Mel Gibson airs weird conspiracy concept over LA fires

Actor Mel Gibson has offered a wild conspiracy theory over the ‘convenient’ circumstances surrounding the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. 

Gibson questioned in a bizarre moment with Fox News‘ Laura Ingraham if the ruinous fires were ‘commissioned’ in order to move people off valuable property. 

‘I can make all kinds of horrible theories up in my head, conspiracy theories and everything else, but it just seemed a little convenient that there was no water,‘ Gibson said. 

‘And that the wind conditions were right and that there are people ready and willing and able to start fires.’ 

The Max Max star then questioned if the theorized fire starters were ‘commissioned’ or ‘just acting on their own volition.’ 

‘But they seem pretty well equipped. Some of these people that they’re catching,’ he added. 

‘I know they were missing with the water, letting reserves go for one reason or another. They’ve been doing that a while. California has a lot of problems that sort of baffle the mind as far as why they do things.’ 

‘And then in events like this, you sort of look, well, it is on purpose? Which, it’s an insane thing to think. But one begins to ponder whether or not there is a purpose in mind. What could it be? You know, what do they want? The state empty? I don’t know.’ 

Ingraham said: ‘Well, now there’s already talk. And we played a couple of soundbites. Of re-imagining the way rebuilding occurs. 

‘And obviously there’s a great need for high density housing in California and across the country. That’s a big push by the climate folks.

‘And you’re already hearing rumblings of that. In this case, like goodbye single-family homes. Hello high density housing!’ 

The actor remarked at the ‘pretty scary’ idea and added that it reminded him of ‘old cattle barons clearing people off the land.’ 

Gibson is not alone in his theories, and many heated disagreements over the handling of the wildfires have cropped up.  

President-elect Donald Trump began attacking Govenor Gavin Newsom, referring to him as ‘Gavin Newscum’, and blaming him for LA’s lack of preparedness for the blazes. 

‘He is the blame for this,’ Trump wrote on a Truth Social post. ‘Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.’  

CNN fact-checker, Daniel Dale, however, regarded Trump’s statements as ‘just not true.’ 

‘We heard this from Trump after Hurricane Helene in the fall. It wasn’t true then and it’s not true now.’ 

Gibson also joined in on Trump’s attack on Newsom while appearing on Fox News  saying the Governor should ‘spend less on hair gel’ and remarked he’s not a ‘big fan of either.’ 

The actor, who also lost his home to the fires, told Ingraham: ‘One always suspect that this might happen. 

‘One thinks that the resources and the capabilities of the men and women will be on standby, that they’ll be able to cope with any situation that comes up, but apparently some people were asleep on the job, mainly our leaders there.’ 

‘But, you know, that’s something they have to live with — but that’s something that the community has to live with, and it’s really sad.’

Gibson recalled returning to ‘nothing’ after his $14.5 million Malibu mansion burned down while he was filming a podcast with Joe Rogan in Texas.

During filming, Gibson said he knew his neighborhood was on fire and wondered if his home was still standing.

Mel began: ‘Obviously, it’s kind of devastating. It’s emotional.’

He added: ‘I was doing the Rogan podcast… And [I was] kind of ill at ease while we were talking, because I knew my neighborhood was on fire, so I thought, I wonder if my place is still there.

‘But when I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there. I went home and I said to myself, well, at least I haven’t got any of those pesky plumbing problems anymore.

‘I had a lot of personal things there that, you know, I can’t get back.’

Gibson’s interview with Fox News comes as the fires continue to blaze over Los Angeles. 

More than 180,000 people have been displaced from their homes since the fire started in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, according to NBC Los Angeles.

It has scorched more than 38,185 acres in less than a week, according to Cal Fire data.

The disaster has already claimed the lives of at least 11 people and destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including many celebrity mansions.

As of Saturday morning, only eight percent of the Palisades Fire has been contained.

On Thursday night, Los Angeles County was still battling at least six major fires with most barely contained.

The Archer Fire is zero percent contained, Eaton fire is only three percent contained, Kenneth is 50 percent, Hurst is 70 percent, Lidia is 98 percent, according to Cal Fire.

The scale of the devastation has prompted locals to demand answers from officials, amid reports that fire hydrants in some of the worst-hit areas ran dry.

Newsom has come under fire for slashing California’s funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million less than a year before devastating fires tore through Los Angeles.

The Democrat California governor signed the budget cuts into law in June 2024, severing funding from seven programs focused on preventing and battling potential wildfires in the state, reports Newsweek.

Cuts included a $5 million decrease to the CAL FIRE fuel reduction teams, which included funding to pay for vegetation management work by the California National Guard, an analysis by the outlet found.

The total for the program was stripped to $129 million, amid claims that the state failed to clear brush and forestry that may have accelerated the flames.

Newsom’s budget cuts also slashed $4 million from a forest legacy program intended to promote management practices for landowners, and $28million from funding for state conservancies aimed at increasing wildfire resistance.

A further $8 million was cut from monitoring and research programs that reportedly largely went to CAL FIRE, and $3million from an interagency forest data hub.

A pilot program intended to make homes more resilient to wildfires through a hardening scheme also had its funding cut by $12 million.

In response to Newsome’s leadership amid the disaster, Trump called on the Governor to resign while furious residents screamed at him as he surveyed the damage.