Clarity in the Chaos.
Watch Duty delivers verified, easy-to-understand disaster intelligence in real time.
Why We’re Here
Disasters move fast. Information should move faster.
When catastrophic fire or flooding strikes, official alerts often arrive too late—after homes are burning and towns are underwater. Watch Duty fixes that. We deliver real-time wildfire and flood alerts and on-the-ground intelligence from first responders, such as how fast a fire is moving, which direction, when it crosses containment lines. That insights gives millions of Americans the information they need to act.
Built by and for people who live under disaster threat, we're here to give every family and first responder the information they deserve: fast, clear, and verified.
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Watch Duty exists for one reason: when lives are on the line, people deserve information they can trust—fast enough to act on it.”
Our Origin
Watch Duty began with a wildfire.
When John Mills, our cofounder and CEO, saw helicopters dropping water near his Northern California home, his phone was silent. No alert. No news. Nothing.
John's experience was shared. During his next brush with wildfire just a few months later, he discovered a network of radio operators who were giving real-time updates on social media. They were his lifeline during that 50,000 acre megafire that almost took his home.
From there, the solution took shape: bring these radio operators together, tap volunteer engineers, and leverage donated servers to create the first version of Watch Duty in just 80 days. Since then, we've grown to 350+ team members leading best-in-class wildfire and flood reporting across 50 states.
App Store Reviews
Such a Valuable, Generous Resource
This app has been indispensable to me during California's January 2025 Wildfire Nightmare.
The free features are so comprehensive and good, and the membership adds a few more features. More importantly, membership supports the important work this app does. This is an amazingly comprehensive app — run by skilled and dedicated volunteers — with no ads.
The Best Way To Track Wildfires
Thank goodness for this app! I use Watch Duty now more than I even use the Weather or the Maps app on my iPhone! 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. When it comes to tracking wildfires, Watch Duty more accurately reported initial wildfires early on before news stations on big networks or major newspapers did! Most importantly, Watch Duty told us when it was time to evacuate.
Essential & necessary
Where I live can be spooky depending on the time of year and weather. I can tell from the live map if it is coming towards my house and know if I need to leave work early to my home or if it is blowing away from the house.
The free version is more than enough but the upgraded version showing the air tankers is cool.
My favorite app on my iPhone and gives me peace of mind when a fire is active as far as my plan.