The death toll due to wildfires in Los Angeles, California, has risen to 24, and 16 reported missing since Tuesday evening 7/1/2025. Approximately 300,000 people have been displaced since the wildfires began, with that misinformation has spread across social media.
Kashif presents the most notable examples in this report:
1. AI-Generated Videos Circulate
A. Viral AI-Generated Video of the “HOLLYWOOD” Sign on Fire
Social media accounts shared a video showing the iconic “HOLLYWOOD” sign engulfed in flames, claiming it was a real result of the Los Angeles wildfires. The video was captioned: “Hollywood is burning!!”
Kashif verified the video using Google Images and confirmed it was AI-generated. The original video was posted on TikTok by “y.bealive” on 11/1/2025, clearly stating that it was AI-generated. Indicators such as the unnatural coloring, the movement of the flames, and smoke patterns supported this conclusion.
B. Viral Video of AI-Generated Wildfire Scenes
Another video, showing large-scale fires across several areas, circulated with claims linking it to the Los Angeles wildfires. The caption read: “A breathtakingly terrifying scene of California’s wildfires.”
Kashif found that this video, posted by the Instagram account “ai_creatiions” on 10/1/2025 was AI-generated. The account explicitly described its content as AI-generated videos. The visual details, such as fire and smoke characteristics, confirmed it was artificially created.
2. Circulation of Old Videos Mislinked to the Los Angeles Wildfires
A. Old Footage of a Rescue Helicopter Crash in Chile
A video showing a crashed helicopter was falsely linked to the Los Angeles wildfires, with captions suggesting it was a firefighting helicopter.
The video was identified as old footage from Chile.It was first posted by Al Jazeera on 16/1/2024 2024, describing a rescue helicopter crash in Chile.
B. Video of Pope Francis’s visit to Timor-Leste
A video showing heavy traffic was shared with claims it depicted evacuations due to the wildfires in Los Angeles.
The video was from September 2024 and documented Pope Francis’s visit to Timor-Leste, as confirmed by its original posting on Instagram by jccpanama.
C. Misleading Clip of Wildfire Suspect
A video of a person allegedly setting fire to trees was shared, claiming the individual caused the Los Angeles wildfires.
This video, posted by alex4_planet in April 2024, was unrelated to the wildfires. The account specializes in environmental restoration efforts, including reforestation.
D. Old Video of a Factory Fire in Texas
A video of a large fire was falsely attributed to a power substation explosion in Texas following the Los Angeles wildfires.
The video dates back to October 2011 and shows a chemical plant fire in Waxahachie, Texas, as reported by CBS News.
E. Misrepresentation of Taylor Swift’s Comments
A video allegedly showing Taylor Swift claiming the Los Angeles wildfires were divine punishment for U.S. support of the war in Gaza went viral.
This claim was false. The video was altered by adding fake audio to an interview Swift gave on The Tonight Show on 12/11/2021, where she discussed her career and music, not Gaza or the wildfires.
3. False Claims About Fatalities and Economic Losses
Inflated Death Toll Claims Posts claimed the wildfire death toll had reached 200.
Kashif confirmed that reliable sources, such as Alhurra and NBC News, reported 24 fatalities as of 13/1/2025
Economic Losses and Infrastructure Concerns
The wildfires have caused severe damage, with estimates from AccuWeather suggesting economic losses of up to $150 billion.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called for an investigation into water supply failures, while strict curfews were enforced to prevent looting.
Military reinforcements have been deployed as efforts to contain the fires continue.
| Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
| Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. مرتضى خاطر murtadaa khatir تركي الشلهوب turki alshalhub الشريف حازم الحسيني alsharif hazim alhusayni روحانيون من الشرق ruhaniuwn min alsharq الاعلامية إيمان طوالبه alaelamiat ‘iiman tawalibuh صلاح الامام salah alamam amira Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. عربي 21 earabiun 21 El Jadida 24 احمد الميموني ahmad almymwny Walid Amuer Bachar Nizar Beaini احمد عايض ahmad eayd | y.bealive ai_creatiions الجزيرة aljazirat الحرة alhura jccpanama alex4_planet CBS News NBC NEWS The Tonight Show التلفزيون العربي alaraby. سكاي نيوز sky news الحرة alhura CNN الاقتصادية الحرة alhura وفا wafa factcheckarabicafp BBC |