The Watch Duty app, a crowdsourced wildfire application, is now attracting more users as it continuously proves itself useful during natural disasters.
(Photo : Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Firefighters cut defensive lines and light backfires to protect structures behind a CalFire fire station during the Bear fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires in the Berry Creek area of unincorporated Butte County, California on September 9, 2020.
This forest fire-tracking tool created by John Mills, a software developer, was originally launched back in August 2021.
The arrival of Watch Duty happened during the fire season in California, which usually falls between June and October.
During the first rollout, the crowdsourced wildfire tool was limited to California's Sonoma county.
But, thanks to the efforts made by the developers behind the popular application, Watch Duty was able to expand its reach across California.
How Watch Duty App Tracks Wildfire?
According to The Wired's latest report, the non-profit app relies on the updates provided by its volunteers.
(Photo : Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
A boat motors by as the Bidwell Bar Bridge is surrounded by fire in Lake Oroville during the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020. - Dangerous dry winds whipped up California's record-breaking wildfires and ignited new blazes Tuesday.
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Throughout the years of its operations, Watch Duty was able to garner more users who could help it track the wildfires in California.
"These folks have tens or hundreds of thousands of followers, and they already have the respect of the community," said Mills.
He added that they only gave scanner enthusiasts and moderators a platform that could help them track forest fires.
The arrival of Watch Duty was a big deal since people relied on Twitter and other social media platforms for wildfire updates before the crowdsourced blazed tool arrived.
Many experts claimed that compared to the Watch Duty app, other online platforms are quite messy when it comes to providing wildfire updates.
Watch Duty Attracts More Users
North Bay Business Journal reported that Watch Duty users started only at 78,000 during the app's first rollout in 2021.
But, as more and more individuals saw the efficiency of the crowdsourced wildfire application, the users grew to 193,000 this August.
As of writing, many critics said that more than 180,000 people are relying on the app whenever there are forest fires.
If you want to see further details about the Watch Duty app's growth, you can visit this link.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
