A viral video of South African firefighters dancing and singing at an airport claims they are on their way to California to help combat wildfires in the United States.
The video, which garnered over 7,000 likes on Instagram, features a group wearing yellow and black uniforms, waving the South African flag.
“Group of South African firefighters who have landed in Canada to make their way to LA, to help,” the caption reads.
The same video was also posted on Facebook, though it has since been deleted.
VERIFICATION
Located in the US state of California, Los Angeles – commonly referred to as LA – is a major city on the west coast.
On January 7, 2025, a devastating wave of massive fires swept through Los Angeles, marking the beginning of a catastrophic series of blazes that ravaged the city. Over the next few days, the relentless infernos continued to spread, fueled by fierce winds and dry conditions.
By January 12, the fires had claimed the lives of at least 25 people, leaving many injured and displaced. The city suffered enormous damage, with widespread destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure, leaving a trail of devastation.
Firefighters from Mexico and Canada were drafted to help tackle the Los Angeles wildfires. Mexico sent a crew of more than 70 firefighters and troops to the city to tackle the fire.
Is the viral video actually of South African firefighters travelling to assist California’s wildfire efforts?
CIRCULATING VIDEO ORIGINATED FROM 2023
CheckClimate Africa carried out a reverse image search on the fragments of the videos and revealed that the circulating videos are old. Research shows the video has been online since June 2023, when firefighters were en route Canada, not California, to fight wildfires.
In addition, a keyword search for combined words like “South African firefighters in Canada” led to a news article published in 2023.
That same year, amidst a severe wildfire season in Canada, particularly impacting Alberta, South Africa dispatched 200 firefighters as part of the Working on Fire program under the department of forestry, fisheries and environment.
Upon their arrival in Edmonton, Alberta, a video showing these firefighters joyfully dancing and singing circulated online.
The video, shared by Working on Fire on X (formerly Twitter) on June 4, showcased the firefighters receiving a warm welcome at Edmonton International Airport.
The video was subsequently shared by the airport in a welcoming tweet the following day.
#2023WoFCanadianDeployment
Song and dance from #MZANZI1 as they arrive in Edmonton, Canada.#MZANZI1@environmentza
@CIFFC@epwpza@kishugu pic.twitter.com/alj2IEnkuJ— Working on Fire (@wo_fire) June 4, 2023
South Africa did deploy additional Working on Fire teams to Canada in 2023, including British Columbia in August, and another team to Alberta in 2024.
“WORKING ON FIRE” DEBUNKS VIRAL CLAIM
Working on Fire recruits and trains young men and women across South Africa, with a strong focus on marginalised communities and people with disabilities.
Contrary to claims linking South African firefighters to the LA fires, no evidence supports such assertions as of the latest update.
However, in an X post on January 12, 2025, Working on Fire clarified that any connections made between this earlier video and the Los Angeles fires were deemed “fake news.”
There are no records or announcements indicating South African firefighters were dispatched to the United States in January 2025.
VERDICT
The claim that South African firefighters were sent to California to combat the wildfire is false. The circulating video originated from 2023.
