US

FACT CHECK: Did CNN Publish An Article About Members Of The Crips Gang Volunteering To Fight West Coast Wildfires?

No featured image available

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a CNN article with the headline “Heartwarming: Members of Crip gang volunteer to fight wildfires after sky turns red.”

Verdict: False

There is no record of CNN publishing such a story. The image appears to have originated as a joke.

Fact Check:

The Crips are a violent street gang often identified by their blue clothing and accessories. They often feud with the Bloods, a rival street gang that wears red accessories. Both gangs are based in Los Angeles, one of the West Coast cities facing major wildfires.

An image being shared on social media shows what appears to be a screen grab of a CNN article published on Sept. 10, with the title reading, “Heartwarming: Members of Crip gang volunteer to fight wildfires after sky turns red.” The purported article claims that members of the Crips have decided to “suit up to help fight wildfires.”

However, the Daily Caller News Foundation searched CNN’s website for the article and found no stories resembling the one pictured. No other major media outlets appear to have reported that members of the Crips are volunteering to fight fires on the West Coast either, further adding to the post’s dubiousness.

Through a reverse image search, the DCNF found that the image was first posted on the website iFunny, a platform where users share memes. It appears someone took a screen grab of an actual CNN news story, leaving the original byline while replacing the headline, image and first sentence.

Wildfires on the West Coast have burned millions of acres of land and killed at least 35 people in California, Oregon and Washington, the Washington Post reported.