USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect/ Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NBA legend Chris Bosh next to image of Palisades Fire in Los Angeles
The Palisades Fire in 2025 grew to one of the most destructive fires in modern history. It took the lives of 12 individuals and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, homes and businesses, on its way to becoming the second-most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.
Jonathan Rinderknecht is currently being re-tried on charges of igniting the Lachman Fire on January 1st, 2025, which experts believe smoldered underground for six days before regaining strength and erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire. His defense attorneys are now arguing the Palisades fire was the result of a firework launched from NBA star Chris Bosh‘s $11 mansion and they are attempting to use testimony from witness accounts, though Bosh was not living at the mansion during the time of the fire.
Man Charged With Starting Deadly Palisades Fire Accused Chris Bosh
In an exclusive obtained by the California Post, it has been revealed the defense attorneys representing Jonathan Rinderknecht are seeking to used testimony from “Michael T. Cole, a retired Cal Fire investigator who spent 18 years in the agency’s arson unit.”
The attorney for Jonathan Rinderknecht wrote in a filing “Mr. Cole is expected to testify that during his 2025 investigation of the Palisades Fire he observed and documented a mark and an associated burn and smoke trail on the driveway and rear patio area of the residence at (redacted), and that, based on his training and experience, those marks are physical evidence of a launched firework.”
Of course that is not to be taken as fact, it is merely a filing by an attorney. However, the redacted residence from the filing was identified by the California Post as an $11 million mansion owned by former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh.
During his 13 seasons in the NBA, Chris Bosh was a 11x NBA All-Star and won 2 NBA Championships while with the Miami Heat playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He was forced into early retirement in 2019 due to blood clotting issues that had plagued him since 2016.
The report from the California Post states that Bosh was not living in the mansion at the time of the fires and it was rented out. The NY Post wrote “Bosh was renting out the house when the devastating fire broke out, The Post learned. A rep for Bosh could not be contacted.
Furthermore, prosecutors have already responded to the defense attorney’s attempt to bring this testimony into the case and they have torn it to shreds. Writing the witness has “zero qualifications, training, or experience” to claim marks on a driveway that were reportedly found months after the fire have anything to do with fireworks.
Court documents state “his entire ‘expert’ opinion is based on six drone photographs of a brown stain on the driveway taken in either February 2025 or 2026. No up-close in-person inspection, no other testing. Six drone photographs, that’s it.”
Leave Chris Bosh Out Of It?
The report goes on to say the Defense did not inform the prosecution of Cole’s testimony until this week. Dragging Chris Bosh’s name into all of this simply as the owner of a home where there were some brown marks on the driveway seems unnecessary.
Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested on October 7, 2025 for allegedly starting the blaze. A lighter was found during a search of his car on January 24th. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest on October 7th.