As firefighters continue to battle wildfires in southern California, a suggestion has spread online that Russia is ready to support the U.S. relief effort.
It has been two weeks since the outbreak of the lethal blazes, that have killed at least 27 people, destroyed homes and caused billions in damages.
On Monday, emergency services were tackling two fires in Los Angeles on Monday near San Diego, as strong winds returned to the state. The combination of drought and high winds worked together to overwhelm firefighting responses. Although fires in the Palisades and Eaton have stopped growing, responders are still working to contain them.
Aside from the urgent response, the disaster has also attracted damaging misinformation and falsehoods. Russian commentators have used the tragedy to spread anti-Ukrainian misinformation, with false reports that the homes of several Ukrainian generals had burnt down in California, as reported by NPR.
Russia has also accused the U.S. of "obscurantist hypocrisy" for using inmates to fight the blazes, reported Voice of America.
Russian attempts to exploit the disaster were also at odds with other dubious claims, such as that Moscow was "ready to help the Americans" end the burning.
The Claim
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by pro-Russian commentator Jackson Hinkle, posted on January 12, 2025, has been viewed 2.4 million times and featured an unattributed quote.
It read: "RUSSIA offers ASSISTANCE for Los Angeles fires: 'We are ready to help the Americans if the President decides so.'"
Another post by user @Zlatti_71, posted on January 10, 2025 and viewed 183,600 times, said: "'Russians are ready to help the Americans if the president decides so.
"Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Russian Union of Rescuers Sergei Shchetinin admitted the possibility of helping Americans deal with the fires in Los Angeles.
"According to him, 20 years ago, when New Orleans was going under water, our rescuers also expressed a desire to lend a hand to the Americans.
"'The question of whether Russia will help America because of the fires in southern California is purely political. 20 years ago, New Orleans was almost 80% flooded. Then we expressed a desire to help, we were ready to fly out, but the Americans refused our help. Let our president decide what will happen now. If he says 'go ahead'", I think our guys will work. We, Russians, are kind: if someone is in trouble or feels bad, we help.
"- FRWL [from Russia with love]."
The Facts
Newsweek has not found any statement from Russian officials offering support to California.
There are no official public statements from Sergey Shchetinin, named on Russian government websites as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Russian Union of Rescuers, under the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
According to descriptions from government press releases and media outlets, the Rescues Union is a nationwide organization with 80 branches that provides emergency service support from groups of volunteers and professionals.
It is unclear why Shchetinin would have made this statement, given what little proximity he appears to have to the Kremlin. Searches for his name in English and Russian result in very few stories beyond inert press releases from the Emergencies Ministry and brief quotes for Russian state media.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Emergencies Ministry press office via email for comment.
The wording of the quote was also ambiguous, where "the President" could refer to either Russian President Vladimir Putin, then President Joe Biden, or then President-elect Donald Trump as the decision-maker.
The likelihood of Russia engaging with the U.S. on cooperative foreign policy or international rescue efforts seems slim, and the lack of sources or other evidence furthers suspicion.
The only example of Shchetinin's name linked to the California wildfires that Newsweek found was an article on the Russian news website bloknot.ru. The article did not link to a source and bloknot.ru, which is certificated under Russia's strict censorship laws, has shared misleading claims about the fires elsewhere.
The website shared claims, without scrutiny, that donations of Californian surplus firefighting equipment to Ukraine in 2022 may have worsened firefighter response. While the equipment was donated to Ukraine in 2022, there is no evidence this impacted wildfire spread or containment efforts.
Californian authorities have also told Newsweek that they have not received offers of help from Russia. A spokesperson for the Californian California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) told Newsweek: "As of today, neither Cal OES nor Cal Fire have received any offers of support for the firefight happening in Los Angeles from Russia."
The claim about the U.S. refusing aid from Russia in New Orleans also appears misleading. Assuming the flooding in New Orleans refers to Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. did accept support from Russia in 2005.
At a press conference with Vladimir Putin in September 2005, former President George W. Bush thanked Putin for "Russia's offers of assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
"It meant a lot to know that you cared enough to send critical supplies, and our country really appreciates it," Bush said.
"People are going through some tough times down there, and I think it lifts their spirits to know that not only Americans but Russians care about their future."
The Ruling
False.
There is no evidence that Russia has offered to support the California wildfire response. Quotes shared on social media and in Russian media are not linked to any source. The Russian official quoted on social media does not appear to have been granted the seniority to speak on behalf of the government. Californian authorities say they have not received "any offers of support for the firefight" from Russia.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
About the writer
Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in ... Read more