The four myths surrounding the cause of the California wildfires, debunked 

A ‘direct energy weapon’, P Diddy and insurance companies have all been accused by conspiracy theorists online of starting the wildfires in California.

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.

It comes as multiple fires continue to ravage Los Angeles as footage emerges of homes reduced to rubble. More than 150,000 people remain under evacuation orders, with officials confirming at least 11 deaths.

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.

Here are some of the theories…

15-minute cities

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 theory gained traction after a video clip surfaced, appearing to show an object flying across the sky during the wildfires. Social media users quickly linked the footage to unfounded comparisons with the blaze that destroyed 80 percent of Lahaina in Maui County, Hawaii.

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.

Despite this, conspiracy theories connecting the concept to the wildfires have proliferated, often linked to broader narratives like QAnon, anti-vaccine movements, and climate change denial. A prevailing claim suggests the fires were deliberately ignited to make the land uninhabitable for residential use, paving the way for “15-minute cities.”

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.”

Actor Henry Winkler, later fuelled the hysteria, posting on X: “THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA,” and calling for vigilante action. “May you be beaten unrecognizable!!! The pain you have caused!!!”

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.

While authorities have not ruled out arson as a potential cause of some fires, a senior LA official confirmed there is “no conclusive evidence” that the current wildfires were deliberately set.

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.

In reality, many trees survive wildfires due to evolutionary adaptations. These include thick bark that insulates their inner layers and wood with a high moisture content, according to the National forest Foundation. Additionally, most of the heat from a wildfire occurs at ground level and does not reach the tree canopy.

Footage also shows thousands of trees severely damaged, with many collapsed and mangled.

But some social media users continued to question how concrete structures can buckle while trees remain standing.

To clarify, concrete is fire-resistant—not fireproof. Under sustained high temperatures, concrete cracks, binding materials fail, and reinforcing steel weakens.

Insurance companies

Rumors have been circulating that the recent decision by insurance carriers to drop wildfire coverage for many LA citizens was because these fires were planned or that insurers somehow knew they were imminent.

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.

As climate-driven disasters become more frequent and severe, insurers are raising premiums or refusing to provide coverage in high-risk areas.

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

A theory that the Palisades fire was deliberately started—and will continue—to destroy evidence related to the Sean “Diddy” Combs case has gained traction online.

Others have claimed online that the damage to numerous celebrity homes suggests Hollywood is trying to shield its biggest stars.

In late 2023, Combs settled a high-profile sexual assault and abuse lawsuit filed by his former partner Cassie Ventura. In the following months, additional lawsuits emerged, with claimants alleging incidents of sexual assault and abuse by Combs between 1991 and 2009.

After his arrest, internet users fuelled sensational claims, suggesting a widespread Hollywood cover-up involving prominent actors, producers, and stars.

Some online investigators claimed to have discovered an underground tunnel connecting Combs’ house to the nearby Playboy Mansion, though police found no evidence to support this claim.

As California’s devastation unfolds, TikTok sleuths are poised to keep spreading unfounded theories, igniting disinformation like wildfire across the internet.