As news spread of fast-growing fires in Los Angeles last week, bogus images magnified the terror: The first fakes, some generated by AI, popped up on platforms like X and TikTok "within 24 hours," says Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Many fakes purported to show the Hollywood sign — the most famous symbol of LA, standing for more than 100 years — covered in flames. Aside from being false, some of the dramatic images had glaring flaws.
"You've got to love the one where 'Hollywood' was spelled wrong," says Farid, who is also the co-founder of GetReal Labs, a company focused on detecting manipulated media. "I saw maybe a dozen images and videos of the Hollywood sign on fire. It is not."
Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust, can attest to that. He has a clear view of the sign in the Hollywood Hills both from his home and from his office at the Hollywood Hotel, which he manages.
The Hollywood sign was never on fire
Zarrinnam was at work when he got an urgent call from a colleague who was following news about the fires: "She says, 'Jeff the Hollywood Sign is on fire!' " he tells NPR. "And I was like, 'What? What are you talking about?' "
Zarrinnam quickly determined that the sign was indeed still there — but he did spot a wildfire in Runyon Canyon, prompting him to rush home to help his family evacuate. He stayed behind, to keep an eye on his house and the famous sign. All the while, people kept texting him images of the Hollywood Sign on fire.
"It's too numerous to count," Zarrinnam says of the fakes. "We were being inundated with emails from news agencies around the world, you know — 'Is the Hollywood Sign OK?' "
The flood of interest overwhelmed the sign's webcams, he says. If you study pictures of the sign, Zarrinnam adds, you might notice that it sits in a large rectangle of manicured brush. Due to fire risks, he says, an area within 150 feet of the Hollywood landmark has long been kept clear of brush.
Still, Zarrinnam says, he doesn't blame anyone for being taken in by the fakes.
"They look so real that I couldn't tell if it was real or not," he says. "You know, if I didn't see the Hollywood Sign myself … I would have probably believed" that it was on fire.
Fake images pose real harm
It's "completely predictable" that people would create bogus images of traumatic events, Farid says. Their motivations can range from simple trolling or attempts at humor to scams seeking donations — and state-sponsored disinformation actors who want to undermine or interfere with a democratic society.
"This is on fire. That's on fire," Farid says of the false alarms. "Is this distracting the fire department? Is it sowing confusion? The answer is yes, and it's frankly inexcusable."
Fake images of an ongoing catastrophe can put people at risk, making evacuees unsure of where to reach safety. They can also undermine faith in bedrock institutions, from governments to news outlets, Farid says.
"It's not just that you're perpetrating a fraud," he says. "It's that you're creating and sowing doubt in all content."
And creating fakes has never been easier, he says. In one case, he notes, a man created a bogus image showing an Oscar statue burned to a crisp. Farid's team spoke to the image's creator — who said he made it on his phone, using Google's new AI tools.
"That's a bit of a game changer," he says. "When you can literally make these things on your phone, that's insane."
Another viral image, showing mansions and palm trees on fire behind a supercar, was labeled an artistic "3D render" rather than a photograph by its creator — but it was still shared by others claiming it to be a real scene from LA.
How — and why — to avoid AI fakes
In some cases, shared images were real — but were of fires that took place as many as 10 years ago, and far from California. For anyone hoping to avoid fake images, Farid has advice: Rely on established news outlets, not social media.
"You don't have to become a detective. You don't have to become a forensic analyst," he says. "Just get off of social media. You will thank me. I guarantee you, your mental health will be better, your physical health will be better. Your IQ will jump."
To Zarinnam, attempting to make people think fire has destroyed the Hollywood Sign is beyond irresponsible. Losing the sign would threaten LA's image and economy, he says, likening the relationship to the Eiffel Tower and Paris.
"It is a symbol of hopes and dreams for so many" people around the world, he says, adding that LA's future is tied to those photogenic white letters on the hill.
"So, putting out images of it being destroyed, it's just horrible," he says. "And that's just something we can't have. You know, we can't have people believing that."
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