Fake Photo: Firefighters in California
The photo was actually taken in 2016 (Getty Images).
The Claim
The photo below depicts firefighters napping on the sidewalk during the 2020 California wildfires. 
News posted on
Emerging story
In September 2020, users on social media posted the photo with accompanying captions praising firefighters for battling the California wildfires.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found that while the photo does depict firefighters napping on a sidewalk, it is not from the recent California wildfires. We conducted a reverse image search of the photo and found that it was actually taken in 2016 during a spout of Gatlinburg, Tennessee wildfires.
Although firefighters have been tirelessly working to quell the 2020 California wildfires, the viral picture of napping firefighters is unrelated.
Misbar’s Classification
Fake
