In September 2020, reports about U.S President Donald Trump had circulated on social media. The posts claim that the president said that the wildfires raging on the West Coast were due to exploding trees.
The truth
President Trump made the comments during a September 15, 2020 appearance on the Fox News show "Fox & Friends" after being asked by co-host Brian Kilmeade about the role of climate change in California wildfires. He also asked the president on what should be the appropriate action to combat the wildfires.
Even though President Trump did comment about explosive trees and their role in starting wildfires, it is not clear whether he was using the word explosive when he really meant flammable. It is impossible for trees to spontaneously explode.
The "Fox & Friends" call-in was not the first time that President Trump made "explosive tree" comments. He also made a comment about explosive trees while discussing the wildfires with California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 14, 2020, while visiting the state to check the damage of the fire and to meet the officials.
There are now 35 people who have died due to the fire, and millions of acres have burned in wildfires ranging from California to Washington and have blanketed the region in smoke.
Even though the historic wildfires were fueled by a lot of causes and conditions, including downed power lines, dry lightning strikes, and a pyrotechnic device launched during a gender reveal party like the case of the El Dorado fire in California, experts say that climate change exacerbated them.
The Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture, Elisabeth Kostinger, refused President Trump's claims that Austrians reside in forest cities in a piece published by British newspaper The Independent.
Kostinger said that there are no forest cities in Austria, but people will find habitats closely intertwined with forests. She also emphasized that while Austria does not have exploding trees, the country has learned to sustainably co-exist with nature so that natural habitats can flourish.
Wildfires in the US
In Los Angeles, a wildfire that reached a Mojave Desert community has caused millions worth of damage and has claimed the life of a firefigher. The fire erupted due to a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device that was used by a couple to reveal the gender of their baby.
The death happened on September 17 in San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire about 75 miles or 120 kilometers east of LA, according to the statement released by the U.S Forest Service.
In northern Los Angeles County, the Bobcat Fire burned desert properties that were semi-rural when it was pushed by gusts into the community of Juniper Hills after churning all the way across the San Gabriel Mountains.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, where a massive wildfire is also ongoing, authorities accused six men of starting the fire. There is no evidence that the suspects were motivated by politics, despite numerous conspiracies, according to OregonLive.
There are now ten people dead and 22 missing in Oregon, according to CNN. The thick smoke is making it difficult for authorities to search for those who are missing.
