AAP FACTCHECK – Images purporting to show Los Angeles homes and a church miraculously spared by the Californian wildfires are not what they seem, despite claims on social media.
One of the images is from a completely different wildfire while the others have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI).
The images have appeared on Facebook as fires continue to burn across LA.
The posts, which are spreading widely among social media users in Papua New Guinea, are often accompanied by biblical references.
“Among the million-dollar buildings that were destroyed in the fires across Los Angeles, there is one house that miraculously survived in Hollywood,” one Facebook post reads.
“It stands untouched, while everything around it was burned to the ground. Some say it must be the work of God, protecting this house from the flames.”
The post is accompanied by an image of an intact house with a red roof surrounded by black and white, burnt and destroyed homes.
A reverse image search reveals the picture is real but it’s not from the LA fires – it’s from the 2023 fires in Maui.
The 100-year-old house, in Lahaina, remained standing while most of the town was destroyed, the BBC reported.
Previously, the homeowners had unintentionally made it fire-resistant by replacing its asphalt roof with heavy-gauge metal, lining the ground with stones, and removing foliage from around the property, the LA Times reported.
Another widely shared image appears to show a bird’s eye view of an intact LA home with a red roof surrounded by the rubble of other homes.
“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. – Psalm 91:7 This verse emphasizes God’s protection and care for those who trust in Him”, a Facebook post from a PNG page is captioned.
“#Photo of One out of more than 10,000 mansions and buildings burned to ashes.”
However, a Google reverse image search confirms the picture is either AI-generated or manipulated.
The image contains one of Google’s SynthID watermarks, which indicates it was created or manipulated using the company’s AI tools.
“A SynthID watermark is detected in the image, meaning the image has been generated or modified with AI,” a Google spokesperson said.
“This is exactly the sort of problem SynthID was intended to address, so we’re glad to see it being put to good use here.”
The watermark can be found by performing a reverse image search on Google.
By clicking “About this image” any Google watermark will become apparent.
It’s claimed another image shared by Facebook users in PNG shows an LA church still standing while houses around it have been destroyed.
“The fire raged but the Lord’s house remained untouched! This is no coincidence – it is a miracle! Amen,” text overlaying the image reads.
However, a closer look at the top left corner of the picture reveals it was AI-generated.
The Verdict
False – The claims are inaccurate.
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