Gizmodo is one of those leftovers from the Gawker media empire, so you know where they’re coming from politically, and it was very, very important for their Earther division to let you know that the brushfires raging across Australia were not the result of arson but climate change, something they made pretty clear in their headline:

Sure, they even report that 183 people have been arrested for arson, but …

Australia’s bushfires are a bright red warning sign that the climate crisis is most definitely upon us and worse lies ahead if we don’t curb carbon pollution. That also makes them a bright red warning sign for a disinformation campaign about their causes for anyone looking to maintain the status quo. Yet over the past week, a counter-narrative has emerged that no, it’s not climate change. It’s arsonists and nefarious green groups who have pushed to stop back burns and controlled fires that reduce fire risk. While 183 arrests have been made in connection with fires, only 24 people have actually been charged with arson.

Writer Brian Kahn seems pretty angry that right-wingers are using the arson arrests to disseminate a disinformation campaign about climate change.

"While 183 arrests have been made in connection with fires, only 24 people have actually been charged with arson." Your article — Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) January 8, 2020

Aggressively asserting that it's not arson while also reporting on the dozens of arson charges.. Bold. — Hopper (@hopfreq) January 8, 2020

Uh, yes it is. They've already arrested the perps. — Andrea Somerville (@asomer) January 8, 2020

"In Queensland, police concluded that 103 fires had been deliberately lit, with 98 people—67 of them juveniles—having been identified as the culprits."https://t.co/c7VEA9Ww25 — wok_on_fire (@catosknife1) January 8, 2020

It can’t be arson if it doesn’t fit our narrative. So it was the dreaded climate fires. — politically_matt (@MattPolitically) January 8, 2020

Akshully — Dan Stringer, Taking a Step Back (@Danstringer74) January 9, 2020

Hopefully the 183 people arrested for arson can cite Gizmodo in their defense — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 8, 2020

You should probably let the prosecutors know to let the arsonists go then. — Myrddraal (@HandOfTheDark) January 8, 2020

"Only 24 people have been charged with arson, so it isn't arson at all!" *stomps foot runs to room slams door* — Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) January 8, 2020

“OK it’s arson, but it’s not ARSON arson!” — RPGuy16 (@RPGuy16) January 8, 2020

I think there's a very real possibility you are mistaken about what the word arson means. — libertylineman (@libertylineman) January 9, 2020

Undocumented fire-starting? — Antonio Martinez (@djtechchicago) January 8, 2020

I suppose they arrested all of those people for their carbon footprint. — Bohemio of the Reeeeing Twenties (@El__Bohemio) January 8, 2020

No human being is capable of setting dry grass, brush, and trees aflame! It's INCONCEIVABLE! pic.twitter.com/H5STKtjxwX — Jim Flood (@Ronin72) January 8, 2020

Never mind what the police and firefighters are saying, the journalist has spoken. pic.twitter.com/WqDTyOtRRd — Blank Marred (@MarredBlank) January 8, 2020

Not only that; Snopes has spoken. Debate over.

I love how snopes is trying to twist it too ?‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/lOvDaY6dcg — Errol Baer (@errol_baer) January 8, 2020

Okay, Greta. — All politicians are sociopaths (@king_marmot) January 8, 2020

Q: Why is readership dwindling? A: Headlines like this. — Brandon Garrett (@BatDaddyOfThree) January 8, 2020

Given that there are multiple arrests for arson DIRECTLY connected to the bush fires and those arrests have been widely reported, (not to mention the dozens charged with other fire restriction violations that may have unintentionally started fires) we know who the morons are. — Doug E (@xrangerd) January 8, 2020

This aged poorly, really quickly. This post is like bad cheese. Way to go, @Gizmodo. More like Quasimodo. — The Sphinctotropic Spankuli (@spankuli) January 8, 2020

I'm just here to laugh at you. — Bannedhusk❌ (@Blood_Husk) January 9, 2020

Damn, arson responsible for the majority of the Aussie fires instead of climate change, Trump doesn't pull us into WWIII. Rough week for the typical Gizmodo reader. — tinfoyle (@ekalpha) January 8, 2020

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