At first glance, fish and wildfires seem to have little in common. But as winds reaching 100 miles per hour fueled catastrophic blazes across Los Angeles, incoming President Donald Trump placed the blame on a tiny, endangered fish that lives hundreds of miles away.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of prioritizing the Delta smelt—a three-inch fish—over public safety.
He claimed Newsom refused to sign an agreement that would have redirected water from the state’s north to southern areas. Newsom’s refusal, Trump alleged, supposedly leaving LA’s fire hydrants dry and contributing to what he described as “apocalyptic” fires.
The problem? None of that is true.
Trump’s post was part of a flood of misinformation circulating on social media as the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires wreaked havoc. These wildfires, now the most destructive in LA’s history, have leveled thousands of homes, displaced over 130,000 people, and claimed at least five lives.
Yet Trump’s post made no mention of the real culprits: climate change and risky urban planning. Instead, the endangered smelt was cast as a villain in a crisis it had nothing to do with.
Misinformation in the Midst of Disaster
The LA wildfires highlight how misinformation can muddy the waters during natural disasters, exacerbating confusion and even jeopardizing lives. Misinformation and political finger-pointing, like Trump’s, distract from meaningful solutions and undermine public trust.
“This kind of misinformation isn’t just inappropriate—it’s dangerous,” said Ashley Overhouse, a water policy advisor at Defenders of Wildlife. She’s spent years advocating for the Delta smelt, which has long been a scapegoat for California’s water woes. “It reveals a profound misunderstanding of our water systems and wildfire challenges.”
The real story is one of shifting climates and urban vulnerabilities.
California has been experiencing “weather whiplash,” with the last few years swinging between record droughts and heavy rainfall. After a severe drought from 2020 to 2022, 2023 brought 10 inches more rain than usual. But recently, Southern California has seen record-dry conditions, leaving vegetation primed to burn. Add to that the powerful Santa Ana winds, now blowing more frequently in winter, and you have a recipe for year-round fire risk.
“It’s not just that fires happen—they’re a natural part of ecosystems,” said Sara McTarnaghan, a researcher at the Urban Institute. “The problem is how much faster and more devastating they’ve become due to climate change.”
The Role of Urban Planning
Natural fires turn into disasters when we build communities in fire-prone areas. For years, cities like Los Angeles have failed to adapt to changing climates, leaving residents vulnerable. LA Mayor Karen Bass warned, “Due to climate change, we will continue to see unusual and extreme weather events.”
But Bass has faced her own share of scrutiny.
Critics slammed her for traveling to Ghana as the fires began, though she returned Wednesday to lead the response. Social media has been awash with claims—some accurate, some wildly misleading—about her handling of the crisis, including accusations of cutting the fire department’s budget.
In reality, the story is more nuanced: while the budget technically decreased, funds were reallocated to support new firefighter contracts.
The Smelt Scapegoat Returns
As firefighters battled the infernos, some 200 fire hydrants ran dry, leading to speculation that California’s water policies were to blame. Officials explained the real reason: unprecedented demand caused water tanks to temporarily run out. But that didn’t stop Trump from reviving one of his favorite targets: the Delta smelt.
The smelt, native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, hasn’t been seen in the wild in years but remains protected under federal and state laws. Trump has attacked the fish before, claiming water meant for farming and firefighting is instead wasted to “save the smelt.” In reality, water flows in the delta help maintain the health of an entire ecosystem, supporting not just wildlife but also farming and drinking water quality.
“Delta smelt are like the canary in the coal mine for ecosystem collapse,” Overhouse explained. “Blaming them for LA’s water issues ignores the complexity of our water system and spreads dangerous misinformation.”
Even if the smelt’s protections were lifted, water wouldn’t flow to Los Angeles. California’s water laws prioritize Central Valley farmers, not urban firefighting.
Wildfires: The Bigger Picture
As LA battles its most destructive fires, the city’s water infrastructure and fire response systems are under intense scrutiny. But focusing on scapegoats like the smelt or budget cuts only distracts from the larger issues: climate change and the need for smarter urban planning.
“When disasters strike, it’s easy for emotions to take over and misinformation to spread,” said Mayor Bass. The challenge now is ensuring that the city—and the nation—doesn’t lose sight of the real solutions needed to tackle a warming world and its increasingly dangerous consequences.
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