By: Rajini KG
March 8 2024
Video does not show ‘green laser’ seen during Texas wildfire
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Screenshot of the viral video circulating online. (Source: Facebook/Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The viral video predates the Texas wildfire and has been created digitally.
Claim ID e238f330
What is the claim?
More than 1,075,000 acres of grasslands have been devastated by wildfires in Texas since February 26. Small wildfires have been reported in other areas of the northern Texas panhandle. Texas A&M Forest Service called the fire, referred to as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texan history.
In this context, a video shared on Facebook (archive here) claims that a mysterious green laser beam was captured on camera and that the fire was started using a Direct Energy Weapon (DEW). The four-second video shows a thunderstorm and a laser beam behind a building at the timestamp of 0:02 seconds. An archive of a similar post can be found here.
Screenshot of the viral video circulating online. (Source: Facebook/Instagram/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, the claim is false, and the video is digitally modified. The claim that DEWs caused the wildfire in Texas is a conspiracy theory.
Here are the facts
Through a reverse image search, we found the video uploaded to Instagram under the username @antoniotheleo, an account belonging to a user called Antonio Williams, the creator of the video. The same video was also posted on Williams' YouTube channel on December 31, 2023.
Williams also shared the video on his Facebook account on February 27, 2024, during the Texas wildfire. Williams' Facebook bio reads that he is a digital creator, and has posted multiple videos on conspiratorial topics like UFOs, Red Star, DEWs, and laser beams to his Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube accounts.
Screenshot of the Facebook profile. (Source: Facebook)
A press release from the Texas A&M Forest Service states that the wildfire was caused by dry conditions, strong wind, human activities, celebrations held in dry areas, and weather conditions.
According to a report in the Associated Press, Texas A&M Forest Service’s investigation showed that power lines may have caused the fires.
The verdict
The video is digitally manipulated and predates the ongoing Smokehouse Creek wildfire. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.
