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| - FACT CHECK: X Video Shows 2022 Fire In Cleveland, Not 2023 Maui Fires
A video shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show recent wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.
“BREAKING: Jaw-Dropping Hawaii Video – Fire Gets Blown Across the Street!#hawaiiwildfires #hawaii #hawaiifire #update #mauifires #hawaiifiresupdate #hawaiiwildfire #wildfireupdate #wildfires #mauifire #maui #mauifires #hawaiievacuation #news #prayingforhawaii #prayingformaui… pic.twitter.com/kHDUr8eBln
— Empirical Eye (@Empirical_Eye) August 14, 2023
Verdict: False
The video shows a June 2022 fire in Cleveland, Ohio, not the August 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.
Fact Check:
As of Monday, 99 people have died following recent wildfires in Maui, with the number of casualties expected to increase, according to The Associated Press. The fires began on Aug. 8 amid a drought and high wind gusts, ABC News reported.
“BREAKING: Jaw-Dropping Hawaii Video – Fire Gets Blown Across the Street!” the X video, viewed nearly 162,000 times, purports. A group of onlookers holding cell phones can be seen watching the blaze spread in the video.
The claim is false, however. The video shows a June 2022 fire in Cleveland, Ohio, not the August 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. The original video, which has been published on YouTube, shows the same scene as that of the X video. The video’s title indicates The Flats area of the city is where the blaze took place.
Likewise, the Cleveland Fire Department shared another video of the blaze to its verified X account in June 2022. The department revealed the fire was likely the result of careless smoking via the same post.
“Grass/Mulch Fire last night in the flats. #CLEFIRE Engines 1 & 2 responded. Dramatic footage, but no damage/injuries reported. Likely caused by careless smoking. 1 cigarette + dry mulch + strong winds = this scary scene. Please extinguish cigarettes/cigars & dispose properly,” the department wrote.
In addition, local news outlets Cleveland 19 News and FOX 8 both reported on the June 2022 fire. Both outlets referenced the video of the blaze that appeared in the viral X post, naming The Flats as the scene of the incident and citing information from the Cleveland Fire Department about careless smoking as the likely cause of the blaze.
Furthermore, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports about the August 2023 wildfires in Maui that include the viral X video. (RELATED: Did 13 Nations Agree To Abolish Farming?)
Check Your Fact has contacted the Cleveland Fire Department, Cleveland 19 News, and FOX 8 for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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