Watch Duty: Wildfire Maps 4+

Wildfire Maps & Alerts

Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc.

    • Free
    • Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description

Watch Duty is the only wildfire mapping and alert app powered by real people giving you real-time information vetted by trained professionals, not robots. While many other apps rely solely on government alerts, which can often be delayed, Watch Duty provides up-to-the-minute, life-saving information through a dedicated team of active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, and reporters who monitor radio scanners around the clock. We aim to keep you informed and safe with real-time updates and alerts.

Wildfire Tracking Features:

- Push notifications about nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts
- Real-time updates as conditions change
- Active fire perimeters and progress
- Infrared satellite hotspots from VIIRS and MODIS
- Wind speed and direction
- Evacuation orders & shelter information
- Historical wildfire perimeters
- Street and satellite maps
- Air attack and air tanker flight tracker
- Save locations for quick access on the map

Watch Duty is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our service will always remain free of charge and free of advertising or sponsorship. You can support our mission with a $25/year membership, which grants access to special features as a token of our appreciation.

Disclaimer: Watch Duty is not affiliated with any government agency. The information provided in this app is sourced from publicly available and trusted sources, including but not limited to government agencies, radio transmissions, and satellite data.

For more information or support, feel free to contact us at support.watchduty.org.

Privacy Policy: https://www.watchduty.org/legal/privacy-policy
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

What’s New

Version 2025.2.9

Improvements & Fixes

Ratings and Reviews

4.9 out of 5
28.4K Ratings

28.4K Ratings

CuriosityDrawsMe ,

Such a Valuable, Generous Resource

This app has been indispensable to me during California’s January 2025 Wildfire Nightmare. Tapping on each fire icon (🔥) gives updates to the information about developments in the acreage of each fire; the percentage of containment; what the emergency response is; what areas are under evacuation orders to Go, and which areas are advised to prepare (Set). There are locations of shelters listed, and I can check on the neighborhoods of various friends so that (some of) my worry is a little more manageable — at least, I know whose areas are most affected. The fire icon is greyed out on fires that have been put out, which is also a relief to see. I’ve shared this app with friends and family, and I’ve just become a member. The free features are so comprehensive and good, and the membership adds a few more features (I haven’t really explored the expanded features yet — but I do see helicopter and air-tanker icons on the screen showing where fire retardant is being dropped, I think?). More importantly, membership supports the important work this app does. There is an option to make a one-time donation as well, but the expanded features that come with annual membership (two tiers available) and the ability to offer more consistent support to the work done by those who offer this app free of charge feels like a good commitment to make. This is an amazingly comprehensive app — run by skilled and dedicated volunteers — with no ads.

Lockituptight ,

Excellent App to get as up to date info as possible.

I heard about this app just recently during the Airport Fire and Line Fire. I have many friends with homes in both those areas. It was nice to be able to move from one fire to another so easily to get updates, see live video feed and have the transit/satalite/topography options as well as the satellite hot spots that really gives you a good idea of what is still active and what is not. I’m thankful for this app and I have shared it with my friends who were even more thankful to know their second homes in the Line Fire area were being protected as well as friends near Trabuco Canyon on both sides who were able to get an early idea of what directions the winds were blowing by the live video feed and whether there was a chance they would be in the evacuation zone long before they announced it. Everyone I know who were in the area are all safe as well as their homes. Thank you to all the hard working never stopping fire fighters and retardant/water droppers as well as everyone making the calls to protect homes in Orange County and San Bernardino County. My heart goes out to those who lost their homes more toward Riverside County and on the 74. I will never get rid of this app. So informative. I do wish the fire lines were updated a little more often if possible.

Reda in NELA ,

The Best Way To Track Wildfires

Thank goodness for this app! I live in Los Angeles and have been impacted by the wildfires, I use Watch Duty now more than I even use the Weather or the Maps app on my iPhone! This app is updated regularly and pretty accurate; I check three other air quality maps frequently and I’d say this one is the best for accurate and quicker updates to wind shifts and fluctuations in the AQI. I love the legend with clear labeling and color coding for AQI. Something to keep in mind with any of these maps, though — according to the EPA, the AQI number only shows particulate pollution from 5 major pollutants and doesn’t show the amount of harmful gases or vapors in the air, so keep that in mind with any air quality maps that as far as tracking wildfire spread and updates on containment, you can’t get better than this app. When it comes to tracking wildfires, Watch Duty more accurately reported initial wildfires early on (Hughes and Sepulveda specifically) before news stations on big networks or major newspapers did! ***Most importantly, in addition to L.A.’s citywide text alerts, Watch Duty told us when it was time to evacuate.*** Really grateful to the creators of this app — if you’re reading this, thank you so, so much. You have no idea how much you’ve helped our family.

App Privacy

The developer, Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc., indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

  • Location
  • Identifiers
  • Usage Data
  • Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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