Officials have confirmed the causes of some of the largest blazes in Oregon — and it's not antifa. Michael Jarrod Bakkela, one of the six suspects. Fake and misleading posts on … One of the suspects in the fires–Michael Jarrod Bakkela–allegedly set a blaze on the September 8, damaging 15 properties and threatening the lives of 14 people. Officials in Douglas County, and Jackson County reported getting false claims of arrests. These claims have been dismissed by the FBI as “conspiracy theories” and Facebook has already taken to policing any posts that suggest the blazes are being set by any politically-motivated groups. Similarly, the Medford Police Department in Medford, Oregon, posted a note to debunk a rumor that the department had arrested political extremists for arson. Wildfires in California, western US point to climate change. At least six men in Oregon have been charged with allegedly starting fires in the region on purpose. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. High temperatures, strong winds, dry forests and lightning storms have all contributed to what has become one of the most dangerous fire seasons in history on the West Coast, per The Wall Street Journal. Human causes include campfires and burn piles, and discarded burning debris, per The Oregonian. Skip to Article Set Weather Kate Brown. According to one dashboard manned by Oregon Emergency Management, there are 37 active fires and more than … A second man allegedly burned hundreds of acres in Lane County. ", Another user posted a response to "those of you asking for 'proof' that is it antifa or that these are INTENTIONAL fires," which included a video of smoking equipment with signs attached to it that read "Black Lives Matter" and "Spend Your Privilege.". He had a 2019 conviction for meth possession, and had been charged before with harassment connected to the 2019 crash of a stolen car. YouTuber Dutchsinse has discovered something unbelievable while looking at the fires in the Western United States and studying the earthquakes occurring around the world. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. There are three examples of possible fire setting sabotage involving the NW. The four suspects in the smaller fires reportedly dealt with drug addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. Unsubstantiated rumors circulated around Oregon that left-wing extremists were starting wildfires. This photo taken by Talent, Ore., resident Kevin Jantzer shows the destruction of his hometown as wildfires ravaged the central Oregon town near … Extreme fire weather continues across the region. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office posted a plea on its Facebook that community members stop spreading rumors about antifa. There's also no mention of antifa in tweets from the state trooper and local police department that announced his arrest. Anita Esquivel was arrested by the Calfornia Highway Patrol on suspicion of arson Credit: Monterey County Sheriff's Office. "7 antifa members have been arrested for starting fires..." one user posted on Wednesday, along with a screenshot of a direct message that alleged that a logger "discovered a group of antifa throwing molotov cocktails on his property. As wildfires devastate the Pacific Northwest, authorities are begging residents to stem the flow of rumors about politically-motivated arson. Michael Jarrod Bakkela is accused of starting a fire in Phoenix, Oregon Credit: Jackson County Sheriff's Office. Then there was another shown igniting a fire in Oregon. Santiam Canyon wildfires started by downed power lines, priority on 'saving lives', Fires burning near Lincoln City scorch 2,400 acres, believed caused by human activity, A pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party sparked one of the California wildfires, burning over 8,600 acres, As wildfires rage, false antifa rumors spur pleas from police, Police: Man charged after bringing weapons to Seattle protests, Antifa Radical Arrested for Arson in Washington State — Was Caught on Highway Live-Streaming on Facebook Before Arrest (Video), Antifa Arsonist Arrested Near Tacoma, WA After Live-streaming Himself. "Also, no confirmed gatherings of Antifa which has also been reported.". MEDFORD, Ore. — A rumor about six "members of Antifa" setting fires in southern Oregon has been debunked by multiple law enforcement agencies this … In: Uncategorized. ", Beth Anne Steele, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also told The Oregonian that there is "no indication that the fires are the result of coordinated criminal activity. “We have some leads, and none of it points in that direction.”. Multiple posts on Facebook have alleged that this week's widespread wildfires in Oregon were actually set by antifascist activists known as antifa. At least six men in Oregon have been charged with allegedly starting fires in the region on purpose. California wildfires in 2020 have set records for their size On the ground, about 16,600 firefighters have been deployed against 25 major wildfires across California, according to Cal Fire. Thursday September 10, 2020. He was described as a transient, but had a Salem address. ", And the FBI Portland tweeted on Friday it has investigated reports that extremists are responsible for setting wildfires and found the reports to be "untrue.". All told, the fires in Oregon have burned about one million acres, Gov. Kate Brown said. Historic wildfires are burning millions of acres and destroying homes and entire towns in California, Oregon and Washington state. Fires in Lincoln County were confirmed to have been caused by human activity on Thursday, but that's still not indicative of arson. Multiple police departments have condemned and … “Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a September 10 statement. Oregon fires have burned more than 1 million acres, said Gov. Wildfires terrorizing the Santiam Canyon, for example, were started by falling trees that knocked down power lines. “Deputies responded to reports some people were armed and asking for identification of the folks they stopped,” Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese said in a statement last week. 5. USA TODAY has reached out to both sites for comment. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, 15 law school students told they passed bar exam, then told they didn't, Senate GOP brushes off long-shot attempt to fight Biden win. “We told people engaging in this behavior that roadways are open to all users, and their actions are illegal and they could be subject to citation or arrest.”. What is going on?! We explain. Three deaths have been blamed on the wildfires in Oregon, with another three in California and one in Washington. More: Bicyclist documents wildfire destruction in southern Oregon town, Officials in Oregon have decried rumors about arson, antifa. The cause of the deadly Almeda Fire in southern Oregon is now under criminal investigation for potential arson, Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara, reportedly said Thursday. On Facebook community groups in … Based on our research, claims that wildfires in Oregon were set by antifascist activists are FALSE. All it takes is a spark — like the blaze in California that was set by fireworks at a gender reveal party, as CNN reported. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Antifa itself is a moniker for antifascists, rather than a single coordinated group, per The Washington Post. Based on our research, claims that wildfires in Oregon were set by antifascist activists are FALSE. The fire Acord set was quickly extinguished, and isn't linked to any of the other wildfires burning on the West Coast. The alleged arson comes as Oregon is one of the worst hit by wildfires devastating the West Coast, with at least 10 dead in the Beaver State. The deadly wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon have blanketed the West Coast in smoke and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. “A lot of these fires starting around Oregon are being purposely set by … Salem Statesman Journal, Sept. 9, Oregon Wildfires. FBI Forced To Debunk Conspiracy Theory That ‘Antifa’ Extremists Set Fires In Oregon An orange smoke-filled sky is seen above Estacada, Oregon, on September 9, 2020, as fires burn nearby. One suspect damaged more than a dozen homes, and put people in danger, authorities said. None of the suspects, however, were allegedly motivated by politics. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters in Oregon on the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center Wildfire Map. "The fire is being investigated as an arson, and the nature of how the person died is part of that investigation," Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara said Friday. FOUR people have now been arrested on the West Coast for deliberately starting blazes as wildfires rage. According to the Bay Area Air District, the region’s air pollution control agency, the orange skies around San Francisco and in much of Oregon and Washington were the result of … They cite his arrest at a protest for Black Lives Matter in 2014. Devastating wildfires are currently raging across the West Coast, including several massive fires in Oregon that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres. By In the news. No Comments yet, we're awaiting your thoughts Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com. Michael Jarrod Bakkela, one of the six suspects. "Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON," its post read. - … “Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 … Far-right websites like Protester Privilege and The Gateway Pundit have claimed in headlines that the suspect, Jeff Acord, whom authorities say set fire to a highway median, is an "Antifa radical." Interactive real-time wildfire and forest fire map for Oregon. An arson investigation is underway in Oregon's Almeda Glendower Fire, but Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara told The Oregonian that it wasn't antifa. Much of Oregon is currently on fire. Now, there’s a black censorship line through the beam. As rumors have spread, state and federal officials have spoken out against theories about the origin of the catastrophic blazes. Claim: "Douglas County Sheriff has 6 ANTIFA arsonists in custody" for setting wildfires in Oregon. No one was injured and no structures were damaged due to the fires, but Oregon is currently battling wildfires ... are politically motivated and being set on purpose. Small fires grew and spread due to historically high winds, according to the Salem Statesman Journal. So far 24 people have been killed though the authorities in Oregon have told residents to brace themselves for a “mass fatality incident”. Cops detained two men in Washington, a man in Oregon … Proud Boys are a far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male group, per BBC. Neither user responded to requests from USA TODAY for comment or substantiation. Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry, told The New York Times that the department has not seen “any indications of a mass politically influenced arson campaign. Thank you for supporting our journalism. There is no clear connection between the groups. "This is a made up graphic and story. Wildfires in California and other western states are getting worse every year, but is climate change all to blame? Oregon’s governor, Kate Brown, has reported that in the last several days the fires have burned nearly double the amount of land that burns in an average year. This happens in the wake of widespread wildfires in the west, according to The Oregonian. A 41-year-old man was arrested in Oregon for starting one of the two origins of the Almeda fire, located just outside of Medford. Who are Boogaloo Bois, antifa and Proud Boys? #1. Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Sept. 10. The majority of fires across Oregon and the west appear to have been sparked by power lines and other ignitions, and have exploded amid dry, hot and windy weather conditions in a … A number of wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and California are now being considered arson, and several arsonists are already in jail – while there are more on the run, we’re told. "They are boxing us in.. literally fires EVERYWHERE!!!" The fires have killed at … Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Claim: "Antifa" arsonists have been setting wildfires raging on the West Coast in September 2020. Several fires started Monday night in Tillamook because of downed power lines, according to the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office. "THIS IS NOT TRUE! The four other suspects allegedly caused more minor flames, which were put out. As fires ravage Oregon and Washington, burning around 1 million acres in a matter of days, fear and rumors have begun to take hold on social media. Firefighters are stretched as fires tear through California, Oregon and Washington. Soon, at least half a dozen Facebook pages and groups started sharing the rumor in a cut-and-paste campaign. This resulted in reports of armed locals east of Portland setting up roadblocks. A case of arson that occurred in nearby Washington has fueled the rumors about antifa involvement, according to NBC News. There are currently 20 large #wildfires burning 476,027 acres in Oregon & Washington. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. She called the blazes a "once-in-a-generation event." Arrests, stories on fires being set intentionally . the user added. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. “One thing I can say is that the rumor it was set by antifa is 100% false information,” O'Meara wrote in an email. ", More: Fact check: Antifa.com redirects to Joe Biden's website, but Biden campaign not involved. The claim by theorists online who are making the connections between DEWs and the growing seriousness of forest and brushfires point to the DEW rays as proof that the fires are being set on purpose and that they are in fact more sinister than were being let on to believe. Bicyclist documents wildfire destruction in southern Oregon town, Fact check: Antifa.com redirects to Joe Biden's website, but Biden campaign not involved, Wildfires Live Updates: Vast Destruction Across Three States, Rumors about ‘antifa’ wildfires in Oregon are false, law enforcement says, Arson investigation underway where human remains found at Almeda fire in Ashland, chief says. Multiple police departments have condemned and debunked  rumors about arson, and the spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry said there is no indication of "a mass politically-influenced arson campaign.". 6 Men in Oregon Charged for Allegedly Starting Fires During Wildfire Season on Purpose. 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