Why do wildfires often ignite a firestorm of conspiracy theories? | CBC News: Conditions were already ripe for
wildfires, with a combination of persistent dry weather and drought,
when Maui was hit with powerful winds on Aug. 8, sending flames racing
across swaths of the island.

But the tragedy has
spurred social media posts that would have you believe that it was a
laser beam from space that sparked the devastating blaze or that the
disaster may be a part of a land grab or a sinister ploy to develop a 15-minute city on the tropical island — familiar conspiracy theories that have thrived in times of disaster.

There
is no proof any of these are true — often they can easily be debunked —
but theories like these can thrive in times of uncertainty after a
disaster strikes, say experts, as people try to make sense of a tense
and emotional situation and anxiously look for a cause to pinpoint.

“Everybody
is susceptible to mis- and disinformation, but in different ways and
for different reasons,” said Samantha Bradshaw, an assistant professor
at the school of international service at American University in
Washington, D.C.

But wildfires in particular, she said, present a unique opportunity for rumours and false narratives to spread.

‘Significant structures’ lost in West Kelowna with evacuation orders growing due to wildfires | Globalnews.ca: The
exact number is not known but Loyal Wooldridge, chair of the Regional
District Central Okanagan (RDCO) Board said structures have been lost in
the Traders Cove area and Bear Lake Road in the City of West Kelowna.

He added that there has been no confirmed loss of life at this time.

BC
Wildfire said the estimated size of the fire Friday morning is 6,800
hectares or 68 square kilometers. Thursday it was mapped at 1,100
hectares.