CNN Did Not Stage a Fire for Its Ukraine Coverage

30th March 2022

CNN Did Not Stage a Fire for Its Ukraine Coverage

The firefighting equipment was donated to Ukraine by Edmonton (Twitter).

The Claim

CNN falsified its coverage of a fire in Ukraine by showing firefighters wearing a jacket labeled “Edmonton,” proving that the scene was staged and captured in Canada instead of Ukraine.

News posted on

The Free People of Canada

Emerging story

Social media users circulated a screenshot image from CNN Newsroom, claiming that the channel is faking its coverage of a fire in Ukraine. The claim is based on the slogan “Edmonton '' etched to a firefighter’s jackets, which insinuated that the scene was not filmed in Ukraine. “Edmonton,'' which is a Canadian non-profit organization and Edmonton Fire Rescue Service, sparked the confusion. The claim was shared with the following caption:

"Things are getting so bad in Ukraine that Edmonton firefighters are on the scene, CNN you never fail to deliver...comedy that is."

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be fake.

A CNN reporter was live-streaming from an explosion near Lviv in front of a line of firefighters; one of them, wearing an Edmonton bunker gear, was spotted.

The video was shared by Nora Neus.

Firefighter Aid Ukraine posted a picture showing the gear that was used in putting down the fire in Lviv, with the caption: “Firefighters from Ivano Frankivsk recently received some much-needed firefighting equipment that was sent from Edmonton. They passed on this photo as their thanks.”

In an interview with CTV News, Kevin Royle, founder of the project and a serving Edmonton firefighter, said, "We've been doing this with Ukraine for almost eight years."

Firefighter Aid Ukraine is an Edmonton-based organization that has been supplying essential firefighter equipment to Ukraine for nearly a decade.

Kevin Royle believes the jacket is one of many that were donated to first responders. Markings are typically removed from gear before it is shipped, but this may have gone unnoticed during the donation process.

On Saturday, Russian rockets fired at Lviv hit an oil storage facility and an unspecified industrial facility, injuring at least five people.