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Viral video claims to show fire from Israel-Iran war, but it’s from an abandoned England college
If Your Time is short
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The video shared on social media is not related to the Israel-Iran war. The footage shows a fire in an abandoned England college in April 2025.
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Social media users shared the same footage in May claiming to show wildfires in Israel.
The Israel-Iran war has intensified since June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership. The U.S. later bombed three Iranian nuclear sites on June 21.
As the conflict continues, so does online misinformation about it.
A video shared on X shows firefighters trying to extinguish a fire on a white building located in what looks like a residential neighborhood.
"Massive fire after Iranian Missile made impact in Tel Aviv," reads the June 22 post’s caption.
Other Facebook, Threads and YouTube users posted the same video with similar captions, some adding that "24 Zionists are confirmed dead and number is rising."
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(Screenshot from X)
But this video isn’t from the Israel-Iran war.
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Using a reverse image search, PolitiFact found that the footage is from April 2025. The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper, showed similar footage of the white building on fire and reported that it shows a fire that started in an abandoned college in England used as a BBC filming location.
Other British news outlets such as the BBC and the National World also reported on the incident in April.
Social media users also misleadingly shared the footage in May, saying it showed massive wildfires in Israel.
The video is unrelated to the Israel-Iran war. We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
X post, June 22, 2025
Facebook post, June 22, 2025
Threads post, June 22, 2025
YouTube 1 post, June 22, 2025
YouTube 2 post, June 22, 2025
The New York Times, Live Updates: Qatar Closes Airspace Amid Concern of Iranian Retaliation, June 23, 2025
USA TODAY, Israel-Iran timeline: How Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation unfolded, June 17, 2025
The Sun, BLAZE HORROR Huge fire engulfs abandoned college used as BBC filming location with plumes of black smoke seen across city, April 30, 2025
BBC, Fierce flame at former college lights up night sky, April 29, 2025
X post, May 5, 2025
National World, Henley College Coventry fire: 'Dreadful' as huge blaze rips through abandoned college building in UK city after 'being set on fire', April 29, 2025
AFP, Video of England blaze misrepresented as Israel wildfires, May 6, 2025
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Viral video claims to show fire from Israel-Iran war, but it’s from an abandoned England college
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