What does Watch Duty do?

Watch Duty is a nonprofit organization that provides a free real-time wildfire tracking, alerting, and mapping platform. Founded in August 2021 by John Mills in Sonoma County, California, it was created to address the limitations of official wildfire updates. The organization aggregates data from various sources, including radio scanners, satellites, and public announcements, to deliver verified situational awareness. It emphasizes human monitoring, with trained volunteers ensuring accuracy and integrity in reporting. The core offering of Watch Duty is a mobile app that features an interactive map with overlays for active fires, fire risk, evacuation zones, weather, and air quality. Users receive real-time alerts for threats to life or property, with continuous updates on fire progression and firefighting efforts. The service operates 24/7, ensuring reliable information delivery without ads or data sales. Watch Duty has expanded its reach to all 50 U.S. states and has gained significant traction during major wildfire events, serving millions of users and tracking thousands of incidents.