No, the deadly Lahaina fire was not started by a secret U.S. “weather weapon” — the completely imaginary theory advanced in a China-directed misinformation campaign, as The New York Times reported.

Sadly, the “weather weapon” fiction was also advanced after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, and people believed it then, too. The falsehoods add to the damage in disasters by creating confusion and complicating aid efforts. On Friday, Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the tactics as “dangerous and cruel” when used to sow distrust and discourage affected people from seeking federal help.