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Claim: Some social media posts claim a Golf player started the Los Angeles wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed over 11,000 homes and businesses.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s checks showed that the golf player’s video was first posted on Instagram on Nov. 13, 2024, nearly two months before the start of the wildfires. Also, the Los Angeles Fire Department has not concluded its investigations into the cause of the ravaging fires.
Full Text
Multiple media reports say the Los Angeles wildfires started on Jan. 7, 2025, after both Palisades and Easton fires erupted in the country.
At least 24 people are reported dead, with over 11,000 homes and businesses destroyed in the fires. See media reports here, here, here, and here.
Efforts are underway to douse the fires and save lives and the remaining homes.
However, some social media posts, as seen here, here, and here, claim a “fire-golf” player started the fire.
The claim was accompanied by a video of a man seen setting fire to dried leaves and branches that had been gathered.
Data on the various social media platforms showed that as of Jan. 21, 2025, the posts had received over 280,000 combined views, 23,000 shares, and 33,000 likes.
DUBAWA decided to probe it due to its virality on social media.
Verification:
DUBAWA’s investigations found no evidence to support the claim that the wildfires were started by a “fire-golf” player, as alleged.
Checks on Google Reverse Image Search and TinEye showed that the video of the Golf player was first posted on Instagram on Nov. 13, 2024, nearly two months before the start of the Palisades and Easton fires.
Commenting on the video on Jan. 17, 2025, an Instagram user @taylahthistaylahthat wrote: “I found the guy that started the LA fires.”
Another user, @jamisen100, added, “Even if this didn’t start the LA fire. Is it very wrong to do this and put it on the internet?”
However, no data supports the claim that the “fire-golf” player started the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Also, the Los Angeles Fire Department has not concluded its investigations into the cause of the ravaging fires.
Media reports revealed that “detectives continue to investigate the possible causes of the LA fires.”
“Lightning—the most common source of fires in the US—has been ruled out as a cause for the Palisades and Eaton fires. There has been no official indication so far that arson or utility lines— the next two biggest culprits in sparking fires—caused any of the conflagrations,” the London-based BBC reported.
Conclusion
The golf player in the wildly circulated video did not cause the wildfires to tear through Los Angeles County.
