A 29-year-old Central Florida man accused of setting what eventually turned into the devastating Palisades fire was described as a loner with a “despondent view of the world” who lived paycheck to paycheck by driving for Uber and DoorDash.

Jonathan Rinderknecht moved in with family members in Florida months after he allegedly set the Lachman fire in the Pacific Palisades using “an open flame,” requiring firefighters to spend hours putting it out on Jan. 1, where it continued smoldering underground until fierce winds reignited the blaze on Jan. 7, federal authorities have said.

Around the time he set the fire, Rinderknecht was apparently falling out with friends and had broken up with a girlfriend. He worked for Uber the night of Dec. 31, where two customers recalled him appearing “agitat

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