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Watch Duty

@watchduty.org
4.5K followers 6 following 270 posts

Helping you stay safe from wildfires and floods when seconds count.

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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 07/10/2026
16 million users relied on Watch Duty to know, in real time, what was happening near them. Wildfires were tracked by real people — nearly 100 trained reporters with careers spanning from first responders to dispatchers — who posted more than 95,000 updates this year.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 07/10/2026
2026 was one of the largest wildfire seasons in over a decade. Oregon broke its all-time record for acres burned, and Utah had its worst fire year since 2007. And Washington saw more than double the number of acres burned from last year.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 06/10/2026
Mary worked for most of her career as a dispatcher in California — answering emergency calls and coordinating police, fire, and medical response teams. Now she's a reporter at Watch Duty, helping keep communities around the U.S. safe. 💛
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 02/10/2026
Miranda and team have got your back. 🫡 Our reporters gather information from sources like emergency radio communication, fire cameras, and river gauges for easy-to-understand updates that help you make informed decisions during wildfires and major floods.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 30/09/2026
At 6:30 AM, Scarlett Bishop's phone woke her up with a Watch Duty alert that the Aspen Acres fire was 4 miles from her home at Bishop Castle. Scarlett and her husband rounded up their animals — 26 chickens, horses, goats, 4 cats, and 3 dogs — with 4 extra hours before evacuation orders hit.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 30/09/2026
On the latest episode of Disasterproof, Kat Manalac spoke with the our team, and chatted with Chief Shepley Schroth-Cary about how firefighters and first responders use Watch Duty in the field. Watch it: youtube.com/watch?v=v402tJUOouw
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 25/09/2026
New to navigating the Watch Duty app? We’ve got you covered. Watch this how-to guide, share with family and friends, and download Watch Duty at watchduty.org
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 23/09/2026
What is meteorology? And how does it help inform Watch Duty's reporting on major floods and wildfires? You've seen insights from Pete, Watch Duty's staff meteorologist, breaking down the conditions behind specific fires, floods, & weather warnings. More on how meteorology shapes what we report👇
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 21/09/2026
"Watch Duty's growth isn't a success story. It's a failure story." — John Mills, Watch Duty cofounder & CEO Watch Duty started with one idea: put real-time, verified disaster information in one place so people can act when seconds count. Today, 30 million people across the U.S. have used the app.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 18/09/2026
Eric's childhood dream was to be a firefighter. He joined his local fire department's explorer program at just 14 years old and stayed in emergency response ever since. Now he works as Public Information Officer and serves as a contributor to Watch Duty.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 17/09/2026
When wildfires and floods threaten a community, one of the first things they can impact is the ability to communicate. Now, Watch Duty can reach you by satellite when cell towers can't, so you can keep getting alerts no matter what's happening on the ground.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
A fun fact about the Watch Duty app is that you can click on the names of the reporters on the updates and learn about all of us!
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
Most mornings you’ll find me under the trees, getting centered before spending my days reporting on wildfires nationwide.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
When I'm not reporting, I'm a big fan of reading books, playing board games, and taking naps in the sun. I'm also easily distracted by birds and cool rocks.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
When I'm reporting on an active wildfire, everything else disappears. I see the first smoke on a wildfire camera or hear the first dispatch, and even from afar, it's like I’m right there at the fire with the crews.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California and have been on the Watch Duty team for just over a year. I realized the app was run by people with a common goal — and I wanted to be a part of it.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 16/09/2026
Hi I'm Miranda, one of the reporters behind your Watch Duty alerts. I'm a former Forest Service Wilderness Ranger and now a Watch Duty Regional Captain for California.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 14/09/2026
There's a lot of buzz around El Niño and a lot of misinformation out there too. Watch Duty Staff Meteorologist Pete Curran on three of his most hated weather coverage words (explosive! bomb cyclone! Super El Niño!) and what to look out for the next three months to understand likely El Niño impacts.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 11/09/2026
How will this year's El Niño affect wildfires and floods? We can't be certain, but there are some things we can watch out for:
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 10/09/2026
You heard it here folks: there's no such thing as a "Super" El Niño but it's shaping up to be a very strong one this year. Some models show up warming up to 3° C — which could be the warmest El Niño on record. More from Watch Duty Staff Meteorologist Pete Curran ⤵️
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 08/09/2026
After a career in the fire service, Don knew he wasn't done helping people. He's now on the team at Watch Duty - and many Watch Duty reporters are just like Don, active and retired emergency professionals still on the job and using their expertise to help others across the country. 🧡
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 03/09/2026
Whether you're out on the trail or on the road, make sure you're prepared. Traci, a Watch Duty reporter, shares how to set your notifications so you get alerts on wildfires and flooding in your area — and anywhere you're traveling to.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 03/09/2026
What keeps us going is hearing your stories. 💛 Last month, we hit our five year mark and we heard from so many of you who have used Watch Duty through the years.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 01/09/2026
When Cole isn't reporting on wildfires for Watch Duty, he's usually behind a camera — documenting first responders in action. 📸
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 28/08/2026
After working multiple fires & hurricanes, including Hurricane Helene, Deputy Fire Chief Larry & his team were looking for ways to get information out to the public more effectively. We heard teams like Larry's loud & clear. Watch Duty now provides wildfire & major flooding information nationwide.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 27/08/2026
Watch Duty Staff Meteorologist Pete shares what's driving the Red Flag Warning conditions in southern California and what to watch out for:
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 26/08/2026
➡️ The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County and a number of surrounding counties, including Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. The Warning is in effect through 3 p.m. PDT Friday, August 28.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 25/08/2026
It started as a small plume of smoke behind the mountain peaks in Stagecoach, Colorado. Fifteen minutes later, there were 50 foot flames. That's how fast the fire moved for Chappy. When the Watch Duty alert hit his phone, it gave him and his friends just enough time to grab their pets and get out.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 24/08/2026
"When the fires were so bad here, Watch Duty was my best friend.” Through an extremely active fire season, 250,000 people across Idaho have used Watch Duty to help stay information on wildfires in their area.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 21/08/2026
3️⃣ My favorite landscape is a soft sandy beach — all my stress washes out with the tide. 4️⃣ The no. 1 thing guaranteed to help me relax is sitting in my garden. I never mark the plants, so I am surprised once they grow. It is like opening a present every day.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 21/08/2026
1️⃣ I report for Watch Duty because I really care about the community and helping others. The team at Watch Duty has the compassion and focus to serve and protect others during a very vulnerable time. 2️⃣ The emoji I send my colleagues most often: 🫶
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 21/08/2026
Hello 👋 from Shannon, a Watch Duty coverage reporter from California:
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 19/08/2026
The Fish Hook Fire in Colorado moved quickly & upended what Winston and Wesley thought was just a normal day. Watch Duty helped them stay safe and alert, and share that support with their community. An extra few minutes and a little more information makes a world of difference.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 18/08/2026
In 2015, the Valley Fire ripped through Lake County, California. That wildfire was a wake up call for Cole — he started reporting on fires for local Facebook pages, and later became one of Watch Duty's first reporters.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 14/08/2026
We've been relying on it more and more, and it's now one of the layers you can see in Watch Duty: watch-duty.visitlink.me/2dMqyE
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 14/08/2026
It captures a map of heat detections in the U.S. every five minutes. The satellite system picked up the start of the fire rapidly, and we alerted the county within 13 minutes of the first potential detection.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 14/08/2026
When the largest wildfire in Nebraska's history broke out this spring, there wasn't anyone nearby to call it in. What tipped us off was a NOAA satellite system called NGFS.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 14/08/2026
The 2026 fire season is already on pace to set records for the number of fire incidents in the last ten years. Today, Watch Duty rolled out new features with enhanced satellite layers that will speed detection of new wildfires, especially in rural areas that lack wildfire cameras or other tools ⬇️
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 12/08/2026
Meet three of Watch Duty's first reporters: Evan Jacobs, Josh Leone, and Sara Paul. They started by listening to radio scanners and posting wildfire updates on social media. They later met our cofounder, John Mills, banding together with others to create what became Watch Duty.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 11/08/2026
Watch Duty launched five years ago today. Since then, wildfires have become more frequent and in places that have never experienced wildfire before. The scale of wildfire and disasters is rising. We're growing to meet the challenge in ways we couldn't have imagined five years ago.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 10/08/2026
This week, Watch Duty turns five. That's five years of delivering fast, accurate updates, and five years of looking out for each other. It started with one wildfire, and the idea that clear information saves lives. Five years later, that spirit powers every alert.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 06/08/2026
When the Aspen Acres fire broke out in Colorado, Jill and her family jumped into action. She works to get information out to her community as a public information officer, shares updates with Watch Duty, and support responders, including her husband and son who work in the fire service ⬇️
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 04/08/2026
Watch Duty reporter Traci has been covering the Willow Fire in Colorado since day one, working around the clock to share updates for impacted communities. As a Coloradan, it especially hits close to home. "We're humans, we have hearts, and we're trying to keep everybody out there safe." 💛
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 01/08/2026
Washington State Update: ➡️ The Old Trails Fire (formerly the Euclid Fire) ignited today near Spokane under a Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning, growing to 50 acres in only 20 minutes and 2000 acres in a matter of hours, continuing to move fast.
watch duty incident map showing old trails fire
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 29/07/2026
We set the bar on information and alerting for wildfire- here's how we're applying it to major flooding, from Watch Duty reporter & flooding ops manager, Geoff👇
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 28/07/2026
See if water levels are heading toward flooding, from USGS streamgage → your phone. Watch Duty reporters use tools like USGS streamgages to monitor conditions and turn observations into clear updates: watch-duty.visitlink.me/ArapzR
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 24/07/2026
That photo became one more data point, added to radio traffic and official reports, helping us put together a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 24/07/2026
In May, a Watch Duty reporter was flying United into LAX when he spotted the Sandy Fire below. He photographed it from his window seat and sent the image straight to the reporters covering the fire on the ground.
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 23/07/2026
As wildfires sweep through Colorado, Beth & her team of 15 volunteers have turned the Colorado State Fairgrounds into a refuge — rescuing 140+ animals & sheltering 1,400+. Watch Duty helped them track conditions & keep crews & animals safe during rescues. More from Beth👇
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Watch Duty @watchduty.org · 22/07/2026
NYT's reporter Scott Dance has relied on Watch Duty since covering California's Park Fire in 2024. This week, he asked us how a tool that started in a few counties has now reached 30M people, & what's next as we expand into major flooding. Read the full story ➡️ watch-duty.visitlink.me/3CJc1c
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