Canada is engulfed in flames. In these hours there are more than 400 fires active in the state of British Columbia, where 35,000 people have been evacuated. A natural disaster that generates fears among citizens. Fears were also fueled by a video that went viral on social media showing fire helicopters spraying flammable liquid on burning forests. This is not fake news, but a way to stem the fire.

Some internet surfers have advanced conspiracy theories that the fires burning in Canada may have nothing to do with climate change, claiming that the Canadian government may have intentionally started the fires. Of course, this last statement is not true. But then why are the firefighters' helicopters dropping flammable liquid on the fires?

First of all, it must be said that the use of flames to "fight fires" is a well-known technique, called "Controlled Burn". The system works like this: some helicopters throw a mixture of gasoline and diesel on a burning area, near a dirt ground or path, creating a fire wall, that is an area of land without vegetation that will prevent the spread of the main fire.

Below, the video. The footage was identified as authentic, but released on Youtube by British Columbia's Wildfire Service in June 2023. The images show helicopters carrying out a controlled burn on the Donnie Creek fire in those days. The system is also used to combat the current fires that are bringing the country to its knees.