How Rapid Spread of Misinformation Pushed Lawmakers to Kill Oregon’s Wildfire Risk Map

How rapid spread of misinformation pushed lawmakers to kill Oregon’s wildfire risk map

Lawmakers wanted to map which properties were most at risk to wildfires. But anger from homeowners escalated quickly.

How right-wing misinformation killed Oregon's wildfire risk map

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. This is how misinformation gets accepted as fact. A year after Oregon endures its most destructive fire season on record in 2020, state lawmakers order a map estimating the wildfire risk for every property in the state. It’s the kind of rating now available on real estate sites like Zillow. The stat…

How the rapid spread of misinformation pushed Oregon lawmakers to kill the state’s wildfire risk map

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.This is how misinformation gets accepted as fact.A year after Oregon endures its most destructive fire season on record in 2020, state lawmakers order a map estimating the wildfire risk for every property in the state. It’s the kind of rating now …

How the Rapid Spread of Misinformation Pushed Oregon Lawmakers to Kill the State’s Wildfire Risk Map

After Oregon’s record-breaking fire season in 2020, lawmakers wanted to map out which properties were most at risk. But anger from homeowners escalated quickly.