Watch Duty Tops the App Charts Amid LA Fires

The nonprofit fire-tracking app Watch Duty has become a lifeline for Angelenos monitoring the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that have engulfed the city.

Why It Hits: Receiving the freshest up-to-date information on a wildfire’s spread can be the difference between life and death. Considering the high-wind conditions that have plagued southern California, that’s never been more true. Real-time update apps like Watch Duty could be one of the most important technologies to scale this year.

Behind the Updates: If you’re in LA right now, Watch Duty is probably getting the most screen time on your smartphone.

• Watch Duty, which is available in 22 states, provides interactive, customizable fire maps, evacuation zones, shelter locations, air-quality data, and photo and video updates. It can even show which way the wind is blowing (a crucial factor in the LA fires).
• The platform sources real-time info mainly through monitoring radio dispatches from first responders and can provide push notifications for specific fires.
• It’s operated by “a team of retired and active firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, as well as radio enthusiasts” who constantly work during fires, according to the company’s VP of operations, Nick Russell.
• There’s also a Pro version built specifically for firefighters, first responders, and emergency managers.

Closing Thoughts: Developed by tech founder John Mills after a frustrating experience getting updates from CalFire during a fire event in northern California, the app has become a crucial lifeline when government systems lag. There are already several reports in LA of people having evacuated their homes before an evacuation order was called because of information they received on Watch Duty — sometimes even an hour or so earlier, which helped them have ample time to pack and avoid gridlock. That’s an incredible utility.

Considering the immense surge in catastrophic fire risk in California and throughout the US due to climate change, don’t be surprised if local and state governments start to partner with Watch Duty in an official capacity.