This app lets you track the California Wildfires with real-time updates

Firefighter putting out California fire
(Image credit: Getty Images)

With Los Angeles on fire, residents have spent the last few days seeking ways to get the latest information on evacuation orders and new and existing fires that are growing or contracting.

Public services like the Los Angeles Fire Department and the statewide CalFire have resources available but may not always be current or have everything we need.

Watch Duty, a mobile app launched in 2021, fills that void by combining publicly available maps of fires with evacuation orders, warning zones and shelter locations. It pulls some of this information from places like the LAFD website.

The app also adds information from the National Weather Service and real-time text, photos and videos.

It provides such a comprehensive amount of information that it's been reported that even firefighters on the ground use the app for more timely information.

With vast swathes of Los Angeles facing multiple fires, the app recently became the No. 1 free app in Apple's app store, surpassing ChatGPT, as reported by Tech Crunch. A Los Angeles Times report said the app had gained 600,000 users in just 24 hours, on top of the already 7.2 million yearly active users.

As of this writing, Watch Duty provides real-time updates on fires in nearly every state west of the Mississippi. The app is powered by a team that gets automated alerts whenever a 911 dispatch call is made regarding a fire. Utilizing information from radio scanners, satellites and official announcements, the team monitors the location of fires.

As an example, the fire that destroyed much of the Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles received updates, including images from wildlife cameras, official statements, and evacuation orders, as they expanded to include more areas surrounding the community.

The app was created in 2021 by John Mills, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who moved to Sonoma Valley in Northern California after selling a software company. As the Washington Post reported earlier this year, Mills wanted to create a "megaphone" to help people.

Mills told the LA Times, "What’s happening right now in L.A. is the worst that I’ve seen in the five years I’ve been doing this ... This is catastrophic. It’s really hard to watch, but I’d rather be doing this than not doing anything. It feels like we could at least do something to help, because otherwise we’re just sitting here watching the world burn.”

How to use Watch Duty

A screen capture of Watch Duty during the Los Angeles Fires 2025

(Image credit: Watch Duty)

Watch Duty can be downloaded on Android and iOS devices or use the web browser version here.

Using location tracking, the app highlights wildfires that are near your area. It can send notifications on firefighting efforts and evacuation warnings, though you can turn off notifications for specific fires.

Using the layers button, you can customize how much information you see on the app, including topographic displays, fire perimeters, flight tracking and power outages (in California). Additionally, the app has a comprehensive legend button on the map that will explain what the different colors (like evacuation levels) and symbols mean on the maps.

Watch Duty is free, and all the information described is available in the free version. You can pay for a membership that starts at $24.99, which adds alerts for more than four counties at once and a firefighting flight tracker.

The app also accepts donations. There is a Pro membership for professionals that is $99.99 a year. The Watch Duty website says that the memberships and donations are intended to help maintain the app and ensure free access "for all."

According to Mills, Watch Duty plans to add other natural disaster monitoring in the future, including floods and earthquakes. Flood information could potentially be available online in the next couple of months.

“This has become a way of life for us, and how we fight fire and survive through natural disasters,” Mills told the Times.

More from Tom's Guide

Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. 

Read more
Firefighter putting out California fire
You can report wildfires in Google Maps using Crisis Alerts — here's how
Billie Eilish performs during a concert
FireAid live stream — how to watch LA fires benefit concert with Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and more
Best Weather Apps carrot weather
Best weather apps for 2025
The Silent Beacon Bluetooth panic button worn on a wrist next to a Fitbit
I tried a physical panic button for 48 hours — and this tiny device already makes me feel safer
How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps
Google Maps is adding this new feature for millions of drivers to make your ride safer
Google Maps logo on a phone screen
9 Google Maps features that'll make holiday traveling way less stressful
Latest in Mobile Apps
How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps
Google Maps glitch is purging Timeline data — what we know
Gboard app logo on mobile phone resting on a keyboard
Google Gboard redesign has already angered users — and I can see why
Waze app on iPhone in car
Forget Google Maps — Waze just got a huge upgrade that will help millions of drivers
A photo of the Apple Maps app tile displayed on an iPhone screen
Apple Maps may soon get ads, letting businesses pay to boost visibility
How to delete TikTok
TikTok confirms return to Apple and Google app stores — here’s what we know
How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps
Google Maps is adding this new feature for millions of drivers to make your ride safer
Latest in News
Sterling K. Brown in Paradise
Hulu top 10 shows — here's the 3 worth watching right now
iPhone 16
Hoping for a new iPhone 16 color? Here's why that's looking unlikely
iOS Photos app
iOS 18.4 Photos update makes it easier to sort, hide and delete your photos on iPhone — here’s what you can do
Dyson Purifier Cool (TP11) in office
Dyson just launched its new high-tech air purifier — right in time for allergy season
Nvidia RTX 5090
RTX 5060 breaks cover in Acer gaming PC — is Nvidia’s next GPU launch imminent?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE renders
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 FE crushes its predecessor with 40% speed boost in leaked benchmark