Fear, falsehoods and conspiracy theories ignite amid Canada's wildfires

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Canada's current wildfire season is devastating evidence of the effects of climate change, scientists say, but for some conspiracy theorists, the thousands of square kilometres of burnt ground isn't enough to convince them.

Instead, space lasers, arsonists and government plots to restrict people's movement are some of the causes of the fires, according to fringe online circles. But despite being fringe, these theories are widely circulated and boosted by social media algorithms.

Forest fires, he said, are spectacular events -- like terrorist attacks -- that draw attention before the full facts come to light, and in the ensuing uncertainty, conspiracy theories fill in the gaps in information. But such theories harm those who are fleeing the fires and those who are fighting the blazes, he noted.

They are vulnerable, stressed out and sometimes suffer from a lack of confidence in authorities, so it is easy to fall into the trap of a conspiracy theory, which offers a more clearly defined villain, he said. Ahmed said conspiracy theories have been around as long as time but were easier to contain to certain areas or communities before the era of mass communication.

 

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