What’s the Cause of Maui’s Tragedy? Space Lasers? Oprah? Watch
In the wake of the deadly wildfires that have ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui, conspiracy theorists have begun to circulate wild claims about the cause of the fires. Some have alleged that the fires were started by space lasers, while others have claimed that Oprah Winfrey was involved in a plot to clear the land for her own personal gain.
The claims about space lasers are based on a photo that has been circulating online that appears to show a beam of light shooting down from the sky. However, experts have debunked this claim, saying that the photo is actually a composite image that has been manipulated.
Winfrey owns some 2,000 acres on the island and resides there part-time — and has promised a large donation “once all the smoke and ash has settled and we figure out what the rebuilding is going to look like.”
Matt Wallace noted that although Winfrey’s land was threatened, it was not burned — and he saw a parallel to the 2017 Montecito fire that forced the veteran TV host to evacuate but ultimately left her property untouched.
“IN THE LAST FEW YEARS SHE HAS GONE FROM ABOUT 100 ACRES OF LAND IN MAUI TO OVER 1000 ACRES!” Wallace claimed. “Then All of A Sudden Out of Nowhere A Fire Comes And Destroys Many Homes Near Her But Her Land Remains Untouched! SOUND FAMILIAR?!?!?!”
Others have focused on a direct energy weapon (DEW) — commonly referred to as a “space laser” — as the most common suggestion among conspiracy theorists.
“This was a direct energy weapon assault on the people. And I say that because my friend in Hawaii showed a laser beam coming out of the sky directly targeting the city,” one person claimed.
TV host Ben Hansen criticized the conspiracy theories, saying, “It’s a shame that some people feel the need to hoax or participate in what I call ‘fraudulent reattribution’ by linking old media to recent events (i.e. the Maui fires being caused by space lasers). It’s deceitful & distracting to the story of real families mourning their loss.”
Oprah Winfrey, who owns 2,000 acres of land on Maui and lives there part time, says she is going to make a major donation towards recovery efforts “once all the smoke and ash has settled and we figure out what the rebuilding is going to look like.” pic.twitter.com/5tqoSh41xL
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 14, 2023
Maui wildfires spark conspiracy theories about space-lasers, Oprah land grabs, and suspicious trees https://t.co/ikhuskmH8z pic.twitter.com/qTaFBaexjg
— New York Post (@nypost) August 16, 2023
