Question

Without people there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation CANNOT ignite, unlike what the media is telling us.

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Das ewige Geheimnis in dummdeutschen Schwurbelmedien, wie trockene Vegetation "sich entzünden" kann.

Sie tut es nie. Jemand muss sie anzünden. Es gäbe ohne Menschen zur Zeit keinen Waldbrand in Kalifornien.

Desinformation hilft nie, nicht mal einer guten Sache.

Comments

Your claim is False.

Dry vegetation does not catch fire on its own; it needs an ignition source. While humans cause many wildfires through campfires, cigarettes, and power lines, natural causes like lightning strikes can also start fires. In California, hot, dry, and windy conditions make it easier for fires to spread once ignited. Though human activity increases wildfire frequency, fires can still happen naturally. Lightning storms, rare volcanic activity, and even rockfalls creating sparks have started fires before. So while people play a big role in wildfires, it’s not true that fires wouldn’t happen without them—natural wildfires have existed for millions of years.

https://www.preventionweb.net/news/lightning-caused-wildfires-are-80-percent-more-likely-under-dry-vegetation

Answer 1

This claim comes from an unverified Bluesky post, making it unreliable. According to National Geographic, wildfires can start naturally due to factors like lightning, strong winds, droughts, and high temperatures. While CNN reports that 95% of wildfires in California are caused by people, it's not just human activity that makes them so destructive. The real issue is that small, natural fires which would typically clear out dry vegetation are often suppressed. This leads to a buildup of debris, creating the perfect fuel for massive, uncontrollable wildfires when they do ignite. The claim that "without people, there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation CANNOT ignite, unlike what the media is telling us" is false. Wildfires have always been a natural occurrence, but human interference has made them far more intense and widespread.

Source

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wildfires-how-they-form-and-why-theyre-so-dangerous/

Comments

This is a great breakdown of the issue! It does a great job of clarifying that while wildfires can start naturally, human activity has made them way more intense. I like how you pointed out that suppressing small fires actually makes things worse by letting dry vegetation build up. The National Geographic source was a great source to use to help back up the argument!

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This is a great fact check!! The fact that you brought up support the argument well and the National Geographic as your source is great. I really like how you explain how natural occurrences can cause wildfires, it was very quick and thorough. Also adding in the point of human impact making these fires worse is great because it shows how one might have come to this claim but how it is still not true.

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I really think this is a great fact check. I like the support you brought up for the argument you are claiming, you explained the way nature works when a tree ignites without the fault of human.

Answer 2

Your claim that there would be no wildfires in California without people is also challenged by a variety of factors outlined in reliable sources. According to experts, wildfire can start from natural causes, such as lightning, alongside human-induced causes like discarded cigarette butts or power line malfunctions (Doan & Delzer, 2025). Furthermore, the vegetation, exacerbated by climate change, will also be capable of igniting fires with the occurrence of unusual weather patterns, such as the Santa Ana winds (Stephens & Kruczkiewicz, 2025). The fires are a result of global warming, and the human contribution lies in the frequency and magnitude of occurrences rather than being the primary cause.

https://www.climatecentre.org/15016/the-climate-science-behind-the-california-wildfires/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wildfire-conspiracy-theories-viral-fact-check/

Answer 3

While human activity, such as arson and poor land management, contributes to some wildfires, natural causes like lightening can also ignite fires. Wildfires have been occurring for thousands of years, even before human intervention.

Comments

Although your comment makes sense, it doesn't have any proof or sources to back this up. If you can provide evidence to back this up then I think that your answer could be better.

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This answer seems to be very true! Something I would advise would be to add a source to ensure your claim. The claim that without people we wouldn't have California fires is true, although the fires are not caused by people alone and have many natural reactions.

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This claim seems to be true, however, has no cited evidence to strengthen the argument and back up your point. I suggest looking up statistics on human activity and wildfires, or other articles that may help push your point.

Answer 4

This claim is false, as wildfires can start from other factors other than solely from human behavior. Yet, this claim is close to being true, as a 2023 Article titled, Wildfires: How They Form, and Why They're so Dangerous, by The National Geographic Society, claims, “Authorities have pointed to the fact that 95 percent of fires in the state of California are started by people, according to CNN” (National Geographic, 1). This article proves how the majority of wildfires are caused by humans, but with further information in the article, we learn that there are some other possible factors. The same article states, “Another possible cause of forest fires is lightning. Scientists have found that every degree of global warming sets off a 12 percent bump in lightning activity. Since 1975 the number of fires ignited by lightning has increased between two and five percent.” This shows how climate change and weather patterns are also a possible cause. This last quotation also proves that the climate can be ignited and set on fire. Therefore the claim cannot be true. 

National Geographic Society. Wildfires: How They Form and Why They're So Dangerous. National Geographic, 5 Mar. 2025, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wildfires-how-they-form-and-why-theyre-so-dangerous/.

Answer 5

This claim is false; wildfires can start from natural causes such as lightning, volcanic activity, and sparks from falling rocks. Even without humans in California, there would still be the possibility of wildfires occurring because of natural causes, so this claim is fake. I got my resources from https://www.coastal.ca.gov/fire/ucsbfire.html

Comments

I agree, many fires can be started for many various reasons hence categorizing forest fires as natural disasters. Great point! Very similar to my point as well

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Yes I completely agree with you. The source that you used is great as well. Although, to strengthen your argument I would suggest adding in some more explanation to your claim. It felt a bit too short with little explanation to add to your argument.

Answer 6

This claim comes from a Bluesky post from an unverified source making it unreliable. According to National Geographic, wildfires can occur due to various natural causes such as lighting, strong wind, droughts, and high temperatures. While the article states, "95% of fires in the state of California are started by people, according to CNN." They focus on how the combination of natural factors combined by human influence and disturbance in the ecosystem cause large powerful fires as small less strong fires are put out early on preventing natural wildfires from running their course early on. Since these little fires are being put out or prevented the build up of natural debris allows for wildfires to become widespread and dangerous. The claim, "Without people there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation CANNOT ignite, unlike what the media is telling us." is false as wildfires do occur naturally but because of human interference they have decimated areas of California and grown far too widespread.

Wildfires: How They Form, and Why They're so Dangerous

Answer 7

The assertion that "without people, there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation cannot ignite" is misleading. While human activities, such as unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, and malfunctioning power lines, are significant contributors to wildfire ignitions, natural causes like lightning strikes have also historically ignited wildfires in California. Dry vegetation, resulting from severe droughts and prolonged dry seasons, becomes highly susceptible to ignition from both human-induced and natural sources. Climate change has exacerbated these conditions by increasing temperatures and creating volatility in rainfall levels, leading to the rapid growth and subsequent drying of grasses, shrubs, and trees that serve as fuel for wildfires. So while human caused fires are very prevalent, it's inaccurate to say there would be absolutely no forest fires in California otherwise.

https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/fire/how-wildfires-start-and-spread.html

Answer 8

The claim that there wouldn't be wild fires without people is false. First off, the claim is from a post Bluesky an unreliable source. From an article by NC State it explains that wildfires are started by not only human impacts but from natural causes like lightning. Both the articles that I looked at say that abut 85% of wildfires are cause by humans, which still leads a portion that is not caused by humans but natural occurrences. So, even though humans have been a huge case of wildfires they are not the sole reason they are caused and would still happen without humans.

https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2021/12/explainer-how-wildfires-start-and-spread/

https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

Answer 9

Starting with looking at the source you used to back up this claim, you used an unverified post on a website called BlueSky which isn't a reliable source. They are also a social media platform, so virtually anybody can make a post on there without the necessary fact checking. Looking at the Environmental Protection Information Center, which is centered in California and a reliable source, fires are able to start naturally because of the dry vegetation through lightning, winds, and the high heats in California. This source also even states that some fires are good for California helping grow the ecological system "The forest-transforming fires that create this habitat are not damaging the forest ecosystem; rather, they are advancing ecological restoration". While it is true that some fires start in California due to people, the overall claim that "Without people there would be no forest fires in California right now because dry vegetation CANNOT ignite" is false. These forest fires in California have been happening for decades because they are a natural event "Prior to European contact, fires burned much larger areas of California than they do today. Indigenous Californians have always understood this" according to the source I noted prior. 

Source: 

https://www.wildcalifornia.org/returning-to-a-natural-cycle-of-wil

Answer 10

This claim of forest fires being started ONLY through human interaction is false. California is notorious for being dry, windy, and hot. These conditions on their own make for the possibility of naturally occurring forest fires to not only start, but spread rapidly. However, when paired together forest fires are almost inevitable come the warmer months. It's no secret that many forest fires in California are caused by humans, but that doesn't make it the single reason for these disasters. Some possible reasons for these fires to occur naturally consist of "lighting, sparks falling from rocks, volcanic activity, and the spontaneous combustion of of plant materials and other organic matter (Barbour, Burke, and Pitts 1980.)" This claim comes from the California Coastal Commission, which is a governmentally supported program.

https://www.coastal.ca.gov/fire/ucsbfire.html