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

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While aspects of this statement are true. Yes, a majority of wildfires are caused due to human intervention but would wildfires suddenly disappear if human suddenly vacated California or areas that have frequent wildfires. The answer is clearly no, due to dry weather conditions, wind patterns and changes, and potential hazards caused by extreme weather. According to your source, an unverified account states that dry vegetation cannot be "ignited" without human intervention. I don't think this source uses credible information to justify the statement, but I believe it is trying to identify a common problem that people are not taking responsibility for potential fire hazards. The National Park Service states that untended campfires, equipment use, or discarded cigarettes' are all hazards that can cause large scale wildfires that can be prevent with a little common care. Are wildfires cause by humans? yes. Can dry vegetation be ignited by other forces than humans? Yes. Can wildfires be prevented by humans? yes.

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

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Your claim is false, there are many factors contributing to the forrest fires in California and saying that people are the main cause is just the conveinent target.  The key factors in these specific fires are due to climate change (warmer temperatures, less rainfall, and prolonged fire seasons) there is dryer vegetaion which leads to easier ignition and abilty to spread. So I would not go as far as saying that we as humans are the whole problem, approximately 84% of wildfires do start by human activity, but there are other contributors we can look at before making as bold of a claim. Other contributors include lighting, and power lines, the additon of wind also increases the spread. So while humans are a main contributor to wildfires, there are other factors to be considered, and though humans may contribute to the spread, they also are the main species to prevent the spread.

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/qa-causes-spread-and-solutions-californias-wildfire-crisis

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This claim is false. Especially when it comes to California Wildfires, the state is already susceptible to them due to its climate. It is unreasonable to say that without humans we would not have wildfires. According to the California Legislature's Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor, climate change combined with California's warmer weather and limited seasonal rainfall makes it very prone to fires. There has been more housing development and increased population in these fire-prone areas, which has increased the risk of human-caused ignitions. So yes, human-activity does cause ignitions, but California's naturally warm climate, dryer climate due to climate change, and unhealthy forests are the cause of more fires than humans.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4952#:~:text=Climate%20Change.,which%20are%20prone%20to%20igniting.

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I agree that humans do play a role in starting forest fires. However, to say that they are the sole reason why forest fires happen and that dry vegetation cannot ignite is simply just not true. There are multiple studies from sources online that suggest that dry vegetation is more likely to ignite from natural causes like lighting or extreme heat. A new study in Geophysical Research Letters found that when vegetation surpasses a critical dryness threshold, lightning strikes are 80% more likely to ignite fires. This proves that your statement that dry vegetation "CANNOT ignite " without human involvement is wrong. While human activities do contribute to forest fires, natural causes like lightning remain a well documented ignition source in California.

Source: https://eos.org/editors-vox/lightning-caused-wildfires-are-80-percent-more-likely-under-dry-vegetation

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​The statement in the provided screenshot claims that forest fires are primarily caused by human activities, not climate change. While it's true that human activities, such as unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, and arson, are significant ignition sources for wildfires, climate change plays a crucial role in exacerbating the conditions that allow these fires to start and spread more rapidly.​
en.wikipedia.org

Influence of Climate Change on Wildfires

Climate change contributes to more frequent and severe wildfires through several mechanisms:​
en.wikipedia.org

Increased Temperatures: Rising global temperatures lead to drier vegetation, creating more combustible fuel for fires.​
Extended Droughts: Climate change has been linked to prolonged drought periods, which dry out forests and make them more susceptible to burning.​
Altered Precipitation Patterns: Changes in rainfall can result in both drier conditions that facilitate fires and, conversely, heavy rains that promote vegetation growth, which later becomes dry fuel.​

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Human activity does play a big role in California wildfires, but it's not true that dry vegetation can’t catch fire on its own. Lightning strikes have started wildfires for thousands of years, even before humans were involved. In fact, lightning is one of the main natural causes of wildfires, especially in dry areas where plants can easily catch fire.

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.

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I like how you used a reliable source and broke down the specific information that disproves the original claim. I also like how you used the trace strategy from the SIFT method to find where the claim came from and show how it is not a reliable source.

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This was a really good fact check! You broke down the source and it's claim, and provided sufficient evidence and sources to back up your own reasonings. The use of National Geographic is very resourceful. I did note, though, that you didn't cite the CNN source and that would also be worth looking in to to just verify all parts of the fact check.

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You did a really great job at attacking exactly what the claim was stating, which is key when fact-checking media. I've seen a few people in this thread fall into the trap of interpreting the claim as if it were something like "without people dry vegetation WOULD NOT catch on fire" and thus their reply is slightly tangential. Also, you've used an incredibly reputable source in Nat Geo, so I can really trust your findings.

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/

Comments

This is a good fact check with credible sources and it shows how your knowledgeable about the subject along with it being well written

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

Comments

I really like this answer and the way that you concisely explained why the original claim is false. To add some credibility to your answer you could explain what might have gone wrong in the original article/why it wasn't credible as a contrast against the credible one you found. Otherwise I think this is a great answer!!