Google Maps
Tech Company Fixing Palisades Fire Glitch …
After Spencer Pratt Called Out Mistake
Published
May 18, 2026
12:18 PM PDT
Google Maps appears to have rolled back parts of Los Angeles to pre-Palisades Fire imagery … making burned-down neighborhoods suddenly look untouched again.
Users, including Spencer Pratt, noticed the change Monday after updated satellite views on Google Maps appeared to restore homes, streets, and landmarks that were destroyed in the devastating wildfire.
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A Google spokesperson says the change was accidental … telling TMZ, “This is a technical issue triggered by a recent, routine update to satellite imagery in Google Maps and Earth, which accidentally restored old imagery from before the fire. We’re fixing it ASAP.”
The timing raised eyebrows online fast — especially with L.A. heading into a major mayoral primary election in just a few weeks — fueling speculation about why the imagery suddenly appeared to erase the destruction.
The glitch sparked immediate backlash … with people accusing Google of making one of California’s worst wildfires visually disappear — as political tensions around rebuilding are heating up.
While Google says it will be fixed soon …. at least for some time, parts of the Palisades on their maps displayed a version of L.A. that no longer exists.
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