Wildfires are raging along the West Coast, and with them authorities in Oregon said they are fighting rumors of political origins.
Multiple fires in Washington, Oregon and California have destroyed more than 4.7 million acres and killed at least 34 people.
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been batting down conspiracy theories that Antifa extremists are setting fires and cutting down power lines, Clackamas County, Oregon, Sheriff Craig Roberts said Wednesday.
“Each and every tip that comes in, we’re following that to the end,” Roberts said, but investigators typically find that the tipsters’ information came “from a friend of a friend” who has no evidence. In one case, Roberts said a group reported to be stashing gasoline cans in the forest to start fires was actually “Good Samaritans” helping move fuel for emergency workers.