The violent fires that have ravaged Los Angeles since Tuesday are still not over. This Friday, December 10, the death toll rose to 10, and more than 180,000 residents are still under evacuation orders.
The very impressive images are flooding social networks and the media. Among them, we find images of the very famous “Hollywood” sign engulfed in flames. Photos, but also videos, show the famous giant white letters on the heights of the city in the middle of a blaze, causing concern among many Internet users.
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The letters are indeed intact, and the images showing the fire devouring the panel are the work of artificial intelligence. This is what a comparison with real photos of the panel allows us to see, and what is supported by the results of AI-generated image detection tools. On some, we can also clearly distinguish the “Grok” logo, characteristic of images generated via the tool of the same name, available very easily on X.
As some Internet users point out, there is a camera broadcasting live the point of view from the giant panel. However, the broadcast is currently no longer available. On the other hand, we find several photos taken yesterday (Thursday January 9), the date on which the false images began to circulate, on the sites of different press agencies, where the panel appears intact.
The fire near the panel is under control
Although the images are false, the fire did not actually pass very far from the panel. One of the current outbreaks, nicknamed “Sunset Fire”, is located not far from the sign, as can be seen on the maps which show the progress of the fire, on the website of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California.
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But as the Californian authorities also specify on the site, the flames no longer represent a danger since it is now “100%” contained. Evacuation orders for the area have also been lifted. No worries: the symbol of Hollywood, installed in 1923, should not disappear any time soon.
