No evidence smart meters caused Spokane fires - AFP Fact Check
factcheck.afp.com
Spokane fires sparked claims that smart meters or military lasers were to blame — but what drives people to reach for hidden causes over mundane ones?
Proportionality BiasConspiracy Theory FormationAvailability HeuristicMisinformation Diffusion
Theory Briefing
- AFP fact-checkers found no evidence linking smart meters to the Spokane fires, yet the claim spread widely online.
- Directed energy weapons — high-intensity lasers already central to multiple prior conspiracy theories — were also blamed for the fires without supporting evidence.
- The same DEW narrative previously attached to the Maui and California wildfires, showing how a ready-made explanation migrates from disaster to disaster.
- When a frightening event lacks an obvious cause, people tend to prefer a powerful, intentional villain over random chance or mundane failure.