Oregon is fighting brutal wildfires — and false online rumors 'antifa' started them

Phoenix, Oregon
(Image credit: David Ryder/Getty Images)

"No, anti-fascists have not been arrested in connection with wildfires ravaging Oregon, and public officials are asking people to stop spreading the various false rumors claiming this to be the case," K. Rambo reports at The Oregonian. "Some mainstream conservative pundits and a major police trade publication, as well as conspiracy theorists aligned with QAnon, have all promoted the false narrative about the historically destructive and deadly wildfires."

About 500,000 Oregonians are under evacuation orders due to the raging wildfires, and 900,000 acres have already been singed. "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state," said Gov. Kate Brown (D). Among the towns under mandatory evacuation are Molalla, about 30 minutes southeast of Portland.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.