False information and "Weather Warfare" conspiracy theories follow forest fires in US, Canada and Europe
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As firefighters in the State of Washington continue recovery operations from last year’s devastating Gray and Oregon Road wildfires, officials are now confronting a parallel crisis: a surge of online conspiracy theories falsely claiming the fires were intentionally set to clear land for government or corporate projects.
One of the latest narratives, circulating widely on social media platforms, alleges that the Spokane‑area fires were part of a coordinated effort to make way for a “massive data center” and that authorities “scooped up the land” after more than 600 structures were destroyed.
The recent facebook post, authored by online commentator Cody Osborne, ties the destruction to what he calls “weather warfare” and accuses government agencies of seeking “total control.”
Emergency officials and investigators say the claims are baseless.
According to Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Gray Fire was caused by an electrical malfunction, not arson. The fire burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed roughly 240 homes.
The nearby Oregon Road Fire destroyed more than 120 homes under extreme heat, drought, and wind conditions. No evidence has emerged linking either fire to land acquisition, government action, or corporate development.
Local authorities also note that the proposed data‑center developments in the Spokane region were announced years before the wildfires and are located outside the burn zones. No burned residential land has been transferred to government agencies or private companies.
Wildfire misinformation has become increasingly common across North America and Europe, with similar conspiracy narratives emerging after major fires in Maui, Alberta, Greece, and California. Experts warn that such claims can hinder emergency response, fuel distrust, and spread rapidly during periods of crisis.
State officials continue to urge residents to rely on verified information from fire agencies, emergency management offices, and utility investigators as recovery efforts proceed.
Important distinction:
There is a historical basis for some discussion of weather warfare. The U.S. military, for example, conducted Operation Popeye, a classified cloud-seeding operation during the Vietnam War. But that historical fact does not establish that modern wildfires in the western U.S. or Canada are being deliberately created through weather manipulation.
Weather Modification in North Vietnam and Laos (Project Popeye)
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v28/d274?
FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
1964-1968
Volume XXVIII. DEPARTMENT OF STATE:
Washington, DC
Laos
European versions of wildfire conspiracy theories:
There are several well-documented wildfire conspiracy narratives in Europe, and they are quite similar to the theories circulating in the U.S. and Canada. The important distinction is that some involve real arson cases being expanded into unsupported “master plot” theories, while others invoke HAARP, geoengineering or deliberate climate manipulation.
1. Greece — "migrants deliberately started the wildfires"
AFP Fact Check — “Greek wildfires spur misinformation against migrants”
AFP Fact Check: Greek wildfires spur misinformation against migrants
AFP documented a major wave of claims during the 2023 Evros/Alexandroupolis fires alleging that migrants crossing from Turkey had deliberately started the fires. Social-media users circulated photographs and videos supposedly showing migrants with incendiary devices. AFP found the allegations to be unfounded, and some news reports that initially implicated migrants were subsequently corrected or denied.
This became particularly serious because vigilantes detained and assaulted migrants whom they accused of being arsonists.
2. Greece — “paid arsonists coordinated fire attacks"
The 2023 Greek fires also generated claims that the fires were part of a coordinated arson campaign involving large numbers of paid perpetrators.
Associated Press — Greece wildfire coverage
AP: Greece sends 100 extra firefighters to massive northeastern wildfire
There was a real basis for some arson investigations—Greek authorities arrested people for suspected deliberate fire-setting—but this was mixed online with much broader claims that essentially all or most of the fires were deliberately coordinated. AP also reported that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cited climate change, extreme heat and strong winds as major factors.
3. Spain — HAARP / weather-control conspiracy theories
Spain has seen a recurring version involving HAARP and geoengineering.
EFE Verifica — “HAARP did not cause the Valencia floods”
EFE Verifica: HAARP did not cause the Valencia floods
This isn't specifically a wildfire story, but it documents the same conspiracy framework being applied to a major Spanish natural disaster: social-media posts claimed that HAARP had deliberately caused the 2024 Valencia floods. EFE explains that HAARP is an ionospheric research facility and cannot cause such disasters.
That same HAARP narrative has subsequently been applied to heatwaves and wildfires.
4. France/Europe — HAARP blamed for the 2026 heatwave
This is especially relevant because it is current.
AFP Fact Check — “Le programme de recherche scientifique HAARP à l'origine de la canicule en France ? C'est faux”
AFP Fact Check: Was HAARP responsible for France's heatwave?
Published July 9, 2026, AFP reports that social-media posts were claiming that the HAARP program was responsible for the extreme heatwave in France and elsewhere. Scientists consulted by AFP said HAARP's signals cannot manipulate or trigger heatwaves.
5. Portugal — “eucalyptus is causing the fires”
Portugal has a different kind of conspiracy/oversimplification: the claim that eucalyptus plantations are essentially responsible for Portugal's wildfire disasters, sometimes linked to the paper industry.
Greenefacts — “Is eucalyptus the main cause of fires in Portugal?”
Greenefacts: Is eucalyptus the main cause of fires in Portugal?
The fact-check explains that eucalyptus can influence fire spread, but it isn't the primary cause of ignition. Portuguese official data indicate that most fires have human causes, including arson, negligence and agricultural burning.
This is less of a classic “conspiracy theory” than the HAARP narrative, but it is part of the broader “someone/something is deliberately causing the fires” discourse.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Cloudseedingimagecorrected…
Further Reading:
https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.B9FC3KE?
https://www.producer.com/news/weather-warfare-fact-or-fiction/?
https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/weather/weather-warfare-is-mostly-fiction/?