This Video Shows an Explosion in Chile, Not the Maui Wildfires
The Claim
A video shows Maui wildfires.
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Emerging story
After the recent fires in Hawaii, a video clip was widely circulated on social media with two separate claims.
These claims attributed and hinted that the explosion seen in the video was due to actions taken by the government. Various individuals on social media asserted that the video portrayed a fire-like laser weapon, which they believed had been deliberately targeted to strike the Maui fires.
Conversely, other users argued that the video depicted an instance of a Direct Energy Weapon (DEW) being employed in Chile on May 26th, 2023.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claims to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar's team concluded that the video in circulation originated from Chile, not Hawaii, and did not depict a direct energy weapon striking the area during that period.
The Video of the Explosion Was Shot in Chile Not Hawaii
The video was not shot in Maui, Hawaii, as claimed. A TikTok user uploaded the video on May 26, claiming that it had been recorded by a friend in the Macul community in Chile.
Since then, the video has amassed millions of views.
The Video Shows a Transformer Exploding in Strong Winds
The clip was displayed in a Chilevision News report on May 30. According to the report, a transformer exploded due to strong winds. This explosion resulted in the bright flash of light captured in the video.
The news outlet highlighted that the clip quickly led to speculation about a potential foreign military assault or an aggressive extraterrestrial intrusion.
The reporter, Javiera Salazar, conducted interviews with local residents and clarified in Spanish, "No, it wasn't an alien or military attack. It wasn't even lightning either, and certainly not artificial intelligence. It was an explosion from a generator."
Direct Energy Weapons
Directed energy weapons (DEWs) encompass electromagnetic systems with the ability to transform chemical or electrical energy into radiated energy, concentrating it on a target. This process leads to tangible harm by weakening, incapacitating, or annihilating an adversary's capability.
Naval DEWs comprise setups utilizing High Energy Lasers (HEL), discharging photons, and High Power Microwaves (HPM), emitting radiofrequency waves. The U.S. Navy employs DEWs to project power and execute cohesive defense missions.
111 Individuals Killed in Maui Wildfires
Maui County authorities revealed that the number of casualties in the Maui wildfires has risen to 111, reaching a week since the blaze first tore through sections of the Hawaiian island.
Simultaneously, the effort to locate and confirm the identities of the victims continues at a laboriously sluggish pace. Among the 111 individuals who have tragically lost their lives in the fires, only 10 have been positively identified.
Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, shared his anticipation that the reconstruction of the fire-ravaged region in Maui could incur costs exceeding $5 billion.
The Maui wildfires have now been declared the most lethal in the United States in more than a century, as reported by the National Fire Protection Association.
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