ROTHENBURGER: Unfounded rumours are spreading like wildfire these days

The sight of anything that looks like smoke is one of the biggest sources for rumours. For example, there was a social media post the other day that smoke appeared to be rising in the hills above a particular location on a rural road.

There was no plume of smoke, as it turned out, no wildfire in the area. It was merely the edge of the smoke cloud that had been hovering over the city for several days. But you can bet the erroneous report had people in the vicinity worried.

Like gossip, rumours have a way of exaggerating a situation as it makes the rounds. A half hectare fire can easily be expanded into an out-of-control conflagration in the rumour mill. And, based on the most casual of observations, it might be heading towards a town or not.

The problem with rumours is that they’re unverified. That’s the definition of a rumour. So, as it gets retold and told again, the story changes.

Rumours abound about just about every aspect of wildfires. A common one is that certain homes and properties have been destroyed, which may or may not be the case. But if you’ve been evacuated and stories start circulating that your home has probably burned to the ground, the stress is going to be almost unbearable. That’s why yesterday’s bus tour of Lytton was so important — so that residents could see it with their own eyes.

“I heard” at the start of a sentence is a red flag. “I heard it was caused by a campfire.” “I heard it was caused by a cigarette.”

One theory about the Lytton fire is that it was caused by sparks from a passing train. That one is still being investigated and does have some foundation but, until and unless it’s verified, it has the status of a rumour.

Smoke was seen somewhere near the tracks shortly before the town was destroyed. Some people saw what looked like flames under a rail car. A video was posted.

Speculation became rumour, rumour became “reports” that a train is the suspected cause.

Some strongly believe train traffic through Lytton should be suspended. A blockade of the tracks has been broached. Yesterday, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra ordered a 48-hour suspension of train traffic there.

But CN says the video was from another fire 45 km. away, and though it burned close to the tracks, a train passing through at the time wasn’t damaged.

Yet, media repeat the theory day after day. And media aren’t always helpful. The day after the Juniper-Valleyview fire was officially declared “out,” there suddenly appeared stories that it had “ignited again” and had “flared back up.”

In fact, this so-called re-ignition turned out to be a smoldering log. The City, well aware of the raw nerves in Juniper, quickly put out a reassuring news release.

Last year, a rumour began circulating that six Antifa members had been arrested for setting off wildfires in Oregon. Another claimed the Proud Boys were doing it. Another that Black Lives Matter was involved.

The claims were bogus, but 911 dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls from worried citizens wanting to know if they were true.

Rumours and theories about wildfires in California have included terrorists, lasers from flying saucers and drug cartels.

Why are people so intent on sharing information before they know whether it’s true? Psychologists say there are several reasons, including the anxiety and uncertainty I mentioned earlier.

But they also say rumourmongers often feel it helps their self-image and their social status. “Look at me, I know something you didn’t know before I told you.”

Most folks are simply anxious to help, though, and they believe any information, no matter how scant, helps. Social media are a tremendous tool in providing valuable information to the public and especially those directly impacted by the wildfires. But they have also dramatically increased the speed with which the rumour mill turns.

There’s a huge hunger for information right now, and there are reliable sources out there. The BC Wildfire Service, City of Kamloops, TNRD and a host of reputable charities are there to provide real information, not rumour.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Unfounded rumours are spreading like wildfire these days

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