AAP FACTCHECK – Fire trucks sent by Oregon to fight the Los Angeles wildfires were not turned away for failing to meet California’s emissions standards.
Californian and Oregon fire officials have confirmed that no emissions tests were conducted on any fire trucks, and none were turned away for that reason.
Deadly blazes around LA had killed at least 27 people and charred thousands of homes as of January 22.
The false claim appears in Facebook posts featuring an image of three fire trucks parked in a row, with captions suggesting California’s emissions rules prevented them from joining the disaster response.
“Stupidity at its best .. One of our north American followers sent us this .. This with fires burning out of control and close to 10 000 homes burnt. Ideology over results. 60 fire trucks from Oregon to help fight the LA fires are bottled up in Sacramento because they didn’t have California smog certificates,” the caption said.
A reverse image search of the photo showed that it was originally posted on X by the Eastside Fire and Rescue based in Washington state.
“Update from our EF&R strike team leader – crews are going through inspection in Davis, California. They have been assigned to the #PalisadeFire which is currently 6% contained. Safe travels to our team!” the original caption said.
California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) confirmed in a Facebook post that interstate firefighting vehicles were tested for safety, not emissions.
“Recognizing that these heavy-duty vehicles endure extensive travel, sometimes arriving with worn or out-of-specification components, we are committed to ensuring their safety before deployment to the front lines,” it said in the post.
In a comment on the same post, CAL FIRE said claims about interstate firefighting equipment being turned away were inaccurate.
“No vehicles from out of state have been turned around or refused service at Davis Mobile Equipment and all out-of-state vehicles have been serviced and are heading to or have arrived in Southern California,” the department said.
“No emissions or SMOG testing was performed. All repairs were completed the same day with the exception of a couple because of parts but turnaround was early the next day.’
The Oregon State Fire Marshal posted a statement on X describing false claims that its trucks were tested for emissions and turned away as “misinformation”.
“There was no delay in the process or travel. Our equipment is held to the highest safety standard to ensure the safety of our firefighters. This equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority,” the statement said.
“No engine was turned away. They all competed the safety check, and all 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California on Thursday and began their 24-hour shift early Friday morning.”
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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