ALERT: Images from California now available in Watch Duty’s Wildfire Alert app

Watch Duty, the nonprofit public safety information organization and app, has announced the addition of UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia camera network to the platform.

By integrating camera feeds directly into the Watch Duty Map, users will receive real-time visual updates on the wildfire situation and be able to better assess their situation, authorities said in a press release.

Watch Duty app users have access to ALERTCalifornia’s live camera views as well as continuous updates provided by Watch Duty’s network of volunteer radio scanners.

ALERTCalifornia manages more than 1,090 pan-tilt-zoom surveillance cameras and sensor arrays as part of a larger research program.

“We are excited to partner with ALERTCalifornia to bring their cutting-edge wildfire monitoring technology directly to our users,” said John Mills, CEO of Watch Duty. “By integrating ALERTCalifornia’s camera feeds into our app, we are providing people in wildfire-prone areas with an invaluable tool that allows them to see conditions in real time and make informed decisions regarding wildfire danger.”

The integration of ALERTCalifornia’s cameras into the Watch Duty app is live and available to all users. For more information about Watch Duty or to download the app, visit their website. The app can also be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play.

“UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia platform provides cutting-edge sensor technology to support data-driven decisions before, during and after extreme wildfires,” said Neal Driscoll, director of ALERTCalifornia and a geoscientist at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “We are excited to partner with Watch Duty to provide actionable, real-time data that will help us rapidly scale fire resources, support evacuations through improved situational awareness, and monitor fire behavior.”

Watch Duty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides real-time wildfire information and alerts to help communities make informed wildfire management decisions.

The organization’s app is run by a network of volunteers, including firefighters and first responders, who monitor radio scanners and send up-to-date information directly to users’ mobile phones.