Los Angeles Fire

If a wildfire destroys cars, must it always destroy nearby trees as well? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found other examples of wildfires sparing trees while nearby cars and houses were incinerated. Experts explain that trees generally have a higher moisture content and take longer to heat up than closed structures like a car or home, making trees less…

Does an authentic photo show a California fire hydrant painted rainbow-colored with a January 2025 wildfire burning in the background? No, that's not true: The image was posted by a self-described satire account. It was generated using AI, as evidenced by the Grok logo in the bottom right corner. The image appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram on…

Does a video show looters caught in the act of carrying a big-screen TV and other items from a home in the path of the fire burning Los Angeles County? No, that's not true: The men are not looters but the resident's family, helping save some of her belongings. The video clip on social media aligns with events captured in…

Does a photo accurately represent the full leadership team at the Los Angeles Fire Department amid the Los Angeles County January 2025 fires? No, that's missing context: The photo posted on social media shows the current fire chief, a deputy chief and a commander from the department, but they are just three of the 14-member leadership team for the department.…

Did the Biden administration order Los Angeles airspace to be closed "to firefighting aircraft for over a day during his visit" in January 2025? No, that's not true: There was a temporary flight restriction during Biden's visit to the city on January 8, 2025, which is typical for any visiting president to any location. The Federal Aviation Administration told Lead…

Was the "Hollywood" sign a casualty of the fires burning in Los Angeles County as of January 9, 2025? No, that's not true: When this fact check was written, the sign was "safe and secure," according to the organization that preserves the sign. Media supposedly showing the sign being on fire were likely generated through artificial intelligence or by simple…

Did the Los Angeles Fire Department ask "anyone with firefighting experience" to assist in fighting wildfires in the area on January 7, 2025? No, that's not true: The department said it is "NOT requesting assistance from the public" in a statement on X. On January 7, 2025, it issued a recall for active off-duty department members, with the agency later…

Does reporting by the entertainment weekly "Variety" suggest that ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is "expected to be fired" from the network after its settlement with President-elect Donald Trump? No, that's not true: ABC News told Lead Stories that he signed a new deal with the network after it settled a defamation case with Trump. No information about his supposed…

Did the NFL abruptly fire three referees who officiated the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams for their involvement in the largest bribery scheme in NFL history? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the NFL fired any referees amid a bribery scandal following a game between the two California teams as of…

Does a photo on Facebook actually show rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs seated next to former President Donald Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as the two men snuggle with young women? No, that's not true: A previous fact check by Lead Stories determined that another version of the photo that did not include Combs was likely AI-generated.…