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Quick Take
Canada and Mexico have sent firefighting crews to help battle the blazes in the Los Angeles area, and Ukraine also has offered assistance. But social media posts misleadingly claim “$00,000,000” in “foreign aid” has been offered to the U.S. to help with the Southern California disaster.
Full Story
Wildfires that began on Jan. 7 continued to burn in Southern California this week, propelled by strong winds and drought-like conditions. As of Jan. 16, the fires have ravaged about 40,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and prompted evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people. At least 25 people have died.
The Palisades Fire, which began as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, remains the largest blaze. The Eaton and Hurst Fires in Los Angeles County and the Auto Fire in Ventura County have also caused substantial damage, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
About 88,000 residents of Los Angeles County were still under evacuation orders as of Jan. 16, as more than 16,000 personnel work to contain the flames and coordinate recovery, according to state officials.
But social media posts have spread false characterizations of the fire response efforts. One recent meme misleadingly suggested that California has received no assistance from foreign countries.
The meme circulating on social media depicts firefighters responding to a hillside blaze and says: “$00,000,000,000 THE AMOUNT OF FOREIGN AID FLOWING IN FROM UKRAINE, ISRAEL, EUROPE, MEXICO AND CANADA TO HELP.”
One Instagram user, whose bio labels the account as “satire,” received more than 9,000 likes for the meme. The post itself isn’t labeled as satire, and the meme has been shared by many other social media users.
While other nations have not sent money to assist Southern California, Canada and Mexico have sent firefighting crews to the Los Angeles area, and Ukraine has offered to help fight the fires.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “offered Canada’s full support to assist California’s firefighting efforts,” according to a Jan. 10 press release from Trudeau’s office. “Fire crews, aircraft, and equipment from Canada, including from British Columbia and Quebec, were some of the first on scene to help battle the fires.”
On Jan. 11, Trudeau posted a video on X with the caption, “Canadian aerial firefighting aircraft readying for another pass over the Southern California wildfires.” Trudeau announced the deployment of 60 firefighters to California the next day and subsequently confirmed Canadian assistance in the region in posts on X.
“Canadian firefighters are on the ground, working shoulder to shoulder with American crews, helping wherever they can,” Trudeau wrote. “More Canadian crews are on the way. We’re proud to help our American friends, and grateful for the first responders working in the toughest of conditions to save homes and keep people safe.”
The Canadian government said in a press release that it continues to work with provinces and territories to prepare personnel and other resources should California request additional support.
Mexico has also mobilized aid to California. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced in a news conference on Jan. 10 that the Mexican secretary of foreign affairs had talked with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden about providing a support team to the region, the Arizona Republic reported.
Newsom announced that 72 Mexican firefighters and disaster relief workers from the National Forestry Commission and Ministry of Defense landed in Los Angeles on Jan. 11.
“We are a generous and supportive country,” Sheinbaum wrote on X of the deployment. “You carry with you the courage and heart of Mexico.”
According to a press release from Newsom’s office, the Mexican firefighters will form crews to assist in the fire response. “Emergencies have no borders – we are deeply grateful to our neighbors in Mexico for their unwavering support during one of our greatest times of need,” Newsom said. “Thank you to President Claudia Sheinbaum for lending the best of the best.”
In a Jan. 12 post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country also offered aid to California. “Today, I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California. The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives,” he said.
“This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels,” Zelenskyy said. “150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”
The California National Guard was quick to respond to Zelenskyy’s post: “Ukraine’s offer of support to California during these devastating wildfires is nothing short of extraordinary. President Zelenskyy’s leadership and the preparation of 150 Ukrainian firefighters are a testament to the power of global partnerships.”
We reached out to Newsom’s office to find out whether Ukrainian firefighters were assisting the efforts in Southern California, but we did not receive an answer.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Meta to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Meta has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Stelloh, Tim, et al. “California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, maps, what caused them, who is affected and more.” NBC News. 14 Jan 2025.
NBC News. “California wildfire live updates: Los Angeles area on alert as high winds fan flames.” 15 Jan 2025.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Current Emergency Incidents.” Accessed 15 Jan 2025.
Lynch Baldwin, Sarah, et al. “L.A. Fires Live Updates: ‘Particularly dangerous’ winds warning yet again for Southern California.” CBS News. 16 Jan 2025.
Governor Gavin Newsom. “Governor Newsom mobilizes L.A. debris removal teams to begin work immediately once cleared for safety.” 14 Jan 2025.
Jaffe, Alan. “Oregon Fire Trucks Fighting L.A. Blazes Didn’t Require ‘Emissions Testing.’” FactCheck.org. 13 Jan 2025.
Jaramillo, Catalina, et al. “Trump’s Blame Claims About Wildfire Responses.” FactCheck.org. 10 Jan 2025.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Governor of California Gavin Newsom.” 10 Jan 2025.
Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau). “Canadian aerial firefighting aircraft readying for another pass over California fires.” X. 12 Jan 2025.
Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau). “Canada is deploying 60 firefighters.” X. 12 Jan 2025.
Government of Canada. “Update on Canada’s response to the wildfires in California.” 14 Jan 2025.
Government of Canada. “Government of Canada’s response to the wildfires in California.” 10 Jan 2025.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein). “En este momento sale el grupo de ayuda humanitaria a Los Ángeles, California.” X. 11 Jan 2025.
Gobierno de México. “México envía ayuda a Los Ángeles: contingente mexicano llega para combatir incendios en California.” 13 Jan 2025.
Torres, Miguel. “Canada, Mexico to send firefighting help to Los Angeles. What to know.” Arizona Republic. 10 Jan 2025.
Governor Gavin Newsom. “Governor Newsom welcomes firefighters from Mexico to boost firefighting capacity.” 11 Jan 2025.
Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor). “72 firefighters and emergency personnel have arrived from Mexico to help.” X. 11 Jan 2025.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa). “Today, I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare.” X. 12 Jan 2025.
California National Guard. “Ukraine’s offer of support to California during these devastating wildfires is nothing short of extraordinary.” X. 12 Jan 2025.