A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly wildfire that destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was detained for allegedly starting a fire on New Year’s Day that burned down much of the wealthy area a week later, acting US attorney Bill Essayli said.The blaze, which erupted on 7 January, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes and buildings in the Pacific Palisades, a wealthy coastal neighbourhood. It burned down mansions with views of the ocean and central Los Angeles.Rinderknecht fled the scene of the original fire but returned to the same trail where he’d been earlier to watch it burn, Essayli said. During an interview with investigators, he lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.