Wildfire

Does a video that shows an entire city engulfed in flames as a dozen helicopters hover overhead authentically capture a scene from the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025? No, that's not true: Multiple online artificial intelligence detectors judged that this video and its audio -- with a lone siren blaring and the crackling sound of fires burning in the…

Does a viral clip offer proof that the January 2025 California wildfires followed the same path as the planned California high-speed rail system?No, that's not true: The clip repeated a recycled falsehood from 2018. It showed an old 2018 map that depicted areas in a "red flag warning zone" of increased fire risk, not actual fires. The claim reappeared in…

Did the set for ABC's talk show "The View" burn down amid the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for the show told Lead Stories that the program has always been based in New York City. The website where the rumor appeared describes itself as specializing in "Satire and Parody." The image in the social…

Are there 45 electric firetrucks in Los Angeles that had to go back to the fire department for 10 hours a day to recharge while the January 2025 wildfires burned? No, that's not true: According to a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson the LAFD "has only one electric fire engine and no electric fire trucks" and that one is equipped…

Did a Facebook post confirm that Whoopi Goldberg's house burned during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires? No, that's not true: The website the rumor was found on described itself as a page specializing in "Satire and Parody News," adding that their team is "dedicated" to bringing readers "the latest and greatest in fake news." The image seen in the…

Does an authentic video show Taylor Swift saying that the 2025 Los Angeles fires are divine retribution for American actions in Gaza? No, that's not true: The original footage dates back to a 2021 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Analysis tools determined with 100 percent confidence that the voice added to the clip on social media is…

Is there evidence that California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered firefighters not to use Starlink modems while battling wildfires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025? No, that's not true: Newsom denied allegations he had ordered the modems to be confiscated in a post on X. Any firefighter who needs a Starlink device can get one through the Los Angeles…

Does a video show real images from a 2007 episode of "The Simpsons" that predicted the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires? No, that's not true: None of the images in the video posted on social media were shown in the episode cited in the video, episode 12 of season 18 of "The Simpsons." The images used in the video on social…

Does a video show helicopters taking Mexican firefighters to help in Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts in January 2025, as a social media post implied? No, that's not true: Spokespeople for the Los Angeles Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection both denied that Mexico sent air resources to combat the wildfires there. Forestry & Fire…

Does a video depict South African firefighters dancing at a Canadian airport on their way to help battle the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires? No, that's not true: A video showing 200 South African firefighters singing and clapping together was actually recorded in 2023 as they arrived at the Edmonton International Airport to help fight Canadian wildfires. A South African news…