Google Maps slammed for hiding brutal reality of LA fires ahead of elections

Users of Google Maps in recent days have noticed something very peculiar: Satellite map images that once showed the devastation from last year’s devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires have now been reverted to before the fires.

The change has fueled speculation of political motivations, though no evidence has been provided.

The California Post searched the maps services itself to confirm the change and noted several areas torn by the fires were shown to be in untouched condition.

For example, Homepark Avenue in Altadena was completely gutted as well but today’s Google Map says otherwise. Iliff Street was completely burned down, as was Radcliffe Ave in the Pacific Palisades. Searches today of both these locations show pre-fire conditions.

While some users have claimed they can still see the burned map images on their devices, many have testified on searches of other affected streets they no longer can those fire-ravaged areas — and have been trying to get Google’s attention on it.

Chris J posted on a Google Maps forum on May 14 that he was trying to make a decision on what homes to buy or rent in the Palisades. Until April 2026, he said he was able to view post-fire conditions on Google Maps, but that changed a few weeks ago.

“People need the correct and accurate information to make informed decisions about the area,” Chris said. “I don’t know why Google would have accurate information for 16 months and then CHANGE it to old, outdated, incorrect information.”

Another user noted there could be technical reasons why such an inexplicable change was made.

That has not stopped quite a few locals from having suspicions of a more political nature.

“Apparently Google decided ‘showing current reality’ might not be ideal for reelection optics of LA mayor?” wrote Edward Mehr, CEO of Machina Labs, who shared previous and current map images of his burned neighborhood near Sunset Boulevard.

The comment is in reference to Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is defending her seat this year from Democratic City Councilmember Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt, who is running as an independent but is a registered Republican. Bass previously was accused of softening up a post-fire report by the city.

Pratt, whose own home was burned down in the Palisades Fire, reacted with genuine confusion and a hint of anger. His home burning helped spark his run for mayor, alleging Bass and city leadership failed him.

“Dear Google, wtf is this,” he responded on social media.

National political influencers have also picked up the chatter. Libs of TikTok blatantly declared the change as “election interference.”

More tech-minded folks offered some more technical excuses as possibilities for the change. On a forum on Y Combinator, the prestigious Silicon Valley startup accelerator, one user surmised that “the simplest explanation is that they lost access to the recent imagery” due to licensing issues.

Another noted the fact that in other parts of the world, Google Maps still shows five-years-old satellite images, such as in Budapest.

A Google spokesperson referred The Post to a statement it issued on social media Monday in response to the speculation by the public, calling the pre-fire viewings “a technical issue triggered by a recent, routine update to satellite imagery in Google Maps and Earth.” That update restored old imagery, the company said, and it is working to fix the glitch “ASAP.”

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