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As wildfires and storms continue to devastate neighborhoods in Southern California, residents need to know where the fires are going so they can make quick decisions that can save the lives of their families.
And for many, Watch Dutya non-profit app run by more than 150 volunteers is the answer. The wildfire tracking service informs users about local fires in real time. Grateful Californians have said that the app “my Valium“, and the pings that notify users of approaching firefighters will let them see a “sigh of relief.”
As of Wednesday, Watch Duty, launched in 2021, has replaced ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app in the Apple Store. Watch Duty CEO John Mills confirmed told the Los Angeles Times that it had 7.2 million annual active users by 2024 and added 600,000 new users in one day this week.
How the duty to wait works
The app is available for Android And iOS. You can also use the service on a desktop.
The wildfire monitoring service relies on expert volunteers, including active and retired first responders and firefighters.
According to the app, 911 calls about fires are automatically routed to Watch Duty’s internal Slack service. From there, the Watch Duty team monitors radio scanners, wildfire cameras, satellites, on-scene reports and public information such as data from the National Weather Service.
If these volunteers, called reporters, believe there is “a threat to life or property,” the app sends an alert to people in that area. People affected will continue to receive notifications about that fire until the danger has passed.
Watch Duty organizes information on a map of the US, where users can see where fires are, as indicated by flame icons, and where active fire boundaries are currently located. Users can also view lists of shelters and new evacuation centers, access live wildfire cameras, submit photos, and sign up to receive push notifications about evacuation orders on certain fires.
For now, Watch Duty is being used for tracking forest fires, but the company plans to expand to cover other natural disasters such as river flooding in 2025.
Watch Duty currently operates in 22 predominantly Western states, including California, Colorado, Oregon, Hawaii and Texas. Within the app you can choose which provinces you want to receive alerts for.
You can get all of Watch Duty’s main wildfire tracking features for free, but by paying for the membership, which starts at $24.99, you can get additional features like a firefighting flight tracker.
Other services you can use during natural disasters
Other apps can be useful to have on your phone in case of extreme weather conditions such as fire.
This crowdsourced app analyzes 250,000 personal weather station reports and uses radar to keep users informed of severe weather events like hurricanes. You can sign up for weather alerts for your exact location.
This push-to-talk walkie-talkie app became popular during Hurricane Irma and Harvey as it helped citizens coordinate search and rescue efforts. Please note that you will need WiFi or mobile data for it to work.
If help cannot reach you and you need first aid, you want trusted advice. This mobile app from the American Red Cross teaches CPR and first aid techniques, such as stopping bleeding.
First responder websites
You can also visit your local government for information about natural disasters. CalFire, the state of California’s wildfire agency, has its own own website to share information about forest fires.
Or support local journalists who can provide you with useful information for your community. Many local news stations also have apps, and you can watch some local stations, such as Los Angeles station KCAL, through parent company CBS’ news app.