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How conspiracy theories minimize tragedy
Thousands of California natives remain under evacuation in the aftermath of seven major wildfires which devastated the Los Angeles area this past month. The fires left more than 30,000 seared acres in their wake.
The sudden and catastrophic damage has made it difficult for investigators to identify exact causes for the fires, but base many theories in scientifically supported trends. In the absence of a precise explanation, though, many people have adopted their own theories.
California is no stranger to wildfires. The region is well-equipped to handle them, both ecologically and economically. Evolutionary change in the area is driven in part by these disasters, so that vegetation can resist and even thrive in their aftermath. Fossil evidence suggests that these traits were developed over several million years based on the areas’ fire regimes. Several other environmental factors, such as climate and competition, have decided these adaptations.
However, the past few decades have observed ecological shifts which disturbed these ecosystems. Higher fire frequencies, invasive species and abnormal weather patterns make it difficult for them to respond and recuperate following these disasters. It is factors such as these which quite literally “fueled the fires,” in California the past few years.
The most significant distinction between the fires in January and past fires was their timing. Typically, California’s wildfire season is between spring and early fall, when the weather is the highest and driest. Winter is the state’s damp season, and last year was its wettest since 2005, according to the National Weather Service. This winter, the area experienced 2% of the rainfall it did in 2024, according to the California Weather Watch.
This is a phenomenon called “weather whiplash,” and researchers believe it is partially responsible for the extremity of the fires. Rising global temperatures are commonly blamed for the rise in this phenomenon. On top of this, several new invasive species have been introduced to the Southern California region that do not have the evolutionary advantages of the native vegetation. These causes are altogether responsible for the increased severity of the fires, according to David Demerit, a Boston University professor of Earth and Environment.
Many are reluctant to accept these explanations.. Throughout January and continuing into this month, there was a surge in conspiracies about the “true cause” of the wildfires, ranging from the almost believable to the completely absurd. These include directed energy weapons, foreign land grabs, diversity initiatives, government spending and sex trafficking cover-ups.
President Donald Trump emerged with criticism of Governor Newsom following the start of the fires, citing Breibart sources that Newsom had cut the state’s fire prevention budget by $100 million preceding the wildfires. These claims were proven to be misleading. While it is true that Newsom had made cuts within the budget, these “represented a cut to previous surplus years’ budget agreement that called for one-time wildfire funding,” according to Amy Sherman with Al Jazeera
The base budget that funds the main wildfire responses was actually increased by $10 billion in November, Newsom and California voters put this new budget in place as part of Proposition 4. This ballot allows California to use the increased budget for wildfire prevention and natural land protection.
Other popular theories claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were responsible for the intensity of the fires. Online, the Los Angeles fire department was defamed by far right creators and organizations with racist and anti-LGBTQ+ posts. X owner Elon Musk posted, “[LA Fire Department] prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes,” These claims are not supported by any evidence. However, their shocking nature commands the attention of mainstream media outlets. “Such comments are a distraction from known impacts on the fires, such as the Santa Ana winds, and the fact that fire events in the state have been enhanced by a changing climate.
These are the facts which often get lost among thousands of social media posts and agenda driven news sources. It seems easier to explain these tragedies when there is somewhere absolute and outside of ourselves to place the blame.
Theories like these, founded on prejudice and distrust, prevent us from countering the actual causes which they seek to hide. They take advantage of our vulnerability and direct us to distractions. It's not the diversity of the LA fire department that is burning down homes and businesses, it's the fire catching in record droughts and soaring temperatures. And when disaster strikes, it does not discriminate.
Our hatred of each other bars us from sharing in the communities that will allow us to rebuild and adapt. Plants that get burnt do not turn on their neighbor to try and uproot them. They evolve together. They rely on their cooperation and the ecosystem continues.
Conspiracy theories don’t rebuild homes. They don’t unite the communities that were ravaged or hunt through the ashes for the fragments. They are a selfish, lazy way to explain what feels unacceptable. They’re a placebo for the control we feel the lack of. In the case of the wildfires, they are a way to shift the blame outside of ourselves. It gives permission for the true causes to continue their disorder.
Climate change is not creeping in through the cracks in the walls. It is not knocking at the door, asking politely to be let in. Not slowly, down the line or across the world. It is happening at full volume, everywhere and now. We all have the responsibility, but if we allow ourselves to, we also have each other.
If compelled, the California Community Foundation and the LA County Wildfire Response are two notable organizations responding to the aftermath of the fires. You can also give directly to families and communities in need through GoFundMe.
