This Is the Best App for Tracking Wildfires
In the event of severe weather and natural disasters that may require everything from preparation to evacuation, having reliable, up-to-date reports about conditions is essential. For those affected by wildfires in California (and other states across the West), Watch Duty is the go-to service for this critical information.
Watch Duty collects wildfire information from 911 dispatch calls and government agencies and relies on volunteers to monitor ongoing activity via radio scanners, wildfire cameras, and satellite data as well as reports from law enforcement and fire services. The volunteer team—made up of active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders as well as reporters—continues to collect, vet, and relay information about incidents with notifications to the public in the event that life or property are threatened.
What makes Watch Duty worth using is its robust, reliable, and real-time data. It collates more official sources than individual agencies like CalFire, and its volunteers fact-check rather than publishing unverified, crowdsourced or social media reports (which may perpetuate misinformation).
How to use Watch Duty
When you open Watch Duty, you can view the fire map or search for a specific incident, address, or place. Click on the fire icon to pull up information about the incident, including verified updates, evacuation orders, and shelter locations for both people and animals. You can also turn on notifications and scroll through the news feed, which may include photos, weather and air quality reports, road closures, and updates on fire-fighting efforts.
Watch Duty covers 22 states in the western and midwestern U.S. (including Hawaii). The app—which is available for iOS and Android as well as via web browser—and its essential features are free to use, and you don't need to sign up for an account. There are additional paid membership options, which give access to extras like fire-fighting flight tracking, additional alerts, and more detailed data points. But fire monitoring and evacuation orders are available to everyone at no charge.