Whereas investigators work To find out what is causing the numerous wildfires in the Los Angeles area, some conspiracies regarding the origin of the fires have spread on social media platforms.
Posts about unfounded theories – ranging from celebrity involvement to secret government weapons – have been viewed millions of times.
Despite fact-checking efforts, researchers say such conspiracies routinely emerge after large wildfires.
Misinformation researcher Abby Richards said, “I think the more emotionally overwhelming it is, the more likely we'll see large amounts of conspiracy theories to deal with it and to make people feel that They have control.”
Directed energy weapons plot resurfaces
Misleading videos have fueled false claims that directed energy weapons, often referred to as DEW, fueled the flames. Conspiracy theories suggest that governments or secret organizations use laser or microwave systems to light fires.
experts to pass Frequently rejected These claims attribute the irregular burning patterns to natural factors such as wind, terrain, and vegetation.
When We While DEW has been developed and tested for military applications – such as disabling enemy drones or missiles – there is no credible evidence of DEW being used in civilian settings, including igniting wildfires.
The DEW theory also came up during the 2018 California wildfires, in which Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed in a now-deleted social media post that the fires could have been caused by lasers. from spaceAnd online users spread conspiracies during other disasters, including in Canada Maui is on fire Texas Smokehouse Creek wildfire in 2023 and 2024,
“Most people will look at this kind of thing and completely dismiss it because it doesn't match how they already see the world. But there are also people who see the world through a conspiratorial lens, ” said co-author Joseph Usinski.American conspiracy theory,
Claims that weather is man-made
Claims have circulated that the government could geoengineer rain to prevent Los Angeles wildfires.
The theory that governments have some control over the weather has emerged after several natural disasters storm Helen and Milton. And meteorologist and agencies including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Has rejected these claims.
“People tend to blame the government or company executives because it's easier to blame structural problems like drought conditions,” Geoff Dancy, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, told CBS News.
“It's more attractive to people who are desperate for order in the middle of a disaster,” Dancy said.
The US Government Accountability Office said in December assessment At least nine states are using this technology on cloud seeding, which is “funded primarily at or below the state level” and has little federal interference.
For cloud seeding to be effective, the atmosphere around Greater Los Angeles would need more moisture in the clouds to condense water vapor, said Katja Friedrich, a cloud physics expert and professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. told Political facts.
“The L.A. area is currently so dry that there's not enough water that you can condense,” Frederick said.
plot to grab land
Another baseless claim shared There have been suggestions on social media that the Southern California wildfires were started to clear land so that officials could make way for what they called “smart cities” in line with United Nations goals.
of the United Nations agenda Cutting global emissions includes making cities more sustainable. and the Los Angeles area smartla 2028 The initiative suggests renovating the city's transportation systems along with other technological changes to make the city greener – but the plan does not involve large-scale demolition or reconstruction.
This conspiracy also gained momentum after the forest fire in Maui, when a video of the Governor of Hawaii surfaced. was cutTaken out of context and shared to reinforce the false claim that the state's goal was to build a “smart city” on blighted land. And similar theories were dismissed after the wildfires. Canada and spain Canary Islands,
Conspiracy to hide celebrity crime
some posts that reached millions of people It is being falsely claimed on TikTok that the forest fire was set to destroy evidence. sex trafficking case Against Sean “Diddy” Combs – falsely claiming that his mansion was consumed by flames.
In fact, Combs' mansion remains intact and outside of clearance area Till 16th January.
his house was raided in March by federal agents who seized evidence at the property, and people reported The home was listed for sale in September.
Mega/GC Images/Getty Images
false claims about celebrity home Even after the Maui wildfires spread, some users shared unfounded claims that Oprah Winfrey had helped start the fires.
Addressing the spread of conspiracies
Coincidentally, on the same day the forest fire broke out, Facebook announced It was ending its third-party fact-checking program and loosening its automated systems to police policy violations, instead relying more on users to report issues before taking action. The platform is adopting a crowdsourced “community notes” system similar to Elon Musk's X.
Dancy said that conspiracy theorists are “benefitting from the information revolution in which we live.” “It's an attention economy, and there's a focus on conspiracy theories,” Dancy said.
He advocates regulating social media algorithms that prioritize sensationalist content.
Richards, who wrote thesis There was agreement about climate conspiracy theories circulating on TikTok.
“You are fighting against algorithms that are designed for profit, not to create an informed and healthy society,” he said.