While there is no evidence to support these baseless claims, Tiktokers and anonymous X accounts have been fanning the flames of disinformation as social media companies remove their restrictions on false content.
While California’s governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation, self-proclaimed online detectives and anonymous X accounts are pushing disinformation about the cause of the fires.
Wildfires devastating Los Angeles have sparked a bizarre claim that a “direct energy weapon” attack was launched to implement so-called “15-minute cities.”
The “15-minute city” concept—an urban planning idea where daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, and healthcare, are within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or transit trip—has become the mantra of conspiracy theorists in recent years. While Los Angeles has had publicly available plans to become a “smart city” by 2028, including environmental sensors and a smart power grid, these developments are unrelated to the fires.
Alex Jones speaks to supporters of US President Donald Trump as they demonstrate in Washington, DC, to protest the 2020 election (Photo: Oliver Douliery/ AFP)Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist who once falsely claimed the Sandy Hook school shootings were staged, posted on X: “Los Angeles Fires Are Part Of A Larger Globalist Plot To Wage Economic Warfare & Deindustrialize The United States Before Triggering Total Collapse.”
The rhetoric intensified after a man in his 30s was arrested in connection with the Kenneth Fire, which erupted Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. However, LAPD later clarified there was no evidence linking him to any wildfire, and he was arrested on a separate felony probation violation.
Palm trees
As the fires rage on, conspiracy theorists pointed to the fact that many palm trees were left standing while cars and homes burned around them, claiming this as supposed evidence for their theory that a “heat attack” had deliberately targeted people’s livelihoods.
Footage also shows thousands of trees severely damaged, with many collapsed and mangled.
To clarify, concrete is fire-resistant—not fireproof. Under sustained high temperatures, concrete cracks, binding materials fail, and reinforcing steel weakens.
While it’s true that some insurers have declined to renew coverage, there is no evidence to suggest the fires were started by these companies. Instead, this trend reflects the worsening impacts of the climate crisis.
This troubling pattern is not unique to California. Similar practices have been documented in other climate-vulnerable regions like Florida and Louisiana, where insurers are retreating from areas increasingly impacted by hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Others have claimed online that the damage to numerous celebrity homes suggests Hollywood is trying to shield its biggest stars.
After his arrest, internet users fuelled sensational claims, suggesting a widespread Hollywood cover-up involving prominent actors, producers, and stars.
As California’s devastation unfolds, TikTok sleuths are poised to keep spreading unfounded theories, igniting disinformation like wildfire across the internet.
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