No, Biden administration didn't block firefighting aircraft during LA visit | Fact check
The claim: The Biden administration blocked firefighting aircraft during Los Angeles visit
A Jan. 8 X post (direct link, archive link) by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones claims President Joe Biden impeded efforts to extinguish wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles.
“NEXT-LEVEL INSANITY! Biden Admin Ordered LA Airspace Closed To Firefighting Aircraft For Over A Day During His Visit, Allowing Historic Blaze To Burn Out Of Control,” reads the post.
It was shared more than 20,000 times in two days. Other versions of the claim spread on Facebook.
Fact check roundup: Which claims about LA fires are true or false?
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Our rating: False
The Biden administration did not block firefighting aircraft. Those planes could continue flying in the restricted airspace if they coordinated with air traffic control, the Federal Aviation Administration told Paste BN.
Strong winds grounded firefighting aircraft on Jan. 7
Biden was scheduled to visit California for a White House event commemorating the creation of two new national monuments on Jan. 7, as Paste BN reported, but the blazes devastating the Los Angeles area prompted Biden to instead attend a briefing on the fires alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
But Biden’s visit didn’t prevent firefighting efforts from continuing in the area, according to the FAA.
“Pilots conducting firefighting operations could fly in the restricted airspace provided they coordinate beforehand with air traffic control,” a spokesperson, who declined to be named, told Paste BN.
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The temporary flight restriction put in place for Biden’s visit reiterated as much, saying that emergency and life-saving aircraft had to coordinate with air traffic control to “avoid potential delays.”
Firefighting aircraft were also grounded on the evening of Jan. 7 because of strong winds in the area, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Paste BN has debunked an array of related claims, including false assertions that an authentic image showed the Hollywood Sign “covered by fire,” that the Los Angeles Fire Department asked “anyone with firefighting experience” to assist with the wildfires and that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris blocked rescue efforts to North Carolina so they could tour the area after Hurricane Helene.
Paste BN reached out to the White House and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources
- Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson, Jan. 10, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Federal Aviation Administration, Jan. 8, Notice To Air Missions FDC 5/1341
- Los Angeles Times, Jan. 7, Palisades fire: Worst is ‘yet to come’ as winds gain speed, ground aircraft
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