SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Wildfire season is about to begin in California, but fires have already started further north in British Columbia, Canada. According to the CBC, the season has arrived with a slew of conspiracy theories.
“Most of the theories were that the fires were politically motivated and not just a consequence of accidents or bad decision making,” said Darryn Wellstead, who researches social media and misinformation and is a teacher of sociology at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John, B.C, per the outlet.
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According to Wellstead, many of the theories are being spread via social media. Some of the theories claim climate change is a hoax aimed at destroying the the oil and gas industry, others claim governments uses wildfires “as a scare tactic to force people into 15-minute cities.”
CNN reported on “15-minute cities” in February. It explained that this term for a walkable-cities concept was first developed by Carlos Moreno, a professor at the Sorbonne University in France.
“The aim is to make cities more livable and connected, with less private car use – meaning cleaner air, greener streets and lower levels of planet-heating pollution,” said CNN. This benign idea has become a star in conspiracy theories on social media, according to the outlet.
Wellstead said the conspiracy theories related to wildfires “are symptomatic of something bigger that's happening.”
Political polarization has resulted in an uptick in conspiracy theories worldwide, he added. An example in the U.S. is the QAnon conspiracy theory that was embraced by former President Donald Trump. Wellstead said that uncertainty and fear also play a role in people gravitating towards conspiracy theories.
“It’s not like people go around just adopting whatever idea they hear,” explained Dr. Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami and one of the country’s foremost authorities on conspiracy theories. “They seek out and adopt ideas that tell them that the way they view the world already is correct.”
In the case of wildfires, it is important to get accurate information out to the public so people can remain safe. This month, KCBS Radio’s podcast “Bay Current” explored different ways to prepare for wildfire season, which the Western Fire Chiefs Association said lasts from around June to October in California. There have already been nearly 1,000 wildfires fires in the state during 2023, according to Cal Fire.
KCBS Reporter Mike DeWald attended the Ember Stomp event at the Marin County Civic Center, held to demystify the process of preparing for fires.
“So in my working life, I was a scientist and I worked on built environment issues and wildfires,” said presenter Stephen L. Quarles, a professor emeritus with the University of California Cooperative Extension. He said that many products used to build homes are combustible and offered tips for keeping homes safe.
Lynn Osgood, deputy fire marshal with the Novato Fire District who also joined the show, told DeWald that preparation makes all the difference when it comes to wildfire safety.
“It could save us time from having to knock on doors of people [who] already are prepared to evacuate and they know what to do,” she said. “If they receive notification, they know to grab their go bags and to evacuate.”
You can listen to the full conversation here.
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