Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods

Our take

This is the rare app where the value proposition isn’t marketing spin, humans monitoring scanners and vetting reports beats automated alerts when minutes matter in a wildfire or flood. A 4.83 rating on over a million installs for a niche disaster app says people who’ve needed it came away grateful.

About Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods

Watch Duty is the only disaster mapping and alert app powered by real people giving you real-time information on wildfires and floods vetted by trained professionals, not robots or AI. 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.

Disaster Tracking Features:

• Push notifications about nearby safety impacting floods, wildfires, and firefighting or emergency response efforts
• Real-time updates as conditions change
• Evacuation orders & shelter information
• Active fire perimeters and progress
• Flash flood warnings and threat levels
• Current and projected river gauge flooding levels
• Infrared satellite hotspots from VIIRS and MODIS
• Wind speed and direction
• Power outage size and estimated resolution time
• Historical wildfire perimeters
• Air quality readings
• 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 ads. 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. Specific government sources include:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: https://www.noaa.gov/
• VIIRS: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/instruments/viirs
• MODIS: https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov
• National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC): https://www.nifc.gov
• California