsible for 12 deaths and roughly 6,800 destroyed structures — the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. The jury is expected to receive the case immediately after closing arguments conclude.

Westside Current, Jun 23 · Forward

Jun 23, 2026

Community Groups Put Their Marks on the Palisades Recovery Plan

Four community advisory groups — the Standing Homes Task Force, the Infrastructure Committee, the Economic and Business Recovery Task Force, and the Evacuation Capabilities Task Force — formally submitted detailed written comments on the City of Los Angeles's draft Long-Term Recovery Plan for Pacific Palisades today, urging major revisions to the document prepared by planning firm AECOM.

What changed: The groups' comments target three pressure points — contamination in homes that survived the fire, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and evacuation bottlenecks — putting organized community voices officially on the record to shape how recovery dollars get spent for years ahead.

Palisades News, Jun 23 · Forward

Jun 23, 2026

LAFD Is Coming for Overgrown Palisades Lots — and Bringing Fines

The Los Angeles Fire Department has begun issuing brush clearance notices to Pacific Palisades property owners with vacant or fire-damaged lots, flagging that vegetation returning to previously barren parcels now poses a critical fire risk — particularly to neighboring homes currently in the wood-framing stage of reconstruction.

Worth knowing: Non-compliant lot owners face a $31 inspection fee plus a $758 non-compliance fine per CD11 — and many lots that showed little regrowth last year now have substantial vegetation within 200 feet of existing structures, according to the City Council office.

Westside Current, Jun 21 · Forward

Jun 23, 2026

Mental Health Standoff at Santa Monica Place Ends in Custody

A mental health crisis standoff at Santa Monica Place — the open-air mall at 395 Santa Monica Place — ended today with the individual taken into custody and transported for hospital evaluation, according to Palisades News.

The hook: No injuries were reported; police and crisis responders resolved the situation without escalation — though the incident underscores the frequency of mental health calls in the Westside's busiest public retail spaces.

Palisades News, Jun 23 · Forward

Jun 23, 2026

A PaliHi Grad Saved His Photo Archive From the Fire. Now It's on View.

Photographer Pat Darrin, a Palisades High School graduate, has opened an exhibition called The Beach in My Backyard (State Beach in the Sixties) at Gallery 169 in Santa Monica Canyon — archival images he grabbed during his 2025 fire evacuation and decided to share with the community.

"In those days, his weekend social life revolved around the beach at the base of Santa Monica Canyon."

Pacific Palisades Post, Jun 22 · Forward

Jun 16, 2026

Raisin Heir Arrested After Months of Alleged Antisemitic Harassment at Palisades Synagogue

Bruce Lion, 64 — heir to the Lion Raisins family business — was taken into custody early Saturday on suspicion of making criminal threats, after Rabbi Zushe Cunin of Chabad of Pacific Palisades accused Lion of waging a months-long campaign of antisemitic and racist harassment from his neighboring $5.3 million property.

The wrinkle: Lion denied some of the allegations; Councilmember Traci Park publicly condemned the conduct; he was booked and released on bail.

$50,000

Bail amount set at booking

Westside Current, Jun 13 · Forward

Jun 16, 2026

Theatre Palisades Takes the Stage Again — Inside the Palisades

Seventeen months after the Palisades Fire destroyed Pierson Playhouse, Theatre Palisades returned to a stage in the neighborhood on June 9 — performing "A Community Celebration of Theatre Palisades" at the Pacific Palisades Woman's Club, featuring the Actors' Troupe and Theatre Palisades Youth.

What's next: The company has pledged to rebuild Pierson Playhouse; this homecoming performance marks its first live production back in the community since the disaster.

Pacific Palisades Post, Jun 16 · Forward

Jun 16, 2026

The Palisades Motor Classic Roared Into Its Debut — and Raised Money for the YMCA Rebuild

4,500+

Attendees, Jun 13

The inaugural Pacific Palisades Motor Classic drew more than 4,500 people to downtown Pacific Palisades on Saturday, June 13 — organizer David O'Connell's 250-car showcase of vintage roadsters and exotic supercars, conceived in partnership with the PaliBu Chamber of Commerce.

Why it matters: Proceeds benefit the Palisades-Malibu YMCA rebuild — making this both a community celebration and a direct contribution to one of the neighborhood's most missed institutions.

Pacific Palisades Post, Jun 13 · Forward

Jun 16, 2026

Suspected Arsonist Arrested as Palisades Fire Trial Opens

A suspected arsonist was arrested in Pacific Palisades over the weekend after allegedly setting multiple fires in the neighborhood — the same week opening statements began in the federal trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025, which prosecutors say reignited as the catastrophic Palisades Fire.

Why it matters: Witnesses, construction workers, a Flock camera, and emergency responders all helped identify and apprehend the suspect — a reminder of how quickly a community on edge can mobilize. Councilwoman Traci Park confirmed the arrest.

Westside Current, Jun 16 · Forward

Jun 11, 2026

Topanga Farmers Market Kicks Off Summer with Family Entertainment

The Topanga Farmers Market launches its summer break celebration series this Saturday with family-focused live entertainment — a good first-weekend-of-summer outing for Palisades families now that school's out.

Palisades News, Jun 11 · Forward

Jun 11, 2026

Permit-Fee Waiver Has No Vote Date — The Unraveling, Part Two

The Pacific Palisades Post's second installment of "The Unraveling" lays out how a web of aging municipal systems — underfunded fire departments, a stalled City Council ordinance, and insurance industry gatekeeping — is structurally delaying fire recovery for displaced Palisades residents, 17 months on.

Why it matters: The City Attorney's office finished drafting the permanent permit-fee waiver ordinance on April 22, 2026 — but the final Council adoption vote still has no date on the calendar, leaving fire survivors in a bureaucratic limbo while costs compound.

Zoom in: The reporting also surfaces that LAPD equipment gaps during and after the fire were quietly filled by private charity, and that pre-fire fire department budget cuts left the department structurally underprepared — a detail the series suggests city officials would prefer not to dwell on.

Pacific Palisades Post, Jun 11 · Forward