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LAPD hasn't linked LA fires to MAGA, cause of blaze unknown | Fact check
The claim: LAPD sought three 'persons of interest' in fires tied to MAGA website
A Jan. 8 Threads post (direct link, archive link) claims Los Angeles authorities linked the California wildfires to three supporters of President-elect Donald Trump.
"Apparently LAPD are looking for three 'persons of interest,' all tied to a MAGA website and who were spotted at the source of all three major LA fires," the post reads. "This might have been the opening salvo in Trump’s war against any State he considers an 'enemy within.'"
The post was shared more than 200 times in four days.
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Our rating: False
The Los Angeles Police Department hasn't made any statements about "persons of interest" related to a MAGA website. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it is still investigating the cause of the fires as of Jan. 13.
Supposed link between fires and MAGA supporters is baseless
A set of deadly wildfires continues to rage across Los Angeles County, with the Palisades Fire ranking as the most destructive in the county's history. The fires destroyed more than 12,000 businesses, houses and other structures, displaced nearly 180,000 residents and killed at least 24 people as of Jan. 13.But neither the LAPD nor the Los Angeles Fire Department have linked the fires to any "persons of interest" related to a MAGA website.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone and Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations Jon O'Brien said in Jan. 8 and 9 press conferences the cause of the fires is unknown and still under investigation. O'Brien said the department would announce the cause as soon as it is determined.
The LAPD did arrest a man Jan. 9 after he was seen trying to start a fire in an area that was burning in the Kenneth fire, the Los Angeles Times reported. The man was arrested on suspicion of a probation violation, but a Ventura County Sheriff's Department spokesperson said the man is a "person of interest" in the fire, which began near the Ventura and Los Angeles county line, the newspaper reported. That fire was 100% contained as of Jan. 12. There was no indication the man had any ties to a MAGA website. The arrest happened after the Threads post was published.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection lists the causes of the fires as "under investigation" on its website.
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The LA branch of the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning on Jan. 6, one day before the initial fires broke out. The warning forecasted "extreme fire behavior" for the next three days caused by the area's dry conditions and strong winds.
Accuweather reported that Los Angeles hadn't experienced a quarter inch of rain since April 2024. About 84% of Los Angeles County was experiencing a drought prior to the fires, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
USA TODAY reported the fires were fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which occur most often in the fall and winter and push dry air from the California and the Southwest deserts toward the coast. Janice Coen, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, said the winds dry out vegetation on the mountain ridges and can carry embers long distances.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
PolitiFact also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources
USA TODAY, Jan. 9, Destruction in California: What caused the LA fires to spread so rapidly?
The Associated Press (YouTube), Jan. 8, LIVE: Los Angeles Fire Department holds press conference as firefighters battle fires
KTLA 5 (YouTube), Jan. 9, Local leaders provide latest updates on fires raging in Southern California
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard, Jan. 6, Facebook post
U.S. Drought Monitor, Jan. 9, Los Angeles County, CA
Accuweather, Jan. 9, What's causing the California wildfires?
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Palisades Fire
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Eaton Fire
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Kenneth Fire
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Hurst Fire
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Lidia Fire
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jan. 10, Archer Fire
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claim linking LA wildfires to MAGA supporters is baseless | Fact check