During wildfire season, people turn to social media for updates and to share information. This can be a time of fear and anxiety and during times of concern misinformation can spread quickly and add to the uncertainty.

Whether well-intentioned or intentionally misleading, misinformation is the last thing any of us need during emergencies.

It is more important now than ever before to ensure you are seeking official sources of wildfire and emergency information and turning a critical eye to content shared on social media in the heat of the moment.

In the photos below, you can see images generated with artificial intelligence that were shared by other accounts and seemingly show recent wildfires. However, they do not accurately represent the terrain, fire size or fire behaviour in the area. Someone scrolling past could believe this image is real or accurate when it is not.

• Downloading the BC Wildfire Service App or visiting our online map gives you nearly real-time information on wildfires sizes, what resources are responding, perimeters, images and more.
• Signing up for a local emergency alert system such as Voyent Alert or Alertable can ensure you are informed of evacuation alerts or orders as soon as possible, check with your local government for details.
• Identifying at least one local news source that you trust such as a radio station or newspaper gives you another channel to receive updates about what is happening nearby.