Fact-checked

Fact-checked

The post implies that something suspicious is going on with Obama's Maui estate, which was not damaged in the fire.

ENDOn Aug. 14, a post (direct link, archived link) appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a photo of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama implying that something suspicious is happening to their home in Hawaii, which was untouched by the state's flying forest.

"Urgent: Obama estate left untouched by Maui fires," the post reads. "Amid all the destruction in Hawaii, not a single blade of grass was burned on Obama's estate. "

In four days, the recording has been shared on X more than 5,000 times. A version of this claim has spread on Facebook.

"DEWing The DEW (Direct Energy Weapon)," reads one comment, referring to an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that direct energy weapons were used to intentionally set fires.

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Our assessment: Lack of context. The assertion that something other than geography is the reason for the invulnerability of Obama's home is incorrect. Several news outlets published photos of the former president on property on Oahu, which is on a separate island more than 100 miles from the Maui fires.

The Obama home is more than 160 miles from the Maui fires. As of Aug. 17, the Maui fire has killed at least 111 people, making it the deadliest fire in the U.S. in the last century.

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In the historic town of Lahaina, the fire destroyed more than 2,700 buildings.

Obama urged his followers to donate to Maui relief efforts in a video posted Aug. 14 on X. He uses the kind of speech in his video that indicates he does not live in the area affected by the fire.

"As someone who grew up in Hawaii, as someone who, along with his family, enjoyed the incredible beauty of this island and the hospitality of the people of Lahaina, we now mourn the lives that have been lost, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have lost so many," Obama said. "In moments like this, we must support and help these families, rebuild Lahaina. "

Fact Check: The U.S. military sent helicopters and personnel to help victims on Maui.

ProPublica reported in 2020 that Obama will own a country mansion on Oahu by the ocean in the future. The photos, taken by the agency of famed photographers Backgrid and published in publications such as The Daily Mail and TMZ in 2022, show Obama in conversation with workers at a construction site.

The fires have sparked a string of conspiracy theories about their origins. USA TODAY previously refuted unsubstantiated claims that the fire was caused by a direct energy weapon and that the image shows a laser beam responsible for the fire.

A user X admitted to USA TODAY that Obama's home is not on Maui.

Our sources for the fact check are Google Maps, accessed Aug. 16, KGO-TV Hawaii map, accessed Aug. 16, ProPublica Hawaii fire map, Aug. 15, 2020, Obama and the hole in the beach house legislation.