Watch Duty wildfire map: App helps track California blazes, find shelter. What to know
As a wildfire continues to spread in Apple Valley, one service is working overtime to keep residents informed − and safe: Watch Duty.
Watch Duty uses an app and a web browser to alert people of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts "in real-time." By using the platform, Apple Valley residents being impacted by the Ranch Fire − among others − can see a list of local shelters, that status of evacuation orders and warnings, as well as regular updates.
John Mills, CEO and co-founder of Watch Duty, said that as a California resident, he has experienced, the same situation tens of thousands of people are dealing with.
When he was forced to evacuate from his home west of Healdsburg in Northern California's Sonoma County because of the Walbridge Fire in 2020, he kept his ear to the ground, listening for any and all updates related to the fire.
"It was just a traumatizing amount .... You're up all day refreshing your browser tab and trying to figure out where the information is. And turns out, information is on the radio and there are a bunch of the first responder radios," Mills said in a Wednesday interview with USA TODAY. "There are these people who spend all their days and nights listening to first responders relaying that information on Twitter and Facebook. And that's what got me through those fires."
Live updates: Ranch Fire reported at 4,200 acres, evacuation orders remain in place
Mills decided to get to work on this "crazy idea" he had, helping his friend build a startup in the wildfire space.
"I'm riding in fire trucks, doing wildland fire training. I'm hanging out with first responders and trying to understand what the worlds looks like and how I can help," Mills said. "About six months in, I realized what the answer was, and it was what became Watch Duty."
Here's what to know about Watch Duty, including how to get it.
Watch Duty is a non-profit focused on "disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources" about wildfires across 14 states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and California, according to the Watch Duty website.
Any information posted to Watch Duty comes from active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders, who routinely monitor radio scanners, working around the clock to bring you up-to-the-minute lifesaving information.
Watch Duty was built in 80 days and officially launched in August 2021, a year after a multiple fires devastated counties in northern California, including Sonoma County.
Get weather and fire alerts via text: Sign up to get current wildfire updates by location
Watch Duty follows six steps anytime wildfire-related information is disseminated by fire response personnel.
An automated monitoring system picks up the details about an incident reported to the emergency dispatch center, alerting Watch Duty teams via a messaging app, then any and all Watch Duty reporters in the region begin to monitor radio scanners, wildfire cameras, satellites and other public sources.
After that, Watch Duty reporters verify the disseminated information and wait for on-scene personnel to provide an official report on conditions. Watch Duty will notify the affected public of any perceived threat to life or property through the application and will continue to monitor the incident and provide updates until it is extinguished or no longer a threat.
A step-by-step video of how Watch Duty works can be seen below.
The is available for free to download on the App Store, Google Play, or can be used through your web browser. Watch Duty has been downloaded over 2.8 million times since it was released.
In-app features include:
Real-time Wildfire Map & Alerts
Monitor Wildfires and Prescribed Burns
Flight Tracker
Air Quality & Wind Direction
Consolidated Information like red flag warnings or power outages
Track Active Fire Perimeters
Evacuation Orders & Shelters
Submit Photos
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Duty: Free wildfire alert app helps California residents
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