Sixteen of the best wildfire-tracking apps for mobile devices.

1. Watch Duty (Wildfire)

Download: Android iOS

Watch Duty (Wildfire) is the ultimate app for tracking wildfires, offering real-time updates far surpassing other apps. Unlike automated systems, Watch Duty employs a team of trained professionals—firefighters, dispatchers, and more—monitoring radio scanners 24/7 to provide incredibly accurate and timely information. This human element ensures you get crucial updates, like evacuation orders, instantly, a speed other apps simply can't match. With over 1.3 million downloads and consistently positive reviews, Watch Duty's proven reliability makes it my go-to wildfire tracker.

Key Features:

• Real-time wildfire alerts and updates
• Interactive maps showing fire perimeters
• Community-sourced information from trained professionals

2. Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

Download: Android iOS

Cost: Free (Free), Premium ($2.99/month)

Fireguard Wildfire Tracker is a mobile app providing near real-time tracking of wildfire activity globally, leveraging NASA's active fire data and integrating reports from various sources like Cal Fire and crowdsourced information. Its benefits include detailed maps showing hotspots, burned areas, and smoke plumes, enabling users to monitor wildfire progression and assess risk. While boasting over 200,000 downloads, a potential drawback is its reliance on external data sources, meaning accuracy may vary depending on data availability. Finally, the ad-supported model might be considered a minor inconvenience by some users.

Key Features:

• Real-time wildfire location tracking
• Satellite-based fire detection & alerts
• Combines multiple data sources for accuracy

3. Frontline Wildfire Tracker

Download: Android iOS

Cost: Free (Free), Premium ($9.99/month)

Frontline Wildfire Tracker is a helpful app for tracking wildfires, boasting a clean interface and easy setup for crucial fire alerts, making it a necessary tool, especially for Southern California residents. While users praise its intuitive layout and timely notifications, limitations like the inability to customize alert types (leading to overwhelming updates on changing fire danger levels) and a non-functional support email detract from the experience. Furthermore, app instability during peak usage and particularly during evacuation notices, resulting in frequent crashes and the need for reinstallation, are significant drawbacks. Despite these flaws, its core functionality of providing real-time wildfire information remains valuable.

Key Features:

• Real-time wildfire location updates
• Interactive maps showing fire perimeters
• Personalized alerts for nearby fires

4. Map of Fire

Download: Android

Forget clunky wildfire trackers – Map of Fire is the ultimate app for staying ahead of the flames. It boasts over 30 data layers, providing way more detail than competing apps, offering real-time updates on fires, lightning strikes, and smoke plumes across the US. I chose Map of Fire because its unique technology keeps fires on the map until officially declared out, unlike others that might drop them prematurely, meaning you get consistently reliable info. With its superior data and comprehensive view, Map of Fire keeps you safer and better informed during wildfire season.

Key Features:

• Real-time wildfire location updates
• Comprehensive data layers for analysis
• Smoke plume visualization and tracking

5. Fire Alert

Download: Android

Fire Alert is a mobile app for tracking wildfires, leveraging NASA satellite data to provide real-time alerts on global heat anomalies. Its strength lies in offering crucial early warnings, especially valuable for those living near wooded areas like the user who lives near Jefferson Barracks Park, enabling proactive preparation for potential fire threats. However, the user experience highlights a potential drawback: the app may sometimes send irrelevant alerts, creating unnecessary anxiety. Despite this, the app's ability to monitor potentially dangerous wildfire situations in areas lacking robust early warning systems makes it a worthwhile tool for many.

Key Features:

• Real-time alerts on global heat anomalies.
• Uses NASA satellite data for accuracy.
• Customizable monitoring areas for alerts.