As “devastating” wildfires continue to spread across Southern California, experts say misinformation has also been circulating at an alarming rate.
Here are five key claims about the fires and the response, with factual clarifications provided by experts and officials:
Claim: Governor Newsom's policies to blame for water hydrant shortagesThis statement is said to be false and lacks context. President-elect Donald Trump recently suggested that Gov. Gavin Newsom's policies caused fire hydrants to run dry. However, experts explain that hydrants are part of local water distribution networks and that the problem arose due to the magnitude of the fires. Jay Lund, a professor at UC Davis, explained: “There is no water shortage in Southern California, but there is a shortage of water in the areas that suffered fires because the storage they had locally in the neighborhoods, in the cities, was depleted. “It's not enough for the event.” Additionally, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) confirmed that water pressure dropped due to unprecedented demand, not a water shortage.Claim: Governor Newsom did not sign a “Water Restoration Declaration”This statement is also said to be false. Trump claimed that Newsom did not sign a document that would have allowed the state to restore Northern California's water. However, Newsom's press office responded by stating, “There is no such document as the water restoration statement; that is pure fiction.” Experts, including Ashley Overhouse of Defenders of Wildlife, confirmed that no such statement was ever presented to the governor.Claim: “There is no money” in FEMATrump's claim that FEMA has run out of money is claimed to be false. In December, Congress passed a bill allocating $100 billion for disaster relief, including $29 billion for FEMA's disaster relief fund. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also visited Los Angeles to meet with officials to ensure recovery efforts were underway. A FEMA spokesperson clarified: “The current balance of the Disaster Relief Fund is approximately $27 billion,” reaffirming that FEMA has adequate resources to respond to the fires.Claim: DEI initiatives at the Los Angeles Fire Department harmed firefighting effortsSome critics have claimed that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the expense of firefighting resources. However, racial equity experts, including USC's Shaun Harper, strongly refute this claim, stating, “I find it disgustingly opportunistic” and noting that there is no evidence that DEI initiatives detract from the department's ability to combat fires. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley also mentioned that budget cuts, not DEI programs, affected the department's capacity.Claim: Delta Smelt Limited Water Protection for Fire FightingTrump suggested that protecting the delta smelt, an endangered fish species, limited the availability of water for fighting fires. However, experts dispute this claim and emphasize that regulations governing the Bay-Delta estuary, where the smelt lives, represent only a small fraction of the region's water flow. Ashley Overhouse of Defenders of Wildlife stated, “The claim that Delta smelt protections are limiting the amount of water exported to Southern California is baseless.” Even the most protective regulations only account for about 1.2% of the additional outflow from the Bay-Delta.(ABC NEWS)READ ALSO FROM Newslodge
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