FACT CHECK: X Video Shows Plane Crash, Catch Fire In Chile, Is Not Linked To California
A viral video shared on X purports to show a plane helping fight the recent fires in California catch fire, then crash.
🔥 The fire plane also caught fire !
A plane that was supposed to help fight a fire in Los Angeles, USA, has crashed. pic.twitter.com/8gM33HPUoE
— Warzone Observer (@WarzoneObserver) January 11, 2025
Verdict: False
The video shows a plane catching fire and then crashing while fighting a fire in Chile in January 2024, according to Aeroflap. It is not linked to the recent fires in California.
Fact Check:
Rory Callum Sykes, an Australian actor and former child star, is just one of the victims who died as a result of the recent California fires, according to Fox News. Sykes was 32 years old, the outlet reported.
The X video, viewed over 100,000 times, purports to show a plane helping fight the recent fires in California catching fire and then crashing. In the video, the plane appears to hit a pole before it crashes and catches fire.
“The fire plane also caught fire! A plane that was supposed to help fight a fire in Los Angeles, USA, has crashed,” the video’s caption reads.
The claim is false. The video shows a plane catching fire and then crashing while fighting a fire in Chile in January 2024, according to Aeroflap. According to Aeroflap, the accident occurred in the Maule region of Chile, and the plane provided services to the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF). Although the pilot of the plane was rescued, he died. Three other people were injured, Aeroflap indicated. (RELATED: No, The Hollywood Sign Is Not Currently On Fire)
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the viral X video referenced in any credible news reports about the recent fires in California. Actually, the opposite is true. On Jan. 13, Newschecker debunked the claim, indicating the video showed the January 2024 plane crash in Chile.
In addition, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on the Los Angeles Fire Department’s website or its verified social media accounts.
At least 24 people have been killed as a result of the recent fires in California, according to Forbes.
