As wildfires threaten Los Angeles, the fire-tracking app “Watch Duty” has emerged as a crucial source of information for residents, according to TechCrunch.
TechCrunch’s Maxwell Jeff explained that the app relies on a network of active and retired firefighters, first responders, government reports, and volunteer reporters monitoring radio scanners to provide real-time wildfire updates.
During this week’s wildfires, when official alerts were sometimes confusing or flawed, “Watch Duty” climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store charts. In an interview with The New York Times on Saturday, the app’s CEO, John Mills, revealed that since Tuesday, the app has been downloaded 2 million times and used by 14 million people this week alone.
Mills noted that the app is operated by a nonprofit organization, primarily funded by donations. It employs 15 full-time staff members and works with 200 volunteers. Emphasizing user privacy, he said, “‘Watch Duty’ collects very little personal information from users, and I have no intention of selling it.”
“I am accountable to my community. I don’t want to profit from a disaster,” Mills stated firmly.
