Claim: A viral image on social media shows a house with a red roof miraculously untouched by fire, while the surrounding area is reduced to ashes. The user shared the image, claiming that “This is a Muslim’s house in Los Angeles… According to Al Jazeera, there was a Quran inside the house, and that’s why Allah saved it from the massive fire.” The post garnered 1,054 retweets and 6,211 likes.

Fact-check: Our investigation revealed that the image is not from Los Angeles but from Lahaina, a historic town on the island of Maui, Hawaii; taken during the 22nd August 2023 wildfires. The red-roofed house is a 100-year-old wooden structure. The owners, Trip Mulkin and his wife, were in Massachusetts when they received news of the fire. They were told their neighbourhood was engulfed in flames, but aerial footage the next morning showed their house intact.

The Maui wildfires resulted in 114 deaths and 850 missing persons, considered the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history. Further investigation found no report from Al Jazeera about this incident, and there is no credible source to support this claim. Therefore, it is clear that the user’s claim was baseless, and false information was spread on social media by linking it to religious beliefs.