Authorities say they have arrested the man who started the deadly wildfires that devastated a Los Angeles neighborhood

US federal law enforcement officials announced on Wednesday that authorities in California have charged a 29-year-old man with starting a fire that exploded days later into the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history and destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

Acting US Attorney Bill Essay said during a press conference that authorities have charged 29-year-old Jonathan Renderknecht with starting a fire on New Year’s Day that was initially extinguished but continued to burn underground before igniting again during high winds.

Al-Asili said that Rinderknecht fled the scene of the original fire but returned to the same path he was on earlier to watch it burn. Al-Asili said that during an interview with investigators, he lied about his whereabouts, claiming he was near the bottom of a hiking trail.

He was arrested on Tuesday in Florida and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Al-Asili declined to explain how investigators proved that Renderknecht was the one who started the fire on January 1.

The fire, which broke out on January 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the area. Pacific Barriersan affluent coastal neighborhood in Los Angeles, the fire swept through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with stunning views of the ocean and downtown Los Angeles.

Watch | Canadian Nadia Williamson lost her home in the Los Angeles fire:

“Everything is gone,” says the Canadian who lost his Los Angeles home to the Palisades fire.

Nadia Williamson, a Canadian living in Los Angeles, fled her home as a powerful wildfire approached. “Before I knew it, the entire barrier area was gone.”

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, likely by a lighter placed on plants or paper, according to a criminal complaint.

Authorities first interviewed Rinderknecht on Jan. 24, according to the criminal complaint. He told them he was in the area on January 1 and did not see anyone else in the area at the time.

Investigators ruled out other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette could have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.

No cause has been determined for the Altadena fire

Investigators still have not determined the cause of the second fire, called the Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day in the Altadena community and killed 18 people.

The two fires continued for several days, reducing one area after another of entire neighborhoods to gray and black rubble.

An external review released in September found that a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.

The report, commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors, said a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications weaknesses,” hampered the county’s response.