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Quick Take
Oregon has sent hundreds of firefighters, 75 fire engines and other equipment to help battle the blazes in Southern California. But social media posts falsely claim Oregon’s firefighting vehicles were “being held in Sacramento for emissions testing.” California and Oregon officials said the trucks only go through quick safety inspections.
Full Story
The wildfires raging since last week in the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people, consumed over 62 square miles, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced more than 150,000 people. The National Weather Service predicted severe wind gusts again this week in Los Angeles and Ventura counties that could intensify and spread the fires, the Los Angeles Times reported.
To assist its neighbor, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has sent 370 firefighters, 75 fire engines, 30 water tenders that carry water to a fire line and other equipment to Southern California.
But social media posts have spread the false claim that California has delayed the deployment of Oregon’s equipment in order to inspect the trucks’ emissions and ensure they meet state environmental requirements.
Conservative activist Dinesh D’Souza, who has previously spread election misinformation, posted on X on Jan. 11 claiming, “Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to California to help with the fires, but they’re being held in Sacramento for emissions testing. You can’t make this up! What is going on?!” The post, which included a video of a man attributing that information to a publication called the Santa Monica Observer, received more than 1.3 million views as of Jan. 13, according to the platform.
The Santa Monica Observer, which has posted false news and dubious information in the past, according to the Los Angeles Times, wrote that its “original story was based on a tweet that has since been deleted” and said that it “can verify that there are fire fighters and vehicles from all over the Western US, fighting fires on the Westside now.”
A Jan. 12 Threads post also claimed, “The state of Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to California to assist with the wild fires. However they have not arrived. Why? All 60 fire trucks were stopped in Sacramento because (get this) they [didn’t] have a California Smog Emission test. So they are all currently in Sacramento, awaiting a smog test and have not gotten it yet. California is dead serious.”
A factsheet compiled by the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom to address misinformation about the fires said D’Souza’s claim is wrong. The factsheet says, “out-of-state fire trucks take part in 15 minute safety & equipment inspection to ensure no issues with the vehicle. At the time of the original post, the Oregon firefighting teams were already in the Los Angeles area battling the blazes.”
In addition, Newsom said in a Jan. 11 post on X, “Oregon has courageously sent CA some of their best firefighters and equipment — all have been here for days fighting these blazes. To say otherwise is not only incorrect, it’s offensive to the brave men and women who are fighting on the frontlines right now.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL Fire, posted a video on Jan. 11 showing the safety inspection process for out-of-state vehicles assisting in the firefighting efforts.
In an email to FactCheck.org, Kassie Keller, a spokesperson for the Oregon State Fire Marshal, also said the social media claim “is not true; no emissions testing took place.”
Keller directed us to a Jan. 12 statement on Facebook issued by the Oregon fire marshal, which said, in part: “We want to clear up confusion about our Oregon firefighters and equipment sent to California to help with the wildfires. There is misinformation spreading on social media and from some news outlets claiming our equipment had to pass emissions tests and our equipment and firefighters were turned away or delayed. TO BE CLEAR: THIS IS FALSE.
“Our firefighters left Oregon mid-morning on Wednesday (1/8) from various locations in the state. These strike teams traveled to Sacramento where they stayed the night. On Thursday (1/9) at 6 a.m., they went through a routine safety check with CAL Fire to make sure the engines were mechanically sound. CAL Fire posted on their social media channels detailing the process.
“Our strike teams were scheduled to arrive in Southern California on Thursday. There was no delay in the process or travel. Our equipment is held to the highest safety standard to ensure the safety of our firefighters. This equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority.
“No engine was turned away. They all completed the safety check, and all 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California on Thursday and began their 24-hour shift early Friday morning,” the Oregon fire marshal’s statement said.
The state of California has some of the strictest vehicle emissions requirements in the U.S., according to the Kelley Blue Book. But the state has not required the Oregon fire equipment to undergo smog tests before assisting in the battle against the Los Angeles area wildfires, as some social media posts have claimed.
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
“California Fire Facts.” Gavinnewsom.com. Accessed 13 Jan 2025.
Harter, Clara, et al. “Weather services issues its most severe fire warning for parts of L.A. area as winds pick up.” Los Angeles Times. 13 Jan 2025.
Keller, Kassie. Public affairs director, Oregon State Fire Marshal. Email to FactCheck.org. 13 Jan 2025.
Oregon State Fire Marshal. “Clearing Up Misinformation.” 12 Jan 2025.
Oregon State Fire Marshal. “Oregon State Fire Marshal sending additional support to California.” 11 Jan 2025.
Weber, Christopher and Holly Ramer. “24 dead as fire crews try to corral Los Angeles blazes before winds return this week.” Associated Press. 13 Jan 2025.