A video shared on Facebook purports to show a “massive explosion” that recently occurred near New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Verdict: False
According to an article from local news outlet The Daytona Beach News-Journal, a controlled burn recently occurred in the nearby Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. In addition, a spokesperson for the New Smyrna Beach Police Department said they were “not aware of any major explosions” via an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
A BMV crashed through the pool gate at the Lymestone Ranch apartments in New Smyrna Beach on April 28, according to WESH 2. One person was injured as a result of the incident, the outlet reported.
“A massive explosion rocks the Florida coast near New Smyrna Beach. Any info on this?” the Facebook video’s caption reads. In the video, what appears to be an explosion is visible from a nearby beach.
The claim is false, however. Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports suggesting a purported “massive explosion” occurred near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in April 2024. In fact, the opposite is true. Newsweek reported the claim is false in an April 26 article.
Likewise, according to local news outlet The Daytona Beach News-Journal, a controlled burn, not an explosion, recently occurred in the nearby Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. The beach is “roughly 15 miles north of the refuge,” the outlet indicated.
Additionally, New Smyrna Beach Fire Chief Shawn Van Demark told the outlet he was not “aware of” any reports of an explosion occurring. Conversely, Van Demark knew about the controlled burn at the wildlife refuge, also according to the outlet.
A post shared on the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge’s verified Facebook page states a “prescribed burn” was set to take place on April 23 and 24.
“This burn will improve habitat for the endangered Florida scrub jay,” the wildlife refuge’s post read in part.
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the New Smyrna Beach Police Department reiterated they were “not aware of any major explosions” via an email to Check Your Fact.
“The New Smyrna Beach Police Department is not aware of any major explosions in our jurisdiction or surrounding jurisdictions in the last week or so. We are under the impression that the smoke shown in the referenced video is from a prescribed burn in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge which is located in Brevard County, FL which is the next county south of our location in Volusia County,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also directed Check Your Fact to the Facebook post from the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge announcing the controlled burn.