How to spot bad information this wildfire season
Wildfire smoke is seen on Highway 97 north of Buckinghorse River, B.C. on Friday, May 30, 2025. Photo by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin / The Canadian Press
Wildfire season is here and if the last few years are any indication, Canadians will spend the summer sorting through a firestorm of disinformation.
People searching for good information in times of crisis are up against a slew of broken systems. Social media algorithms promote misinformation and disinformation and bury official sources. Governments at different levels struggle to coordinate information release as quickly as rumours spread. Not every community has local news and there are fewer reporters and more news deserts.
Imperfect information systems and the inherent chaos of a crisis allow well-intentioned but false information to spread, like people making false statements and observations about fire behaviour and what buildings have been destroyed.
People's thirst for information during a crisis creates an information vacuum, and right-wing actors and groups are increasingly filling the empty space with conspiracies about arson, government control and environmental terrorism, as previously reported by Canada's National Observer.
Different types of bad information
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security identifies three key types of bad information: Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. Here are the differences.
Misinformation:
refers to false information that is not intended to cause harm
Disinformation:
refers to false information that is intended to manipulate, cause damage and guide people, organizations and countries in the wrong direction
Malinformation:
refers to information that stems from the truth but is often exaggerated in a way that misleads and causes potential harm
Some bad information is easier to spot, like baseless claims that wildfires are caused by arson carried out by environmentalists and government actors, or even space lasers.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith fed the flames of disinformation last summer after the town of Jasper was largely destroyed by wildfires. Smith told talk show host Ryan Jespersen the province would bring in arson investigators when he asked about the role climate change played in the 2024 wildfire season. Climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, is causing higher temperatures and drier conditions, which exacerbate the frequency and severity of wildfires.
When trying to identify disinformation this wildfire season people should ask themselves 'Does this feel right? Is this coming from the right place? Does this seem pretty sensational?' said Kevin Skrepnek, BCWildfire's former head information officer
Maxime Bernier, the far-right People's Party of Canada leader, went even further during 2023's record wildfire year, when he said it outright: 'I bet a good portion of the wildfires raging across the country were started by green terrorists who want to give their climate change campaign a little boost.'
Practical tips
Sorting through information on social media is no easy task, especially when politicians are participating in the disinformation, but there are some actions we can take to identify or at least remain skeptical about bad information.
What to look out for
When we are consuming information on different websites and social media platforms, there are some key questions we should ask ourselves, according to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
Does it provoke an emotional response?
Does it make a bold statement on a controversial issue?
Is it an extraordinary claim?
Does it contain clickbait?
Does it use small pieces of valid information that are exaggerated or distorted?
Has it spread virally on unvetted or loosely vetted platforms?
If the answer to some of these questions is 'yes' it doesn't automatically mean you're looking at false information, but you should investigate further before trusting it or sharing it.
People should ask themselves, 'Does this feel right? Is this coming from the right place? Does this seem pretty sensational?' said Kevin Skrepnek, manager of community and emergency services at the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and BC Wildfire's former head information officer.
'Is this a screenshot of something, or is this an actual link to something?'
Sometimes, old photos are circulated and made to appear recent, so it's important to think critically about the account or individual that posted an image, what their claims are and whether it's possible to verify the source of the image. One way to get more information about an image is to do a reverse image search. Sometimes, a simple internet search of the topic at hand combined with the words 'fact check' will reveal whether someone has already verified or debunked the information you're unsure about.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security also recommends checking the spelling of website domains and social media handles, keeping an eye out for small typos that are used to make a site or social media account look like it belongs to an official or trusted organization.
When conspiracies impact fire response
The most outlandish, viral conspiracies may appear to be confined to the online sphere, but this disinformation can and does have serious impacts on the ground. In 2023, the BC Wildfire service and police were confronted by a so-called 'Convoy of Truth and Freedom,' attempting to gain access to a roadblock while authorities tried to evacuate people and fight the fires in North Shuswap.
The agencies responding to fires are 'focused on pretty meat and potatoes stuff,' like trying to keep people safe, Skrepnek said — spending effort addressing 'Looney Tunes-level' theories makes it harder to get important information out.
Skrepnek emphasized that some people, especially in his rural region, ignore evacuation orders and stay behind to tend to their livestock and livelihoods and he can't fault them for that. However, he said there is a much smaller — though growing — number of people driven by disinformation or distrust of government who resist wildfire evacuation orders on that basis.
He said there were issues during the 2021 White Rock Lake fire, when people ignored an evacuation order or sneaked back in because, in their minds, the wildfire service either wasn't there or wasn't doing enough to defend the remaining properties.
'That created a whole issue where now you've got civilians running around within an evacuation order area trying to fight the fire themselves, getting in the way of the wildfire service in some situations,' Skrepnek said.
Getting the right information is key and Skrepnek recommends identifying all the official information channels and bookmarking them so you know where to find updates when a crisis hits.
'If your local government or your First Nation or whatever it is, has a subscription-based alerting system, subscribe to that and know that that's always going to be the right info because it's coming direct from them,' he said.
Skrepnek acknowledged this answer won't be satisfactory for some people, and government communications won't always be perfect, 'but that is going to be the best information that you can get.'
Relying on information that has been verified by the press or various levels of government is all well and good, but for many remote, rural and Indigenous communities the reality is a lot of information — good and bad — circulates on Facebook pages.
When getting info from social media is the only option
People in remote First Nations communities primarily get their information from social media, said Amy Cardinal Christianson, an Indigenous fire specialist and co-author of two books, one of which is on First Nation wildfire evacuations.
Some nations are doing a great job of using Facebook and YouTube livestreams for chiefs to give timely, accurate updates to the community, Christianson said.
'But lots of times, misinformation is being shared by us, right? By community members who are very concerned and want an answer for a situation, so they see something and immediately post it,' Christianson said. Skrepenk said one citizen-led Facebook group in his region did a good job using a Facebook page to amplify official wildfire information, but said this usually isn't the case, and people often end up sharing unverified information and causing confusion.
Many people have good intentions but still contribute to the spread of inaccurate information, Christianson said.
'In the past, what we've seen is people will just post like, 'I heard that so and so's house burned,' or 'this burned,' or 'that burned,' or 'the fire is here now,' or 'the fire jumped the river,' and people immediately just get very upset about that.'
Christianson said a good rule of thumb is not to share anything on Facebook or social media if it's not from an official source or you haven't been able to verify it because things can get 'wildly' out of control.
However, 'official' sources might look different for remote communities, she added.
'Usually, there's a contingent of folks in every Indigenous nation that gets evacuated who stay behind, and a lot of that is to do like firefighting or infrastructure protection, to feed dogs or animals that are left behind in the community,' she said. 'Those people are often incredibly reliable sources of information for the community.'
Critically, these people on the ground are able to dispel rumours and misinformation by confirming what structures have and haven't been affected or answering other questions, according to Christianson's work studying the 2011 evacuation of Whitefish Lake First Nation in Alberta.
In this case, it's not always as simple as checking whether the government or firefighting agency has corroborated a report or claim because it's coming from individuals.
But Christianson said there are still ways to help assess the reliability of the source, like asking whether they actually have a responsibility or role in the fire event and response. This can help indicate whether someone is a trustworthy source, she said.
Christianson said most people can weed through the mess of online conspiracies blaming government arson and space lasers, but it does start to create a lack of trust, not just in institutions, but in each other.
Times of crisis and big events like wildfires can unite communities, she said.
'People forget about differences that they might have and other things, because you're trying to achieve a common goal together, but the second you start throwing in all this disinformation about arson and who's starting fires and other things like that, it just really complicates the situation.'
Natasha Bulowski / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer
June 3rd 2025
Natasha Bulowski
Journalist
Keep reading
Carney won't reveal spending plans, enraging critics — but some call it savvy
By
Arno Kopecky
Analysis
June 2nd 2025
Cold days are coming too late, cutting off northerners
By
Cloe Logan
News
June 2nd 2025
Doug Ford blinks on Bill 5, under fire from First Nations
By
Sonal Gupta
News
Energy
Politics
Urban Indigenous Communities in Ottawa
May 28th 2025
Share this article
Share on Bluesky
Share on LinkedIn
Comments
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadians divided on whether U.S. is an ‘ally' or ‘enemy' country: Poll
OTTAWA – Faced with a trade war they didn't start, Canadians are divided on whether they see the United States as an 'enemy' or an 'ally,' a new poll suggests. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. Almost a third of respondents said they view the U.S. as a 'neutral country,' while 27 per cent said they consider it an 'ally' and 26 per cent see it as an 'enemy country.' Just over a third of men said they consider the U.S. an ally, compared with one in five women. Almost 30 per cent of women said they view the U.S. as an enemy, compared with 22 per cent of men. Older Canadians, those at least 55 years of age, were more likely to consider the U.S. an enemy than younger Canadians. Regionally Albertans were most likely to consider the U.S. an ally while Ontarians and British Columbians were most likely to see it as an enemy. The difference is starkest between political party supporters, with 44 per cent of Conservative supporters saying they view the U.S. as an ally, compared with 17 per cent of Liberal supporters and 12 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. Comparatively 16 per cent of Conservative supporters said they view the U.S. as an enemy country, while 36 per cent of Liberal supporters and 41 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to double his levies on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent. He claimed the measure will protect the country's national security and domestic industries. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his government will need to take 'some time' to craft a response to the increased U.S. tariffs. The number of Canadians that report seeing the U.S. as an enemy country has dropped by six points since mid-March. At that time, 32 per cent of survey respondents told Leger they viewed the country as an enemy. The number of Canadians that view the U.S. as an ally also decreased by two percentage points since March, from 29 to 27 per cent, while the number that view it as a neutral country increased by six percentage points, from 24 to 30 per cent. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that, broadly speaking, the patterns haven't changed much since the organization asked the question in February — when 27 per cent of respondents said they viewed the U.S. as an enemy and 30 per cent said they viewed it as an ally. Enns said the decline in the number of people saying the U.S. is an enemy likely reflects the overall sentiment on tariffs. 'It's still obviously there and, you know, clearly now we're dealing with higher steel tariffs, but the commentary coming from the White House and the Trump administration seems to have dissipated a bit and that's probably helping just tone things down,' he said. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Enns said Canada also has a new prime minister with a mandate that might 'take the edge off things.' 'I think that just keeps things more at a moderate level, and I think that reflects in people maybe feeling a little less threatened by the U.S.,' Enns said. Enns said political and business leaders have also sent a consistent message that the U.S. remains an important trading partner. He said that may encourage Canadians to believe there's a way to 'work things out.' The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian men, children held in Syria pursue human rights complaints against Ottawa
OTTAWA – A dozen Canadian men and children detained in Syria are complaining to the Canadian Human Rights Commission that Ottawa is discriminating against them by not assisting their return to Canada. The Canadians are among the foreign nationals who have endured squalid and dangerous conditions for years in camps and prisons run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-ravaged region from militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Some Canadian women and children have been repatriated in recent years with help from Canadian officials and the co-operation of Kurdish authorities. There are 12 complainants in the human rights commission case — five Canadian men and seven children aged five to 12. Lawyer Nicholas Pope, who launched the complaints, said federal policy guiding the repatriation of Canadians from the region discriminates based on age, sex and family status. Pope said the policy gives less favourable treatment to Canadian children whose mothers were not born in Canada. Canada has insisted that the remaining detained Canadian children, who were born to three non-Canadian mothers, be forcibly separated from their mothers and become orphans in Canada in order to receive repatriation services, he said. In addition, Ottawa has declined to help repatriate Canadian men. 'Every Canadian has the right to be treated equally,' Pope said in a statement. 'This is a rare situation in which the detaining authority holding Canadians abroad is actually pleading with us to end the detention, but it is Ottawa that is selectively refusing to let some Canadians return home.' Among the men complaining to the human rights commission is Jack Letts, who became a devoted Muslim as a teenager, went on holiday to Jordan, then studied in Kuwait before winding up in Syria. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled two years ago that Ottawa was not obligated under the law to repatriate Letts and three other Canadian men. The Supreme Court of Canada then declined to hear an appeal of the ruling. In accordance with the Canadian Human Rights Act, the human rights commission receives and screens complaints from people who believe they have experienced discrimination or harassment. The commission helps resolve disputes through mediation or conciliation, and sometimes refers complaints to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, an independent body that can decide whether there is discrimination. Pope said the commission 'has put the files on a fast-track' and is requiring the government to participate in conciliation, which is in the process of being scheduled. The human rights commission did not respond to a request for comment. Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said that due to confidentiality the department is unable to comment on cases before the human rights commission. The complaint filed last August on behalf of Letts says he suffers from anemia and experiences considerable pain from a potentially life-threatening kidney disorder, but he cannot access adequate medical treatment. 'The Complainant is held in prison in a small cell that is overcrowded and unsanitary,' the form reads. 'He lacks adequate food and medical attention. He has never been given any legal process to challenge his detention.' It notes that Canada has repatriated women and children from northeastern Syria under federal policy, but not any men, even though their conditions are more dire than those of the repatriated women and children. 'The blanket ban on repatriating adult males perpetuates the stereotype that men are more dangerous than women and children,' the complaint says. In a response filed with the commission concerning Letts's case, the federal government says the commission should refuse to deal with the complaint because 'the assessment of the complainant's situation is ongoing and a decision whether to provide extraordinary assistance has not yet been made.' The government also denies the allegation that Letts was not given repatriation assistance because of his sex or age. A statement of reply to the commission on behalf of Letts says the government has twice made determinations to refuse him repatriation services. In a response to the commission concerning the complaints involving children, the government denies the federal policy is discriminatory towards them on the basis of family status. MacLeod said Global Affairs continues to evaluate the provision of extraordinary assistance, including repatriation to Canada, on a case-by-case basis. 'Canadian consular officials remain actively engaged with authorities and international organizations operating in Syria for information on and assistance to Canadian citizens in custody,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Steelmakers urge Ottawa to match Trump tariffs
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Steel firms, workers to meet with MPs in Ottawa urging tariff action against U.S. Canadian steel companies and union workers are meeting with members of Parliament today with the hopes of convincing Ottawa to punch back at U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hike. Industry and labour groups, along with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, are all calling on the federal government to quickly implement matching tariffs to retaliate against the U.S. Trump doubled his duties on steel and aluminum products on Wednesday from 25 to 50 per cent — what amounts to a massive threat to Canadian industry. Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will need to take 'some time' to craft a response to the increased U.S. tariffs. A quarter of Canadians view U.S. as 'enemy': Poll Faced with a trade war they didn't start, Canadians are divided on whether they see the United States as an 'enemy' or an 'ally,' a new poll suggests. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. Almost a third of respondents said they view the U.S. as a 'neutral country,' while 27 per cent said they consider it an 'ally' and 26 per cent see it as an 'enemy country.' Just over a third of men said they consider the U.S. an ally, compared with one in five women. Older Canadians, those at least 55 years of age, were more likely to consider the U.S. an enemy than younger Canadians. Here's what else we're watching… Canadians held in Syria pursue rights complaints A dozen Canadian men and children detained in Syria are complaining to the Canadian Human Rights Commission that Ottawa is discriminating against them by not assisting their return to Canada. The Canadians are among the foreign nationals who have endured squalid and dangerous conditions for years in camps and prisons run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-ravaged region from militants. Some Canadian women and children have been repatriated with help from Canadian officials and the co-operation of Kurdish authorities. There are 12 complainants in the human rights commission case — five Canadian men and seven children aged five to 12. More than 2,200 Ontarians died of opioids in 2024 New data from the Office of the Chief Coroner shows that more than 2,200 Ontarians died from opioids last year, a 15 per cent decrease from 2023. Chief coroner Dirk Huyer says the decline gives him a 'small degree of optimism,' but he worries that the numbers could potentially get worse again. His office had recorded 2,639 opioid deaths in 2023. The mortality rate from opioid overdoses was 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024. Fentanyl and its related substances were found in more than 83 per cent of opioid toxicity deaths last year. Habitat probe as B.C. First Nation builds island A First Nation has built a small artificial island in Coles Bay off Vancouver Island, triggering an investigation into potential habitat destruction and whether the work was authorized. The Department of Fisheries says its officers are assessing whether the Pauquachin First Nation needed permission to construct the island, which is part of a plan to build a clam garden in the shallows of the bay. Excavators and dump trucks were involved in building the island over several days last week, hauling loads of rock into the tidal waters. North Saanich resident Richard Smith watched the construction and says he's concerned about the state of the ocean floor. Montreal hopes for better Grand Prix weekend Montreal is hoping to redeem itself during the upcoming Grand Prix weekend after last year's event became a source of embarrassment. The city says it's taking steps to improve access to the Formula 1 site on a man-made island and to reduce congestion during the event, which begins June 13. The Montreal fire department also says it's working with restaurant owners to ensure they're ready for the influx of tourists. Fire inspectors caused an uproar last year when they abruptly ordered some restaurants to close their patios on one of the busiest evenings of the year. The 2024 Grand Prix weekend was also marred by flooding at the race site, traffic headaches and miscommunication. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
