As investigators try to find out the cause of the multiple fires that have ravaged the Los Angeles region, social media has been flooded with conspiracy theories.
Millions of people have read posts about baseless theories, ranging from celebrities’ involvement to secret weapons.
Researchers say that despite their efforts to verify the facts, conspiracies like this one are often uncovered after major wildfires.
Abbie Richards, a misinformation researcher, said that “the more emotional overwhelming we feel, the more likely it is to see a high volume of conspiracy theories as coping mechanisms and to make people feel in control.”
The conspiracy of directed energy weapons has resurfaced
False claims have been fueled by misleading videos that claim directed energy weapons (also known as DEWs) ignited fires. According to the conspiracy theory, governments or secret agencies use microwave or laser systems to ignite fires.
Experts have repeatedly discredited this claim, attributing irregular fire patterns to natural factors such as wind, terrain, and vegetation.
There is no evidence that DEWs are used in civilian settings.
Online users spread the conspiracy during other disasters including the Canadian and a href=”https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-maui-hawaii wildfires – dew explosion – russia-185319331205″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Maui fires/a> in 2023, as well as the Texas Smokehouse Creek wildfires in 2024. Online users also spread the conspiracy in other disasters, including the Canadian and Maui Fires of 2023 and Texas Smokehouse Creek Wildfire in 2024 .
Most people reject this type of material because it does not match their worldview. There are some people who see the world with a conspiracy lens, said Joseph Uscinski. He is co-author of American Conspiracy Theories.
Weather is not man-made, as claimed by some
There have been claims that the government may have used geoengineered rainfall to put out the Los Angeles fires.
After several natural disasters such as Hurricanes Helene, and Milton, theories that the government controls the weather began to surface. weather forecasters and other agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have discredited these claims.
CBS News reported that people blame government officials or executives for structural problems like droughts.
Dancy stated that “that is more appealing to people who are desperate for order in the midst of catastrophe.”
In a December Assessment, the U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that at least nine state governments use the technology. It is “primarily funded by the state or lower” and federal involvement is minimal.
Katja Friedrich is a professor at Colorado University at Boulder and a cloud science expert. She told PolitiFact that for cloud seeding to work, there would need to be more moisture in the cloud to condense water vapor.
Friedrich stated that the L.A. region is so dry at present that there isn’t enough water to condense.
Land Grab Conspiracy
A second unfounded claim shared in social media claims that the Southern California wildfires started to clear land for officials to make way for “smart cities” aligned with United Nations goals.
The U.N. agenda for cutting global emissions includes making cities sustainable. The SmartLA2028 initiative of the Los Angeles Area suggests, among other technological improvements, renovating the city’s transportation system to make it greener. However, the plan does NOT involve mass demolition and rebuilding.
The conspiracy gained momentum after wildfires in Maui. A video of Hawaii’s governor was cut and taken out of context, then shared on social media to support the false claim that the state was trying to create a “smart city” on scorched ground. Similar theories were also debunked following wildfires on Canada, and Spain’s Canary Islands.
Cover-up of celebrity crimes
Several posts on TikTok that were seen by millions falsely claimed the wildfires had been started to destroy evidence for the case of sex-trafficking brought against Sean “Diddy”. They falsely claimed his mansion was in flames.
Combs mansion is still intact, and it’s outside of the evacuation zones.
In March, federal agents raided his home and seized evidence. The People reported that it was put up for sale in September.
False claims about celebrity homes also spread after the Maui wildfire, with some users sharing baseless claims that Oprah Winfrey helped start those fires.
Considerations for addressing the spread of conspiracy theories
Facebook announced that it would end its third-party fact-checking program on the same day as the wildfires began. It also relaxed its automated systems to police policy violations and instead relied more on users reporting issues before taking action. It is adopting an “empowered community notes” system similar to Elon Musk’s X.
Dancy says that conspiracy theorists “benefit from the information revolution” in which we live. Dancy stated that “it’s an economy of attention, and conspiracy theories attract attention.”
He calls for the regulation of social media algorithms which prioritize sensational content.
Richards, who wrote thesis on climate conspiracy theories that circulate on TikTok agreed.
She said: “You are fighting against algorithms designed to make money, not to create a healthy and well-informed society.”
