‘FEMA is broke’: Conspiracy theories engulf social media amidst wildfire in California

A devastating wildfire is raging in several parts of California. Homes in the Pacific and Pasadena have been burnt to the ground. Amidst the tragedy, conspiracy theories have been swirling online regarding the fire and government response.

There wasn’t enough water in fire hydrants, and firefighters were overwhelmed by the rapid spread of fire. This drastic turn of events spurred conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, others pushed an unfounded agenda as the tragedy unfolded. One X user wrote, “Don’t worry, Los Angeles—you will get $600 each for your loss! Sorry FEMA is broke, but Ukraine thanks you!”

This implies that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has to contend with the military aid being sent by the U.S. government to Ukraine. Another X account accused FEMA of running out of money due to undocumented migrants.

Such rumors have been denied by FEMA in a post on their website. They wrote:

“No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts.”

President Joe Biden also informed citizens through X that FEMA has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant. Through this, Biden claimed that the move will support affected areas as well as reimburse California’s firefighting costs.

A fire storm in the making

Aside from putting forward unfounded allegations against FEMA, some on X think that the wildfire was intentionally ignited. One post reads, “This “wildfire” appears to be intentional.” This isn’t proven, and moreover, there is a sound reason why the fire quickly devastated several cities in California. Two wildfires erupted from the Palisades and Eaton. The strong and consistent winds fanned the flames into the city. As a result, firefighters were overwhelmed despite increased manpower. In addition, the increased water usage at the Pacific Palisades was blamed by LA officials for the water shortage they faced while battling the flames.