The sheer volume of media and content published around the clock online often makes it hard to determine whether everything we see can be believed.

From the theater of the conflict to the local gas station, video is often the most convincing to other media and, sometimes, the hardest to debunk.

So, when footage of what looked like a staggering explosion at a Florida high school went viral this week, there were some who weren't immediately convinced.

A tweet, posted on October 7, 2022, with the question "Is this real?" included video of someone lighting what looked like a bonfire, followed by a massive explosion.

Is this Real? #grindfacetv pic.twitter.com/pnmT72r7OM

Footage of explosions or fires have been used to spread baseless rumors and falsehoods many times before, if more typically in warzones or areas of political instability.

Indeed, in the video shared on Twitter, it seems as if the person who lit the explosion appears to walk away unharmed despite the huge fire behind him.

However, as confirmed by local authorities and eyewitnesses, this most recent explosion, caught on film, very much took place.

The footage was recorded at A. Crawford Mosley High School in Bay County, Florida on October 6, 2022.

According to statements, students had gathered at the high school for a bonfire, an annual tradition held as part of homecoming celebrations.

While the scenes were dramatic, no-one was hurt; police say the cause of the blast has yet not been determined.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Bay County Sherriff Tommy Food confirmed that on October 6, 2022, "there was an incident at Mosley High School where the annual homecoming bonfire exploded."

"This has been a tradition at Mosley started by a previous school resource deputy and was without incident until tonight.

"The deputy that set up the bonfire has done so at Mosley for the last 7 years.

"We are not sure yet what caused the explosion, but take responsibility for the incident.

"Safety precautions were in place, to include the fire department on site and the students positioned at a safe distance behind a fence, that prevented injury or fire but it still should not have happened.

"We apologize for any distress this has caused and I assure you that we are officially out of the bonfire business."

A statement was also released by the school on social media, further confirming that no-one was hurt and apologizing "to anyone who was concerned or scared as a result of the loud noise."

"We know that many people who live close to A. Crawford Mosley High School probably heard a loud and disturbing noise a short time ago.

"Everyone is safe and no students were in danger at any time.

"While lighting our traditional Homecoming bonfire, something in the fire caused an explosion.

"Deputies and firefighters were already on hand, in line with our customary safety protocols, and so they immediately jumped in to ensure the fire remained contained.

"We are investigating the cause of the explosion because we did not deviate from our usual bonfire lighting procedures."

Newsweek spoke to parent and Panama City resident Theresa Poelstra Porter, whose daughter Allyson captured some of the footage.

"It was their homecoming week, so they do a lot of festivities," she said.

"Every day is something different. That particular day was their annual lighting of the bonfire.

"When she sent it (the footage) to me, my reaction was "how the hell does that even happen?"

As confirmed by the high school and the police department the explosion was real. The incident took place at A. Crawford Mosley High School in Bay County, Florida on October 6, 2022. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. No-one was harmed, according to statements.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek Fact Check team

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