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☆ Fact Check-Video does not show 2023 demolition drive in Abuja, Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Nigerian TV broadcast from 2021 of settlements belonging to the Fulani ethnic group being torn down in Abuja is being falsely shared online as building demolitions ordered by a government minister in 2023. Speaking in August at the site of a deadly building collapse in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike said all structures in his constituency without adequate building approvals would be demolished (here). Some social media users then shared a broadcast report about Fulani settlements being torn down, suggesting it showed Wike’s order being carried out. “FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at work ooo, starting from Fulani settlement and some areas along Airport,Abuja, FCT, Nigeria,” said Facebook posts sharing the video (here), (here). But the report, from Independent Television/Radio Abuja, was first broadcast on May 31, 2021 (here).

Persons: Nyesom Wike, “, ”, Malam Muhammad Bello, Read Organizations: Federal Capital, Independent Television, Radio Abuja, Task Force, Azikiwe, Guardian, Reuters Locations: Abuja, Airport, FCT, Nigeria, Nigerian

☆ Fact Check-Ocasio-Cortez post on leaving X stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The post from the parody account shared on Sept. 3, 2023, states, “After my 3rd bottle of wine last night, I’ve made my decision. Because of Elon Musk allowing hate speech on this platform, I’ll be leaving X today at noon ET,” (here), archived (here). The handle @AOCPressTwo is a parody account on X with the username “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Press Release (parody)” (twitter.com/AOCpressTwo). Her official X handle is @AOC and uses the username “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” It has been verified since October 2017 (twitter.com/AOC). X post on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaving the platform stems from a parody account.

Persons: Representative Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, I’ve, Ocasio, Musk, Alexandria Ocasio, Read Organizations: Representative, Elon, Cortez, Reuters, The New York Times Locations: Cortez, Alexandria

☆ Fact Check-Nigerian report on President Tinubu switching the naira for dollars is fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A digitally altered Nigerian news broadcast that says President Bola Tinubu is planning to ditch the country’s currency for the dollar is being circulated online. Responding to circulation of the video, Arise News said in a statement on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that it’s a fake report. “ARISE News totally dissociates itself from a DEEP FAKE VIDEO making the rounds on social media mimicking the What's Trending segment's anchor Ojy Okpe,” the outlet said. “The digitally-altered video which claims that President Bola Tinubu plans to abolish the naira in favour of the dollar is the handiwork of Fake News peddlers” (here). The clip of Tinubu was taken from a press conference in 2022 where he announced his intention to run for president (here) (here).

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Ojy, Ajuri Ngelale, Okpe, Read Organizations: Reuters, Fake

☆ Fact Check-The Guardian columnist’s headline on use of word homosexual is fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An op-ed headline likening the use of the word homosexual to a hate crime is being falsely attributed online to The Guardian columnist Owen Jones. The fabricated headline reads: “Addressing me as homosexual is a homophobic hate crime.” It is shared within an image that copies the layout, formatting and typeface used by The Guardian and includes a headshot of Jones. Reuters also did not find an op-ed by the headline elsewhere online (rb.gy/4jsep). A spokesperson for The Guardian told Reuters in an email that the screenshot has “never been a published Guardian headline or story”. Jones regularly writes opinion columns for The Guardian on topics encompassing politics, LGBTQ+ rights and workers’ rights among others.

Persons: Owen Jones, Jones, “, “ I’ve, ”, Read Organizations: Guardian, Facebook, Reuters, The Guardian

☆ Fact Check-Video shows Vedic hymns chanted in Croatia, not White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of people citing Vedic hymns was filmed in Croatia in 2018 but has been falsely captioned online to claim it shows an event in the White House. “At White house,’Shri Rudram Stotram’ was recited at the White House in America,” read posts on Facebook (here) and (here) and messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here). The video matches images of an event organised by Veda Union, a network of European Veda chanting groups, in Zagreb, Croatia in 2018 (here). The White House and Veda Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Video of people chanting Vedic hymns was filmed in Croatia, not the White House.

Persons: “, Rudram Stotram ’, ”, Rudram, Read Organizations: White, Facebook, Veda Union, Veda, Reuters Locations: Croatia, White, America, Zagreb

☆ Fact Check-US swimmer did not reject ‘$3 million partnership with Nike’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines has not rejected a multimillion-dollar partnership with Nike on account of the brand being “woke.” The claim shared online stems from a parody website. Regardless, the claim was taken seriously online with one Facebook user sharing the image with the caption, “Go WOKE...go Broke....” (here). The meme was first shared by the official America’s Last Line of Defense Facebook page (here). Gaines previously spoke out against Nike for its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April (here), (here). Swimmer Riley Gaines has not turned down a $3 million contract with Nike.

Persons: Riley Gaines, “, Gaines, “ Riley Gaines, “ I’m, “ Go, “ Dunning, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Clay Travis, Buck Sexton, Read Organizations: Nike, Riley Gaines Center, Leadership Institute, Reuters, University of Kentucky, Defense, “ Dunning Kruger Times

☆ Fact Check-Fake FEMA post on housing all Burning Man ‘survivors’ at on-site station
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has dismissed as fake a screenshot of a social media post purportedly from the agency’s X account urging Burning Man festival attendees to go to an on-site FEMA emergency station at the festival grounds and barring their family and friends. The image appears to show a post published by FEMA’s official account on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and reads: “All survivors of Burning Man will be housed at our Black Rock emergency station. A search through FEMA’s X account did not reveal the post (ghostarchive.org/archive/gjfWQ). No social media post about housing Burning Man “survivors” was published by FEMA. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts (here).

Persons: ”, Read Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, FEMA’s, Twitter, Facebook, Reuters

☆ Fact Check-New COVID ‘ID-10T’ variant stems from satire site
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A new COVID-19 variant has not been named “ID-10T,” despite claims circulating online. The earliest iteration Reuters could find stems from a satire website. The earliest iteration Reuters could find stems from a now deleted satirical website, ‘Caps Lock News’ published in March 2020 (here). The ‘About’ section of the website reads: “Caps Lock News is a satirical and parody website that should only be used for entertainment purposes” (here). The screenshot stems from a now deleted satire website.

Persons: Bill Gates, Read Organizations: European Centre for Disease, Reuters

☆ Fact Check-Forbes headline about Ebola outbreak at Burning Man is altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Forbes did not publish an article titled, “Yes, There’s An Ebola Outbreak At Burning Man.” Instead, it reported there was no Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man arts and music festival in the Nevada desert. “The image … appears to be an altered screenshot of a Forbes story entitled, ‘No, There’s Not An Ebola Outbreak At Burning Man,’” a spokesperson for Forbes said in an email to Reuters. The timestamp, author, and satellite image of the Burning Man festival in this article match the altered screenshot (here). Reuters found no evidence to support online claims that there was an Ebola outbreak at Burning Man (here). Forbes did not report that there was an Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man festival.

Persons: Forbes, revelers, ’ ”, ”, Scott Pauley, Read Organizations: Man, Facebook, Reuters, “ CDC, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Bureau of Land Management Locations: Nevada, Black Rock

☆ Fact Check-No reported mpox outbreak at Burning Man festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Social media posts falsely reporting mpox and other diseases at the festival are circulating amid news of heavy downpours that produced a sea of sticky mud at the event in 2023 and prompted a shelter-in-place order. One post on X, formerly known as Twitter, (here) reads, “There's no ebola outbreak at Burning man.. we've received confirmation that it's just a new strain of monkeypox. However, there are no credible news reports of an mpox outbreak at Burning Man in 2023, nor do the event organizer’s social media accounts mention any cases of the disease (here), (twitter.com/bmantraffic), (www.facebook.com/burningman/). Reuters has previously addressed false claims of an Ebola outbreak at the 2023 Burning Man event (here). There have been no reports of an mpox outbreak at Burning Man 2023, according to the CDC and BLM.

Persons: “, we've, Dave Daigle, ” Daigle, ” John Asselin, Read Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Land Management, Man, Twitter, Facebook, Reuters, CDC, Mpox, BLM, Burning Locations: Nevada, Black Rock, Marburg

☆ Fact Check-LA airport evacuated because of a suspicious item, not Burning Man quarantine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

“Private jet from Burning Man lands at LAX and get (sic) quarantined on runway and airport evacuated,” read a post sharing video of the evacuation on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here). The X post included hashtags #Ebola and #outbreak that refer to a separate, unfounded narrative that there was a virus outbreak at Burning Man (here). Screenshots of the X post were also shared on Facebook (here) and (here). Burning Man festival organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LAX was not evacuated because of a quarantine or reasons related to the Burning Man festival.

Persons: revelers, ”, Dae Levine, Scott Pauley, Read Organizations: Los Angeles International Airport, Man, Reuters, Posts, LAX, Facebook, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Los, Los Angeles World Airports, CDC, U.S . Bureau of Land Management Locations: Nevada, LA, Los Angeles, Black Rock

☆ Fact Check-Blue lightning video not proof of lasers used during Tropical Storm Idalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Satellite imagery from Aug. 27 showing blue lighting strikes inside Tropical Storm Idalia has been shared on social media alongside false claims that they are evidence of laser attacks or Direct Energy Weapons (DEW). We are being terrorized on the daily.”The video does show lightning during Idalia and not man-made lasers or weapons. Examples of previous satellite imagery by CIRA depicting lighting artificially colored in blue amid tropical storms are viewable (here), (here), (here). Reuters previously addressed false claims of lasers or direct energy weapons, or DEWs, causing extreme weather events (here), (here) and explosions (here). The blue lighting strikes viewable in the satellite imagery are a result of false color used by weather mapping organizations for visibility purposes.

Persons: Idalia, “, Matt Rogers, CIRA, Rogers, Read Organizations: Energy Weapons, Reuters, Outreach, Communications, Cooperative Institute for Research, Colorado State University, Environmental Locations: Florida, Bend

☆ Fact Check-Photos show two different gates that survived separate Japanese disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pictures of two Japanese gates that survived two separate catastrophic events in history are being falsely claimed online to be the same. The caption asks: “What the hell is that arch made of?”However, the pictures were taken in separate locations and show two different arches. Nagasaki is situated in southwest Japan, whereas Otsuchi is more than 1,760 km away via car towards the country’s northwest (shorturl.at/gkDY4). The gates are different and survived two separate Japanese disasters. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Persons: torii, Otsuchi –, Read Organizations: Facebook, Reuters Locations: Nagasaki, Otsuchi, U.S, Japan

☆ Fact Check-No evidence of Ebola outbreak at 2023 Burning Man festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence of an Ebola outbreak during the 2023 Burning Man festival, despite viral claims online. Reuters found no evidence of any such outbreak and messaging from the festival organizers and public agencies contradicts the online claims. “CDC has not received reports of Ebola nor requests for testing, or for CDC teams to deploy tied to the Burning man Festival,” a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said to Reuters in an email on Tuesday. Archives of the festival’s website and accounts associated with the festival on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, do not reveal any post warning of an Ebola outbreak (here), (here), (here). There is no evidence of an Ebola outbreak during 2023 Burning Man festival.

Persons: ”, Read Organizations: Reuters, CDC, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Bureau, Land Management, Twitter, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA Locations: Black Rock

☆ Fact Check-Altered clip of DeSantis at Jacksonville vigil adds pro-Trump chant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was booed at a vigil for victims of the Jacksonville shooting, but online posts share an altered clip replacing the boos with a “We want Trump” chant. The clip, attributed to CNN, was never aired by the television network, a CNN spokesperson said. The clip includes a CNN logo with a chyron that reads, “DESANTIS HECKLED IN JACKSONVILLE” and shows DeSantis interrupted by people chanting, “We want Trump!”Another example can be seen on Facebook (here). The clip stems from a prayer vigil for the Jacksonville shooting victims on Aug. 27. A pro-Trump chant was not heard at the Jacksonville shooting vigil, and a CNN spokesperson said the network never aired the fake clip circulating on social media.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Trump, “, Ron, “ DESANTIS, DeSantis, ” Shimrit, Read Organizations: Jacksonville, CNN, Reuters, Twitter, JACKSONVILLE ”, Facebook, TIME, Associated Press, Trump Locations: Florida, Jacksonville , Florida, Jacksonville

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Trump distributed water to Floridians for Hurricane Idalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence former U.S. President Donald Trump assisted Florida residents in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, despite online posts circulating a photo of Trump handing over a bottle of water. Hurricane Idalia plowed through Florida’s Gulf Coast on Aug. 30, causing floods and widespread power outages. Further, there are no news reports or photos to corroborate the claim that Trump aided Floridians in preparation for the hurricane. ET in a Truth Social post that said, in part: “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by Hurricane Idalia” (here). Donald Trump was not photographed aiding Floridians preparing for Hurricane Idalia.

Persons: Donald Trump, Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Trump, @Trump_History45, Donald J, William Shakespeare, Napoleon Bonaparte, Floridians, Read Organizations: Hurricane, Trump, Reuters Locations: Florida, Coast, United States

☆ Fact Check-‘No place for whites’ ADL photo is altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for an initiative called “No Place for Hate” has been altered to replace the word “hate” with “whites,” yet some online posts share the edited photo alongside calls to ban the nonprofit. ADL created the “No Place for Hate” initiative to provide schools and communities with a framework for combating bias, bullying and hatred. A post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “Why does the ADL promote this overt anti-White hatred and bigotry? The photo shows four people holding balloons that read: “NO place for WHITES.”Another example on Facebook said, in part, “The ADL is an anti white hate group” and calls for a ban on the ADL (here). The signage on the balloons read: “NO place for HATE.”A cropped version of the photo can also be seen on a page dedicated to the initiative on the ADL website with the same “NO place for HATE” wording (www.noplaceforhate.org/why).

Persons: ”, Jake Hyman, Read Organizations: Defamation League, ADL, Hate, Twitter, Facebook, Reuters Locations: York, New Jersey

☆ Fact Check-No evidence to support posts saying Trump is canceling presidential run
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As of September 4, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump is still campaigning for the Republican nomination for the 2024 general election. Posts on social media are claiming, with no evidence, that he pulled out of the race alongside an unrelated video. There is no evidence of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump canceling his bid for the 2024 presidential election, contrary to posts shared on social media making this claim alongside an unrelated video. A Facebook post (here) reads, “DONALD TRUMP SUDDENLY CANCELLED 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN.”It includes a video that does not back up the claims made in the post. As of September 4, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump has not canceled his 2024 presidential run.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “ DONALD TRUMP, Ron DeSantis, Read Organizations: Republican, Reuters, Trump Locations: Florida

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show Putin at Prigozhin’s funeral
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A 2013 video of Vladimir Putin at his former judo coach Anatoly Rakhlin’s memorial has resurfaced on social media, with users falsely claiming it shows the Russian President attending Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s funeral. The social media clip captures the Russian president placing flowers on a coffin, greeting people, and paying his respects above an open casket before eventually refusing to get into his limousine. In the last few seconds of the video, Putin can be seen walking away alone. For example, Putin can be seen next to the casket at 28s in the YouTube video and at 16s in the social media clip. He can then be seen walking alone at 1:18 and 42s in the two clips respectively.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Anatoly Rakhlin’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Putin, “ Putin, Rakhlin ”, Rakhlin, ”, Read Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Facebook, YouTube Locations: St Petersburg, russia

☆ Fact Check-Inaccurate WEF Founder Klaus Schwab family tree shared online
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A photo that claims to depict the family tree of World Economic Forum (WEF) Founder Klaus Schwab includes multiple inaccuracies. Posts online are taking it as evidence he is related to the Rothschild banking dynasty on his mother’s side. The same image of the family tree appeared online as early as July 2021 in a conspiracy thread on Reddit (here). KLAUS SCHWAB PARENTSThe family tree notes an accurate birth year for Klaus Schwab, but the names of his parents are incorrect. The photo shared on social media includes multiple inaccuracies to falsely link Klaus Schwab to the Rothschild banking dynasty.

Persons: Klaus Schwab, Rothschild, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, Schwab, KLAUS SCHWAB, Eugen Wilhelm Schwab, Erika Epprecht, Yann Zopf, “, ”, FRED, MARIANNE SCHWAB, Marianne Schwab, Marianne Rothschild, Marianne, Klaus, nee Rothschild, Louis, Melanie Rothschild, Fred Schwab, Leslie, Madeleine, Fred, Marianne’s, LOUIS ROTHSCHILD, Marianne Schwab’s, Louis Rothschild, Louis Nathaniel von Rothschild, Countess Hildegard Johanna Caroline Marie Auersperg, Louis Nathaniel’s, Salomon Albert Anselm von Rothschild, Bettina Caroline de Rothschild, Moritz, Emma Rothschild, Spokespeople, Read Organizations: Economic, Facebook, Zekelman Holocaust, Jewish, Rothschild, Getty, Reuters Locations: Ravensburg, Germany, Frankfurt, England, United States

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Ocasio-Cortez post on hurricanes and cars stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A post by a parody account impersonating U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying that hurricanes did not exist until cars were invented, is being taken seriously by users online. It was posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and reads: “Fact: There were no hurricanes before the invention of the automobile” (here). The authentic X account for Ocasio-Cortez is @AOC (www.twitter.com/AOC). Wow!”Reuters previously addressed posts by this parody account (here), (here), (here). The post was shared by an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez parody Twitter account.

Persons: Representative Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, bro, “, Read Organizations: Representative, Twitter, Cortez, Reuters Locations: Cortez, Galveston , Texas, Alexandria

☆ Fact Check-Fake Atlantic headline calls white supremacy a ‘multi-species movement’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A circulating screenshot of a purported article by The Atlantic headlined “White Supremacy is now a multi-species movement” is fabricated and echoes a similar fake headline addressed by Reuters Fact Check in May. A spokesperson for The Atlantic said the screenshot is a fake. Anna Bross, senior vice president of communications for The Atlantic, said via email that the screenshot was fabricated. Reuters has previously addressed fake headlines attributed to The Atlantic (here), (here), including an example that circulated in May 2023 depicting a similar headline about white supremacy (here ). The Atlantic did not publish an article headlined “White Supremacy is now a multi-species movement.” The screenshot circulating online is fabricated.

Persons: ’, Mel Brooks, ”, Adam Goldsteinowitz, Anna Bross, Read Organizations: Atlantic, The Atlantic, The, Reuters Locations: Europe, Nazi

☆ Fact Check-Photo shows police officers with Trump in June, not August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Miscaptioned posts on social media say it shows Trump walking up to be taken into custody. It shows him walking up to the applauding officers with his arms raised to the side. Another photo from the same day shows Trump posing with the officers for a photo (here). Following the exchange with the officers, Trump continued on to the convention where he gave a speech (here), (here). The photo shows former U.S. President Donald J. Trump arriving in Columbus, Georgia, for the Georgia Republican Party Convention.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Fani Willis, Trump’s, Dan Scavino, Read Organizations: Georgia Republican Party Convention, Reuters Locations: Columbus, Atlanta, Fulton County , Georgia, Columbus , Georgia

☆ Fact Check-Video of tornado and car hit by winds predates Hurricane Idalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video that includes two old clips of devastation caused by violent winds predates Hurricane Idalia that made landfall on Florida’s coast on Aug. 30, 2023. “Category 4 Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida bringing waves 12ft, tornado #CAT 4 hope it passes quickly” read a post sharing the compilation on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here). A screenshot from the video of a tornado was also shared on Facebook with the same caption (here). “Idalia, though being termed as a Category 4 hurricane, is actually no less than a Category 5 hurricane” read another post sharing the videos on Facebook (here). Videos of a tornado levelling houses and a car being blown away predate Hurricane Idalia.

Persons: ”, “, Taylor Trian, Idalia, Read Organizations: Facebook, Mississippi, Reuters, Hurricane Locations: Florida, Kansas, Andover , Kansas, Taiwan, Texas, Georgia

☆ Fact Check-Video shows controlled burn of California wetlands, not arson
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of California’s wildlife authority conducting a controlled burn at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in February is being misrepresented online as an arsonist sparking a wildfire. The 39-second clip shows an individual airboating through a wetland area and using a terra torch to burn some grassy sections. Reuters traced the video to the official Facebook page of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, a protected area managed by the U.S. Reuters reported in June 2023 on prescribed burning in California, which experts and fire officials consider an important tool to lower wildfire risks by preemptively burning dry timber and other fire fodder (here). The video shows prescribed burning at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.

Persons: It’s Arson, Joanna Gilkeson, Read Organizations: Sacramento National Wildlife, Facebook, Reuters, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Sacramento NWR Locations: Sacramento, California

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