Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Ay, Caramba! No, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the Los Angeles wildfires
If Your Time is short
-
The images in this video were fabricated. "The Simpsons" didn’t predict the Los Angeles wildfires.
The longtime animated comedy "The Simpsons" is famously — and wrongly — credited with predicting everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.
Recent Facebook posts claim the TV show also foresaw the wildfires still burning in greater Los Angeles.
"Simpsons already knew," reads text over a video of images in the show’s animation style.
"Did ‘The Simpsons’ predict it again?" a narrator says in the Facebook post video. "This time, something even more disturbing is happening. In episode 12, season 18, titled, ‘Little Big Girl,’ Springfield faces a devastating wildfire that threatens the town and its residents. But, in one of his pranks, ends up causing a fire that quickly spirals out of control, highlighting the vulnerability of communities in the face of natural disasters. The scenes in this episode are eerily similar to recent events: wildfires spreading across various regions, property destruction, and the relentless efforts of firefighters to contain the flames. Coincidence? Or yet another unsettling prediction?"
Images appearing in the video include:
-
A map of California covered with fire.
-
Bart standing in a burning wood.
Featured Fact-check
-
Homer helping to extinguish fire in a row of blazing buildings.
-
The Simpson family looking aghast at a burning cityscape; and Homer fleeing a burning community with luggage in hand.
This post was 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.)
The images in this video aren't authentic, a spokesperson for "The Simpsons" told PolitiFact.
We reviewed a relevant segment of the 2007 episode mentioned and likewise didn’t see such imagery.
Here’s how "The Simpsons" describes the episode on YouTube: "Bart gets a driver license, and he falls for an older girl from out of town. Meanwhile, Lisa lies about her heritage on a homework assignment."
There is a fire in Springfield, where the Simpsons live, but it’s a short scene that ends when Bart accidentally snuffs the fire with the fire extinguishers he stole from his school to propel his wagon.
We rate claims "The Simpsons" predicted the Los Angeles wildfires Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, Jan. 9, 2025
YouTube, Little Big Girl, Feb. 11, 2007
YouTube, The Simpson’s- Little Big Girl 2007, Dec. 12, 2023
IMDB, Little Big Girl, visited Jan. 21, 2025
Wikisimpsons, Little Big Girl, visited Jan. 21, 2025
Simpsons Wiki, Little Big Girl, visited Jan. 21, 2025
Statement from Antonia Coffman, executive consultant, "The Simpsons," Jan. 21, 2025
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Ay, Caramba! No, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the Los Angeles wildfires
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.