Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid and in deni…

What was claimed

Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid and in denial citing Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples. The only problem is all three fires were not caused by climate change but by human factors like power lines, a tree on lines, and a bullet spark.

Our verdict

Needs caution

Newsom cited Paradise and Grizzly Flats, but no evidence shows he cited Greenville specifically in the context described. The claim conflates multiple statements. Official CAL FIRE records list the Caldor Fire cause as 'under investigation.' No sources confirm the specific claim of a tree on power lines causing it.

2 of 3 AI systems agree15 sources citedChecked Jul 24, 2026

Check your own claim

Paste any statement, headline, or AI answer — 3 independent AIs verify it in seconds, with sources.

Key findings

Newsom cited Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples

Misleading85%

1 AI checked

Grizzly Flats (Caldor Fire, 2021) was caused by a 'bullet spark' (target shooting).

Can’t verify48%

All 2 AIs agree

Grizzly Flats wildfire was caused by a tree on lines

Can’t verify50%

1 AI checked

Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid and in denial citing Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples.

Verified85%

2 of 4 AIs agree·Claude: Incorrect, ChatGPT: Can’t verify

All three fires (Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville) were not caused by climate change but by human factors like power lines, a tree on lines, and a bullet spark.

Verified95%

2 of 4 AIs agree·ChatGPT: Can’t verify, Perplexity: Misleading

Verified against 15 sources

Detailed Analysis

The response mixes a partially accurate description of Newsom’s rhetoric with an oversimplified and partly incorrect description of wildfire causes. Newsom did call climate change denial “in denial” or “stupid” and cited California wildfires as evidence, but the claim that the Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville fires were “not caused by climate change” and only by human factors ignores the well‑documented role of climate change in exacerbating fire conditions. The statement about causes is thus misleading rather than fully true or fully false.

Why this verdict

The response mixes a partially accurate description of Newsom’s rhetoric with an oversimplified and partly incorrect description of wildfire causes.
Newsom did call climate change denial “in denial” or “stupid” and cited California wildfires as evidence, but the claim that the Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville fires were “not caused by climate change” and only by human factors ignores the well‑documented role of climate change in exacerbating fire conditions.
The statement about causes is thus misleading rather than fully true or fully false.

Claims checked

All three fires (Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville) were not caused by climate change but by human factors like power lines, a tree on lines, and a bullet spark.

Misleading90%

The Paradise fire (Camp Fire) was ignited by faulty PG&E power lines, a human factor, but state and scientific reports emphasize that climate‑driven drought, heat, and vegetation conditions greatly increased its severity and risk.[5] [8] [1] Major fire experts quoted in coverage of Newsom’s remarks state that climate change is a key driver of California’s devastating wildfire seasons, even though each ignition has a specific proximate cause.[2] [4] [7] [9] [13] Saying the fires were "not caused by climate change" and only by human factors ignores the widely accepted role of climate change in creating the dangerous conditions that made these fires so catastrophic, so the claim is incomplete and misleading rather than simply true.

This claim may mislead readers without added context.

Newsom cited Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples when talking about climate change.

Verified80%

Reporting on Newsom’s climate messaging notes that he pointed to devastation in communities like Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville as stark consequences of climate change.[3] [1] [8]

Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid and in denial.

Verified90%

Newsom has repeatedly said that people who deny climate change or say the fires are natural are "in denial" and has used very strong language toward climate skeptics, including phrases like “doubling down on stupid” in reference to Trump’s climate stance.[2] [3] [7] [10]

What other AI think

The claim contains significant inaccuracies. While Newsom did cite these fires when discussing climate change, he did not call deniers "stupid." The Paradise fire cause is correctly identified as power line-related, but the Grizzly Flats cause is listed as "under investigation" with no evidence supporting the specific claim of "a tree on lines." The Greenville fire cause cannot be verified from available sources.

Why this verdict

The claim contains significant inaccuracies.
While Newsom did cite these fires when discussing climate change, he did not call deniers "stupid." The Paradise fire cause is correctly identified as power line-related, but the Grizzly Flats cause is listed as "under investigation" with no evidence supporting the specific claim of "a tree on lines." The Greenville fire cause cannot be verified from available sources.

Claims checked

Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid

Incorrect90%

Newsom used terms like 'ideological BS' but no sources show him calling climate change deniers 'stupid.' He said 'If you are in denial about climate change, come to California' but did not use that specific language.

This claim may mislead readers without added context.

Newsom cited Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples

Misleading85%

Newsom cited Paradise and Grizzly Flats, but no evidence shows he cited Greenville specifically in the context described. The claim conflates multiple statements.

This claim may mislead readers without added context.

Greenville wildfire was caused by a bullet spark

Can’t verify40%

No information about the Greenville wildfire cause was found in available sources. The specific claim about a bullet spark cannot be verified.

The statement mixes a correct factual claim about the Camp Fire with several claims that are unverified or misleading. Some causes (Camp Fire) are well-documented, while others (Grizzly Flats/Caldor and Greenville/Dixie) lack official confirmation and the attributed quotes by Gavin Newsom are not found in reputable sources.

Why this verdict

The statement mixes a correct factual claim about the Camp Fire with several claims that are unverified or misleading.
Some causes (Camp Fire) are well-documented, while others (Grizzly Flats/Caldor and Greenville/Dixie) lack official confirmation and the attributed quotes by Gavin Newsom are not found in reputable sources.

Claims checked

Grizzly Flats (Caldor Fire, 2021) was caused by a 'bullet spark' (target shooting).

Can’t verify55%

The Caldor Fire heavily damaged Grizzly Flats, but investigators did not publicly confirm a definitive cause tied to a bullet or specific shooting action; suggestions of human ignition circulated but remain unproven.

Greenville (Dixie Fire, 2021) was caused by a tree falling onto power lines.

Can’t verify60%

Public incident updates describe the Dixie Fire’s destructive progression through Greenville, but an official, confirmed single ignition cause attributing it to a tree on lines is not established in authoritative reports.

Gavin Newsom says those who deny climate change are stupid and in denial citing Paradise, Grizzly Flats, and Greenville wildfires as examples.

Can’t verify65%

I could not find a reputable source or transcript with Newsom using that exact phrasing or listing those three towns together; the wording appears on social posts and videos but is not corroborated by major news outlets or official transcripts.

Share this result

Try DoubleChecks