Were LA-bound firefighters held up in Sacramento? California, Oregon fire officials respond
Online claims that firefighters were held up in Sacramento for emissions testing on their way to fight the blazes in Los Angeles are false, according to Oregon and California officials.
The rumors have spread across social media in recent days, filling up X timelines and Facebook comment sections.
A Saturday post on X from Dinesh D’Souza, the conservative commentator who pushed debunked views about the 2020 presidential election, had more than 1.3 million views.
“Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to California to help with the fires, but they’re being held in Sacramento for emissions testing. You can’t make this up! What is going on?,” he said.
Earlier that day, Cal Fire on Facebook posted a video of out-of-state firefighting trucks receiving inspections and maintenance at an agency facility in Davis.
“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,” the agency posted along with the video. “Our proactive inspections and maintenance protocols guarantee that all equipment is fully operational, minimizing risks and maximizing effectiveness in fire suppression efforts.”
In subsequent comments, Cal Fire said no emissions or smog inspections were conducted and warned that a vehicle failure in a fire zone could be fatal.
That wasn’t enough to temper all the concerns online.
“Are you kidding me??? What a crock, just let them go,” one Facebook user replied. “Personal responsibility. They know their trucks. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!!!! This is the epitome of California stupidity, and why we left.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal also weighed in on Facebook saying in a post Sunday that 15 firefighting strike teams were not delayed on their way to Southern California that their trucks did not have to go through emissions testing.
“Firefighter safety is our number one priority,” the agency’s post said.
It encouraged people to share the message.
X users were still posting the allegation Thursday morning.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 12:13 PM.
