The fires in Maui have resulted in the loss of at least 114 lives and have destroyed more than 2,800 structures throughout the island.
Debunked: Fires In Maui Not Intentionally Set Due To ‘Land Grab’|Sky News
A claim that the fires in Maui are intentionally set because of a ‘land grab’ is spreading.
An Aug. 15 Instagram post that shows a video of victims fleeing the fires in Maui is spreading online. The post had a suggestive caption that says ‘you just witnessed the biggest land grab of your lifetime’ referring to the fires in Maui.
The post goes on to make an array of other claims, about school being canceled, alarms not sounding, phone alert systems not being used, donations being confiscated and officials denying aid to those who were “not compliant” after the said fires in Maui.
The said post contains multiple inaccuracies. There is no proof that the fires in Maui were deliberately started as part of a land grab or for any other reason.
ALSO READ| Kiplinger Tax Letter: Is State Tax Relief For Marijuana Businesses Coming?
The fires in Maui have caused significant devastation since August 8 and yet no specific cause of what really started the fires in Maui is known.
The cause of the fires in Maui is still uncertain, but there is evidence suggesting that downed power lines might have been involved, FactCheck.org says.
FactCheck.org added that the dry invasive grasses, caused by a drought, and strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of flames during the fires in Maui.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain explained that there is no evidence of space lasers or mass conspiracies intentionally causing the fires in Maui.
Swain said that although the fires in Maui are horrifying and unprecedented in terms of the toll they take, the fires in Maui are consistent with other wildfire disasters that have occurred in different locations.
