Oregon wildfires: FBI quashes rumours of involvement of 'extremists'

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) quashed rumours of “extremist” group behind the wildfires in Oregon which prompted a mass evacuation. The fires have destroyed thousands of homes with at least five dead and dozens missing as firefighters continue to battle two large fires in the US state of Oregon.

Paul Romero Jr, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for Senator from Oregon, started the rumours about the involvement of Antifa, a far-left group, in the fires. Romero Jr tweeted the conspiracy theory and the screenshot was widely circulated on Facebook. He had claimed that Douglas County Sheriff detained six Antifa arsonists in the case.

In another tweet, Romero Jr said that blasted environmentalists for allowing forests to become tinderboxes and asked whether the arrests would put them in direct opposition to the “Fascist Marxists of ANTIFA”. FBI Portland said that the bureau and local law enforcement agencies have been receiving reports that extremists are responsible for setting wildfires in Oregon. 

“With our state and local partners, the FBI has investigated several such reports and found them to be untrue,” said FBI Portland in a statement.

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FBI urges people to stop sharing misinformation

The federal agency said that conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away local fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under control. It appealed people to help the entire community by only sharing validated information from official sources.

Separately, Douglas County Sherrif’s Office wrote on its official Facebook page that 911 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an untrue rumour of arrests of 6 Antifa members. The office said that such rumours make the already complex incident even harder to deal with.

“Unfortunately, people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems. Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS!” the Facebook post read.

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