No, 60 Oregon fire trucks aren’t ‘being held up in Sacramento for emissions testing’

Social media users painted a dark picture: Dozens of fire trucks from Oregon sent to help Californian firefighters contain the raging Los Angeles wildfires stuck in a traffic jam caused by California’s climate regulations. 

"Santa Monica Observer reporting ... Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to help save California," one Jan. 11 Facebook post said. "But trucks are stuck in Sacramento because they lack smog certification. So the 60 trucks can’t get through." 

This narrative was also prevalent on X, where conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza amplified it.

"​​Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to California to help with the fires, but they’re being held in Sacramento for emissions testing," D’Souza wrote in a Jan. 11 X post. "You can’t make this up!" 

D’Souza’s post included a video of someone who also attributed the claim to a Santa Monica Observer report. D’Souza also shared the video and a screenshot of his X post on Instagram. 

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

Oregon sent firefighting teams to help with the Los Angeles fires and California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, safety-checked that equipment when the teams arrived.

California officials and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office have rebutted claims that lacking "smog certification" or needing "emissions testing" kept Oregon fire trucks from aiding Los Angeles fire response.

In a Jan. 11 X post, Newsom said Oregon had "courageously sent CA some of their best firefighters and equipment — all have been here for days fighting these blazes." He also linked to californiafirefacts.com, the website he launched to counter fire misinformation.

"Out-of-state fire trucks take part in 15 minute safety & equipment inspection to ensure no issues with the vehicle," the site read. "At the time of the original post, the Oregon firefighting teams were already in the Los Angeles area battling the blazes."

Christine McMorrow, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said the agency "does not conduct emissions testing as part of the safety inspection process."

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof argued that even a short delay in the face of a life-and-death emergency sounds like "regulatory overreach," but officials in both states said the effect of these stops did not hinder response.

Kassie Keller, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s public affairs director, wrote in an email to PolitiFact that Oregon’s teams "were set to arrive on Thursday and did just that. They began work on Friday morning." 

In Jan. 12 social media posts, the Oregon State Fire Marshal addressed the falsehood. 

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stated on January 8, 2025 in social media posts

Image shows the Hollywood sign was on fire as of Jan. 8.

"There is misinformation spreading on social media and from some news outlets claiming our equipment had to pass emissions tests and our equipment and firefighters were turned away or delayed," the statement said, adding in bold, italicized text, "TO BE CLEAR: THIS IS FALSE."

On Jan. 8, Oregon’s strike teams "traveled to Sacramento where they stayed the night," the statement said. Then, at 6 a.m. Jan. 9, the teams "went through a routine safety check with CAL Fire to make sure the engines are mechanically sound." 

It continued, saying the safety check didn’t hinder Oregon’s assistance. 

"There was no delay in the process or travel," it said. "Our equipment is held to the highest safety standard to ensure the safety of our firefighters. This equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority. No engine was turned away." 

We want to clear up any misinformation regarding our deployment to Southern California. Please see our statement below. pic.twitter.com/tXTF41q2h2

— Oregon State Fire Marshal (@OSFM) January 12, 2025

On Facebook, Cal Fire posted a video showcasing its "pitstop for out-of-state help on LA fires," and describing its safety checks as "proactive inspections and maintenance protocols" that ensure the equipment is functioning properly.  It processed 133 to 134 vehicles in one day, an agency official in the Jan. 11 video said. 

McMorrow said the inspection takes "about 30 minutes if there are no issues with the vehicle." If any vehicle in the strike group fails the inspection, it will be pulled into the shop for repairs, which could slow down other vehicles in the strike team. 

"​​No vehicles from out of state have been turned around or refused service at Davis Mobile Equipment and all out-of-state vehicles have been serviced and are heading to or have arrived in Southern California," Cal Fire wrote Jan. 11 in the video comments. "No emissions or SMOG testing was performed. All repairs were completed the same day with the exception of a couple because of parts but turnaround was early the next day." 

McMorrow said the inspections are standard practice in the fire service to "prevent problems on the fire line later." 

"Wildland firefighting can take an engine and its crew into remote and rough places," she said.
Most engines that come to help from out of state are typically used in a call and then return to a station; during wildfires, these engines must be prepared to be out and operating daily for several weeks. No one wants a tire blowout, brake failure or other preventable issue to cause an accident or emergency in an already dangerous situation, McMorrow said. 

Many social media posts mentioned reporting from the Santa Monica Observer — a site styled to look like a news organization that has spread falsehoods before. As of Jan. 11, the site had retracted its Jan. 10 article, according to an archive of the page. 

"Our original story was based on a tweet that has since been deleted," an editor’s note appended to the story read. "The original tweet is below. We’re unable to verify the original tweet, so we’re taking it down. We were asked to take it down because ‘we can't have people like you posting misinformation during an emergency.’ This from a local official."

The Santa Monica Observer promoted baseless claims about the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.’s husband. When it faced criticism in that incident, it said it had posted the story "as opinion." 

An Instagram post said, "​​Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to California to help with the fires, but they’re being held in Sacramento for emissions testing."

California and Oregon officials rebutted this claim and said Oregon’s strike teams are helping to fight the Los Angeles fires. 

California officials safety-check out-of-state fire equipment, but officials said no emissions tests were performed and no fire engines were turned away during those checks. A website known to spread misinformation retracted an article that made this claim, saying the article was based on an unverified X post.

We rate this claim False.