Question

Gutted seeing the Hollywood Sign ablaze

Comments

The Hollywood sign did indeed not burn down. There were a lot of false images that got spread around. Although the fire was close to the sign, it did not catch on fire. Sites prove that the sign is still standing and well.

Answer 1

Although the L.A fires are very disheartening, this claim is false. The source that has been used is from a social media website with no credible evidence showing that the sign is on fire. There has been an. A.I image circulating the net of the sign on fire, but that has been proven false. According to CBC news (the kids version), the Hollywood Sign Trust told them that the sign hasn't been affected by the fires (https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/watch-fake-l.a-wildfires-posts-are-tricking-people-how-to-spot-whats-not-real). Although there is a lot of misinformed posting and false videos being spread, please take the time to make sure that what is being discussed is true. Also, if you look at the Cal Fire website, it shows approx. where the fires are currently. We know that the Hollywood sign is located in Griffith Park, and on the Cal fire website, Griffith park and its surrounding area is unaffected by the flames of the fire (https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents). However, this may change in the future as the fires are still alive.

Comments

I agree. I understood the LA fires were devastating to the area but the famous Hollywood sign stayed safe and unharmed. The article you provided brings confirmation of the safety of the Hollywood sign and breaks down the lies spread. You did a good job making a claim and providing evidence from an article of why this is misinformation and cleared the air.

---

I have seen many fake images or videos created possibly by AI of Hollywood Sign being on fire. I have found this article from Reuters that provides an information you have already showed. In the difficult times like Los Angeles is facing now, there is nothing worse than spreading another fake news and scare people that the fire might have reached Hollywood Hills.

Here is the article:
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/hollywood-sign-not-affected-by-los-angeles-wildfires-2025-01-09/

Answer 2

This claim is false despite the major damage these fires have caused. These claims came in quicker than the firefighters as soon as people heard about the major fires in SoCal they were concerned about the safety of the infamous Hollywood sign. The majority of claims came from AI-generated images of the sign burning down. Jeff Zarrinnam an NPR reporter from SoCal had this to say about the fakes, "It's too numerous to count," Zarrinnam says of the fakes. "We were being inundated with emails from news agencies around the world, you know — 'Is the Hollywood Sign OK?' " With real news agencies being stumped on this it's clear to see why this "fire" spread so quickly. Unfortunate as these fires are our beloved Hollywood sign is still in good shape for now.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images

Comments

Your response to the claim is backed up by a trusted source. I also think you did a good job finding out where the false claims were coming from to debunk the claim.

Answer 3

Seeing people I knew directly affected by the L.A. fires is heartbreaking; I hope everyone in the area are keeping safe. However, this claim is false. The source for this claim comes from a social networking app. The social media post, from "bluesky," lacks evidence and coverage. According to NPR.org, this image is A.I generated. Author Chappell confirms that the Hollywood sign was never on fire. Further solidifying the safety of the Hollywood sign, Jeff Zarrinnam -- chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust confirms that the sign isn't on fire. (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) In difficult times like this, fake images and videos of an actual catastrophe is extremely dangerous. It is insensitive and can put real people at risk.

Comments

Yes, the fires in LA are absolutely devastating and it's so irritating to see people spread false information during such a scary time.  What's even scarier is that in the article you linked Jeff Zarrinnan even stated that the AI images looked so real that if he hadn't seen the Hollywood sign himself he probably would have believed it too. The article even talks about the fire safety measures that are taken to protect the Hollywood sign from fires, like keeping the surrounding area clear of brush.

Answer 4

The fires in L.A are terrible, but this statement is false. The source used is a social media website that includes no further evidence of the Hollywood sign on fire. This picture has been proven to be AI. (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) LA Times provides information on identifying false posts and watching out for misinformation. With the current situation it is insensitive to spread such misinformation and can harm people. 

Answer 5

The wildfires in L.A. have caused a lot of damage and destruction, but the Hollywood sign has remained untouched. Several fake, AI-generated images depicting otherwise have circulated the internet, including one picture that shows 3 'L's in 'Hollywood'.
It is important to be able to detect when certain photos are A.I. generated--- there are several ways to do so. One is to detect more obvious mistakes such as the 3 L's, or (in another photo being circulated), there are 2 'D' signs. Our brains can sometimes block mistakes like these out, so pay extra attention to all photo/video evidence brought with shocking news. Look out for smudged, blurred, or unusually shaped landscape features, and if possible, compare them to normal (older) photos of what is being depicted (like photos of the Hollywood sign before 2022). And as always, be sure to fact-check your sources and find out whether what you're seeing is really true or not. 

(https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) 

Comments

I totally see where this is going and how there are mistakes in the picture. Growing through the AI times we need to make sure that pictures are original and not super off-putting. Just because something big in the media world is happening and there are good sources connected to the things happening does not mean every single site is going to be correct.

---

It's interesting how AI is barely in its nascent stages and is being used as a tool to spread misinformation. As this technology grows more complex, differentiating between AI generated content and real content will become increasingly difficult. I also applaud your inclusion of a reference article from NPR, as they are a reputable source to draw information from.

Answer 6

The fires in LA, while extremely destructive, have not reached the Hollywood sign. Due to the closeness of the Sunset fire to the Hollywood sign, wondering if it is in danger is a very valid concern. Unfortunately because people started to wonder not only did rumors of the sign during start, but AI generated photos of it on fire started to spread online. If you were to look at a map of the LA fires you would see that it is still a distance away. As of right now the sign is safe, so our attention should be focused more on the places actually in danger from these fires.

-https://kyma.com/news/california-news/2025/01/15/caught-on-camera-hollywood-sign-unaffected-by-wildfires/

-https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/09/is-hollywood-sign-safe-la-fires/77574711007/

-https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/8/sunset-fire

Comments

All of these websites are significant in showing how fake this is. One of them being the areas that the fire was in and it really wasn't that close to the sign while being in the same area. In the USA Today article it had a picture of the Sign standing up still which showed the claim to be wrong.

Answer 7

This claim is false. The linked post has since been deleted and there is no evidence of the Hollywood sign catching on fire. There have been AI generated images of the Hollywood Sign on fire going around social media, but they have all been proven to be edited/not real images. Here is one article from NPR that talks about the AI images that have been going around and how tragedies like the LA wildfires can allow AI images to create panic and misinformation. Here's another article from The Independent that talks about the AI images and how the Hollywood sign is not on fire. 

Comments

I agree with your reasoning. Both the article from NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) and the article from The Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/did-the-hollywood-sign-burn-down-b2676991.html) go well into detail about debunking the fake images. Additionally, the article from The Independent shows multiple examples from X that picture fake images of the sign being on fire.

Answer 8

A lot of people are worried after seeing pictures of the Hollywood Sign burning on social media recently. These pictures, however, are artificial intelligence (AI)-generated fakes. The monument is still intact, according to Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust. Global news outlets flooded him with questions about the safety of the billboard, he said. 

NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) 

It is true that the wildfires in Los Angeles have caused a great deal of damage, forcing many people to evacuate and destroying many homes. Tens of thousands of individuals were ordered to evacuate as a result of the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. The Hollywood Sign escaped the fire despite its close vicinity. AI truly is something that makes you rethink things that are all around the internet. 

The difficulty AI-generated material poses in spreading incorrect information is shown by the rise of these misleading graphics. Even respectable news outlets were briefly lied to, underscoring the significance of confirming information from reliable sources. The Hollywood Sign, an example of perseverance in the face of the surrounding destruction, is still standing today.

Comments

I agree with your reasoning. The NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/16/nx-s1-5259629/la-wildfires-fake-images) link you provided also elaborates well on the sequence of events of Zarrinnam confirming that the sign is still in place. This further combats articles or images of misinformation.

Answer 9

This is not true.The LA fires are growing very strongly but as of right now there is no evidence that the sign is on fire at all. It has also been proved false by CBC and multiple other news articles have been checked. https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/is-the-hollywood-sign-on-fire-1235084815/ This is a source that supports. Also if you look at the Cal Fires website you can see the areas that are affected by the fire. It is not at the area around the sign yet.

Answer 10

While the fires in Los Angeles have been deeply disheartening, destructive, and significantly damaging, this claim is false. The source provided in this claim is taken from an app called Bluesky, which provides no information to any credible sources that the Hollywood Sign was destroyed by the disaster. Jeff Zarrinnam, chairman of the Hollywood Sign Trust, has since confirmed that the Hollywood sign remains standing and undamaged following the fires. Additionally, neither the Eaton Fire nor the Palisades Fire occurred in or near the area of the Hollywood sign itself, according to Cal Fire's updated Fire Map (https://www.fire.ca.gov/). Fake or AI-generated images can be incredibly harmful during times like these, as they tend to spread rapidly across social media platforms.