Watch Duty Launches in Hawai'i to Provide Real-Time Wildfire Map and Alert System

A year after expanding its wildfire coverage across thirteen Western States, the popular non-profit app expands its coverage to Hawai'i to deliver more timely critical information about wildfires as they develop.

News Release from Watch Duty,  Nov 7, 2024

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Watch Duty, the only app that provides real-time wildfire information, announced that it is expanding coverage to Hawai'i today. A year after the devastating Lahaina Fire, many communities are still not equipped with adequate real-time information about wildfires.

Already operating across the thirteen western states, Watch Duty provides real-time alerts and continued expert reporting for local residents in areas impacted by fast-moving and unpredictable wildfires. Watch Duty delivers these critical updates, all of which are vetted by an expert team of current and former firefighters and first responders, retired dispatchers and reporters, faster than any other available channel. This allows impacted residents to make informed decisions during stressful and uncertain times, when official notices often take much longer, if they appear at all. 

"The majority of fatalities occur within the first hours of a fire, meaning every second counts," said John Mills, co-founder and CEO at Watch Duty. "We built Watch Duty to give people like us who live in wildfire-prone areas a more timely and trustworthy option for receiving critical updates as quickly as possible. When there's a wildfire in or near your area, you'll receive an update directly to your phone, within minutes, and without having to mine through various community groups on Facebook, Twitter or other mass forums, which often contain dated or dubious information."

"When a wildfire occurs, panic and confusion are often the first emotions to set in – an especially dangerous reality when you factor in just how unpredictable and fast-moving many fires are," said Jeff Lemelin, Volunteer Battalion Chief for Sonoma County (CA) Fire District. "Watch Duty is providing a vital public service by providing a simple and highly trustworthy option for receiving the key information around wildfire movements, containment status and, especially, evacuation notices, that people need, delivered when they most need it." 

Watch Duty is already trusted by over three million users in the American West and is actively being utilized by fire chiefs, first responders, tanker pilots, and other fire fighting personnel. 

Any interested individual can download the app for free on the App Store, Google Play or at watchduty.org.

ABOUT WATCH DUTY
Watch Duty, 501(c)3 nonprofit, provides real-time wildfire information for making informed decisions when seconds count.  Our service is powered by real people – firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders – who diligently monitor radio scanners and collaborate 24/7 to send up-to-the-minute information to your phone. It's free to download on the App Store and Google Play. Learn more at watchduty.org.

MN: Watch Duty app launches in Hawai’i, providing real-time wildfire map, alerts  

HNN: Free wildfire tracking service comes to Hawaii with mission to give more warning in emergencies