'Completely false' claim Marines attacked FEMA convoy fleeing Maui wildfires | Fact check

Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY
·2 min read
5

The claim: Marines ‘neutralized’ a FEMA convoy fleeing Maui wildfires

An Aug. 22 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a TikTok video of a woman reading a Real Raw News story aloud with a screenshot of the article in the background.

“United States Marines on Friday ‘neutralized’ a FEMA convoy that fled fire-stricken Lahaina for Haleakala National Park,” the woman reads.

The post was shared more than 3,000 times in two days.

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Our rating: False

A Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson says the claim is false. The claim originated from a website with a long history of publishing misinformation.

Story is from website known for misinformation

The claim is “completely false,” FEMA spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said in an email to USA TODAY.

The story, which was originally published Aug. 20 by Real Raw News, goes on to claim that after the Marines attacked the FEMA convoy, they downed a helicopter attempting to rescue the survivors from Mount Haleakala, the highest point on the Hawaiin island of Maui.

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Such an attack certainly would make headlines across the globe, but there have been no reputable news reports of it taking place.

USA TODAY reached out to the Marines for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“The Department of Defense is one of FEMA’s strongest partners during disaster response and recovery efforts,” Edwards said.

The Maui wildfires – which have killed at least 115 people and destroyed more than 2,800 structures across the island since Aug. 8 – have become a consistent topic of misinformation. USA TODAY has debunked claims the fires were started by a light beam, were linked to artificial intelligence and were intentionally set.

Real Raw News routinely shares misinformation. It often publishes fabricated stories about "white hats" trying to undermine "the deep state" either with acts of violence or by arresting government officials and other high-profile people.

A disclaimer on the website's "About Us" page states it “contains humor, parody and satire.” But that notice is not included in individual stories on the website.

USA TODAY has previously debunked fabricated stories by Real Raw News, including false claims that the CEO of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer was arrested and that Russia destroyed all of its COVID-19 vaccines.

USA TODAY reached out to Real Raw News and to the social media users who posted and shared the video for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

The Associated Press and PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

  • Jeremy Edwards, Aug. 23, Email exchange with USA TODAY

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Marines did not attack FEMA convoy fleeing Maui fires | Fact check