Climate Change Drives Wildfire Conditions, But Algorithms Reward a Different Story

Theory Briefing

• Record wildfire seasons keep triggering a wave of arson conspiracy theories pushed by so-called disinfluencers online.
• Algorithms appear to reward the dramatic arson narrative over the slower, less viral story of climate-driven fire conditions.
• The pattern deflects public attention away from the environmental factors scientists link to worsening wildfire seasons.
• Disinfluencers — accounts that systematically spread misleading content — are identified as key amplifiers of the conspiracy cycle.