Facebook said Saturday it would take down erroneous posts claiming anti-fascist activists have been maliciously sparking wildfires in Oregon and other Western states.
Authorities have arrested one person, Michael Bakkela, 41, in connection with one of Oregon's 38 actives wildfires, which have caused at least 10 deaths. He is accused of sparking up brush as the Almeda Fire in Phoenix, Oregon, was already burning, Jackson County Sheriff's officials said Friday.Authorities have also had to contend with residents setting up road blocks in Multnomah County, where sheriff's deputies have urged residents to leave the law enforcement up to them.
"Deputies have contacted several groups of residents in Corbett who have set up checkpoints and are stopping cars," the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Friday night."While we understand their intent is to keep the community safe, it is never legal to block a public roadway or force other citizens to stop.""Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON," the office said on"THIS IS NOT TRUE!," it continued.
A firefighters union in Washington said on Facebook recently that the platform was"an absolute cesspool of misinformation right now.""This is consistent with our past efforts to remove content that could lead to imminent harm given the possible risk to human life as the fires rage on," he said.
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