About Us

Watch Duty, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, alerts you of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

Watch Duty is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-government organization focused on disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources. Our service is powered by real people – active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders (not crowdsourced) – who diligently monitor radio scanners and collaborate around the clock to bring you up-to-the-minute life saving information. Our reporters undergo extensive training as well as background checks before joining our elite team.

Our mission is to publish only the facts that provide true situational awareness in case of emergency, without editorialization or prediction. We honor integrity and correctness over speed or sensationalism so we can build and maintain trust with not only our community but our first responders. As such, we adhere to a strict code of conduct for all of our reporting.

Interested in volunteering? Apply here

Your Privacy

Please review our long and verbose End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy if you have any concerns about the information we gather.  We have created Watch Duty to help citizens and first responders.  We are not for sale and neither is your data.  We collect as little information about you as possible to avoid any unnecessary fears or concerns.

Trusted by

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Videos & Testimonials

Red Cross Mass Care Chief Marianna Thomas recommends Watch Duty

Chief Marshall Turbeville recommends Watch Duty

Behind the Scenes of the Deadly Fairview Fire

New app tracks active wildfires across California

Wildfire Dispatch Tone Detection

Fire Extinguished by Locals

Mill Fire town hall meeting about Watch Duty

Siskiyou OES Watch Duty testimonial

Living with Wildfire