1st November 2026
Facebook translation error sparks North Wales fire warning
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is warning people about Facebook’s automatic translations after a post about a fire was translated as saying crews were ‘dealing with bodies’.
The fire service’s correct English-language update said crews were attending a fire in Morfa Conwy and advised residents in the surrounding area to keep windows and doors shut because of smoke.
However, Facebook’s automatic translation of the Welsh-language version gave the post a markedy different meaning.
Instead of saying crews were ‘currently in attendance at a fire in Morfa Conwy’, the automatic translation displayed the message: “Our crews are currently dealing with bodies in Morfa Conwy.”
The instruction to keep windows and doors shut ‘due to the smoke’ was also translated as ‘due to the fog’.
Meanwhile, the correct wording, ‘emergency services are dealing with an incident’, appeared in the automatic translation as ‘emergency services deal with an event’.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service subsequently highlighted problems with Facebook’s AI-powered translation feature, warning that automatic translations are not always accurate and can alter the meaning of important information. [...]
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