"How Watch Duty Became The Go-To Wildfire App To Track L.A. Wildfires"

"Plus advice to stay informed and prepared as natural disasters become more common."

"Struggling to keep track of fast moving wildfires and the latest evacuation zones, residents of Los Angeles are rushing to download a free app called Watch Duty. The company said it had gained more than 1.4 million new users since Tuesday. It’s Apple’s most downloaded free iOS app.

A nonprofit mostly run by volunteers and on a shoestring budget, Watch Duty has become one of the most trusted sources of information about wildfires.

It started in 2021 as a passion project of a Silicon Valley start-up founder, John Mills. He moved to a wildfire-prone area in Northern California and felt terrified by how difficult it was to find reliable information about fire dangers. Watch Duty is an example of technology turbocharging the expertise of government officials and hobbyists to keep us informed and safer during crises."

Shira Ovide and Heather Kelly report for the Washington Post January 9, 2025.