Fire Weather Alert System Mobile App

Photo Credit

USDA image courtesy Cache Gibbons

Many firefighters have been injured or killed due to rapid changes in weather causing unexpected fire behavior. Examples include the thunderstorm outflow that killed 19 on the Yarnell Hill Fire, the cold front passage that killed 14 on the South Canyon Fire, and the wind shift that killed 3 on the Twisp River Fire. Many of these weather events can easily be predicted and observed by tools that exist today (for example, short-term high-resolution forecast models, radar data, and nearby weather stations). The Fire Weather Alert System (FWAS) was developed to continuously monitor weather information and provide early warnings to firefighters on the ground when dangerous weather conditions arise.

FWAS monitors weather forecasts and measurements (RAWS, radar, lightning, and more) and alerts firefighters to conditions like high winds, low relative humidity, thunderstorms, and Red Flag Warnings, all based on custom weather thresholds set by the user. Users can easily view fire-relevant data such as RAWS data, zone fire weather forecasts, and VIIRS/MODIS hot spot detects in the map-based interface.

FWAS is designed to be straightforward and intuitive. Users simply provide the system with a location and custom weather thresholds to watch for. The system continuously checks the many data sources that exist for exceedance of those thresholds. When one of these thresholds is reached from a nearby weather station, a short-term forecast, radar data, etc., the user will be alerted. The alert includes information about what threshold was met, where, and from what source. Ultimately, the information provided by FWAS has potential to increase safety and inform decision making on wildland fire incidents.

Download FWAS

Google Play (Android)Apple App Store (IOS)