That's...certainly a theory.
Several wildfires are currently raging in California, with at least five separate fires forcing over 100,000 people from their homes already.
The largest of the fires, the Palisades Fire, has already burned through more than 17,000 acres and destroyed 1,000 structures, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history - and it's still zero percent contained.
A new fire started last night in the Hollywood Hills, the Sunset Fire, which threatens some of Hollywood's most iconic landmarks, and is also currently zero percent contained.
Battling the blazes has been a challenge thanks to record-low humidity and the Santa Ana winds, with gusts up to 100 mph, only adding fuel to the fires and causing them to spread faster than firefighters can tackle them. There have also been reports of fire hydrants running out of water, and the windy conditions have made it difficult and ineffective for helicopters and other aerial assets to drop water on the wildfires.
The Palisades fire reportedly "started as a very small fire in the backyard," but there's also been plenty of speculation that some of the fires may have been intentional as well, with videos showing arsonists setting a fire in an otherwise non-burning area last night near the wildfires:
https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1877242914041970764
One guy, however, has a...well, a different theory.
During a newscast last night, Fox 11 was reporting on the Sunset fire when a man crashed the newscast to ask why there were wildfires. The reporter said she didn't know the cause of them, to which he replied that she was the news and was supposed to know the cause of the fires.
When she confirmed that they didn't know how the fires started, the guy offered up his own theory:
"I think it's all the gay people in LA."
https://twitter.com/DefiantWorld/status/1877353381745848808
Well alrighty then.
The reporter quickly condemned the comments and got back to reporting on the story.
While we don't know the cause for all of the fires (and I don't think it's some sort of biblical punishment for all the gays in LA), the blazes have already burned down the homes of several celebrities, including Paris Hilton and actor James Woods.
During an appearance on CNN yesterday, Woods tearfully recounted his wife's niece offering them her piggy bank to help rebuild their house:
“Sara was on with her 8-year old niece last night, and she came out…I’m sorry, one day you’re swimming in the pool and the next it’s all gone. But she came out with her little Yeti piggy bank to rebuild our house.”
Heartbreaking.
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1877084132687114423
The fires are obviously still raging, so it will be quite a while before anybody in the area can even begin to think about rebuilding. But if you’re wanting to help those affected, GlobalGiving has launched a California Wildfire Relief Fund to help address urgent needs of food, water, fuel and shelter for those who have been devastated by the fires. The organization is a top rated charity on Charity Navigator, which means that when you donate, you can be sure your funds are actually going towards their intended purpose.
