Maui, Hawaii

Online platforms have been inundated with false narratives regarding the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, media reports said while detailing such instances. These misleading claims suggest that the catastrophic fires were orchestrated by employing advanced technology like a laser beam. These kinds of things usually crop up that challenge something and say that different opinions are being silenced so some can push political ideas and not give much importance to how climate change affects severe weather and other environmental issues. 

Advertisment

Orchestrating fires?

Reportedly, a significant proportion of the misleading posts insinuate that "elites" or governmental organisations intentionally ignited the wildfires. Several videos and images have been circulated, amassing millions of views, claiming that the wildfires were not a natural disaster but instead the result of a "directed energy weapon" or a "laser beam" explosion. Garnering 10 million views, one video purportedly depicts a massive explosion in Maui before the fires.

×

Advertisment

However, this video was originally a viral TikTok clip showing a transformer explosion in Chile. Chilean TV confirmed that the explosion resulted from a blown transformer due to strong winds.

One of the other images displayed a burning church in Hawaii, viewed 9 million times. There are claims of a laser beam rising from the structure into the sky. Nevertheless, this image has been digitally manipulated.

The original Associated Press news agency photo, captured on August 8, shows the Waiola Church engulfed in flames without any visible laser beam.

Advertisment

Other misleading images

Two other misleading images have also gained traction. One portrays a fireball and a streak of light rising towards the night sky, alongside claims that wildfires are not a natural phenomena.

×

However, research reportedly revealed that this image is from a controlled burn at an Ohio oil refinery in January 2018. The streak of light, termed a "light pillar," arises from reflections of ice crystals on cold days.

Similarly, an image alleging a colossal beam of light in Maui right before the wildfires actually depicts the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in California, dated May 2018.

Some claims have circulated about videos showing trees still standing amidst burnt houses and vehicles, with individuals using these images to support theories of deliberate fires or hidden causes.

One viral post on X shows a video displaying destruction and shows how trees have survived. "Everything is burnt but the trees, but don't point that out or you're a conspiracy theorist." 

Speculations of "elite land grab"

Parallel to the "directed energy weapon" rumours, viral posts speculate that affluent residents and second-home owners in Hawaii intentionally triggered wildfires to seize valuable land. 

Another viral thread, seen by millions, lists wealthy property owners in Maui, offers aerial footage of Lahaina, and suggests suspicious patterns of destruction. Media reports said that there is no concrete evidence which supports the notion that these fires were deliberately ignited for land acquisition purposes.

×