False claim Maui fires intentionally set to turn island into '15-minute city' | Fact check

Isabella Fertel, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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The claim: Maui wildfires were intentionally set to turn island into a ‘15-minute city’ or 'smart city'

An Aug. 16 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) features a screenshot of a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, regarding the recent wildfires in Maui.

“So they deliberately burn Maui to the ground to ‘jump start’ their Hawaiian Smart City agenda,” reads the text in the post.

The post also claims that the JUMPSmartMaui project will turn the island into a “15-minute city” and references “climate lockdowns.”

Other versions of the post continue to circulate on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Our rating: False

The post gets multiple elements of the claim wrong. There is no evidence that the Maui wildfires were intentionally set – as part of an effort to convert the island into a “15-minute city,” “smart city” or otherwise. The cause of the fires has not yet been determined, but officials say red flag conditions and strong winds from nearby Hurricane Dora were likely factors.

No evidence Maui wildfires deliberately set by government

The deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century, the fires in Maui have killed at least 115 people and destroyed upwards of 2,800 structures across the island since Aug. 8. The disaster prompted the Hawaiian government to declare a state of emergency on Aug. 9.

USA TODAY previously reported that a combination of weather and climate-related factors created what the National Weather Service calls “red flag” conditions on the island. Those factors – which include gusting winds (fuelled by nearby Hurricane Dora), low humidity, lack of rainfall and dry vegetation – can lead to increased risk of fire danger.

Fact check: No evidence Maui wildfires intentionally set in 'land grab,' contrary to posts

While the exact cause of the fires is still being investigated, Department of Defense spokesperson Jeffrey Hickman previously told USA TODAY the claim the fires were deliberately set is a baseless “social media narrative.”

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s office previously told the Associated Press there is “no truth to the horrendous assertion that the fires were deliberately set.”

Post conflates '15-minute cities' concept, old renewable energy plan

The post references the “15-minute cities” concept created by Carlos Moreno, a professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The basic concept is that all essential services are accessible to all city residents within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.

But the urban design framework has no connection to the Maui wildfires, as USA TODAY has previously reported.

The post also appears to conflate the “15-minute cities” concept with “smart cities” and the JUMPSmart Maui Project.

The project aimed “to establish electric vehicle charging infrastructure and smart-grid EV technology,” according to John Harrison, program director for the Maui Economic Development Board.

But Harrison said the program, which began in 2011, “concluded successfully” in 2017 and is no longer active.

Furthermore, it was “absolutely not” a goal of the project to turn Maui into either a “15-minute city” or a “smart island," Harrison said.

The Maui Economic Development board is “not aware of any plans to turn Maui into a smart island or 15-minute city,” he told USA TODAY.

Fact check: No, Maui fires not linked to energy weapons, AI, smart cities, weather modification

Some of the social media posts making this claim also mention the Hawaii International Conference for System Sciences, which has been held across the state since 1968.

The event, which most recently convened in January, “has been known worldwide as the longest-standing working scientific conferences in Information Technology Management,” with panels and presentations featuring experts from upwards of 60 countries, according to its website.

USA TODAY has previously debunked other erroneous claims about "15-minute cities," including that they are actually climate change lockdowns, that they will permanently limit citizens’ mobility, and that the East Palestine train derailment was designed to forcibly impose a “15-minute city” in Cleveland.

USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

The Associated Press also debunked this claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No evidence Maui fires designed to create 'smart city' | Fact check