Wildfire app turns neighbours into a powerful early-warning network

A wildfire can change in minutes. For people living in the hills and countryside around in Spain, knowing that smoke has been spotted nearby can make the difference between having time to prepare and being caught by surprise.

During the recent wildfire in Benahavis, residents turned to Wildfire Watch for photographs, updates and first-hand reports from people living close to the fire.

While many were waiting to find out whether Spain’s ES-Alert emergency warning system would be activated, the Wildfire Watch community was already sharing information about what was happening on the ground.

For residents in areas such as the Montemayor urbanisation, which was later evacuated by emergency teams, those reports provided another source of information during an anxious day.

Behind the app is software developer Bas Buur, who lived in Mijas for around a decade. His connection with the local community helped inspire a project that has since grown into a much larger wildfire information network.

From Facebook group to wildfire app

Wildfire Watch did not start life as an app. Jill founded the original Wildfire Watch Facebook group in 2012 after a devastating fire that claimed two lives in the Malaga Province. What began as a way for people to share vital information quickly grew into a community that became increasingly difficult for volunteers to manage. Jill recalls just how much work was involved in keeping track of the information being posted.

“It got to a point where it was too much for the moderators. I even had to draw up a shift for them!” she said. “Sometimes I had ten tabs open at a time to collate the information.”

That experience helped reveal the limitations of using a conventional social media group during a fast-moving emergency. Then, software developer, and member of the group, Bas Buur saw the potential to voluntarily turn what Jill and the other volunteers had created into a dedicated service.

“I was inspired by the Facebook group Wildfire Watch,” he explained. “The way Facebook is set up means it isn’t the best for immediate alerts. So I thought, ‘What about an app?’”

His idea was to build something specifically for wildfire reporting, with photographs, GPS location information and official updates brought together in one place. “I thought about an app which can alert immediately, verify photo evidence, GPS locate and use the app itself to photograph the fire, while also using immediate official updates.”

What began as a passion project has since developed into a community involving more than 150,000 people in Spain, according to Bas himself, and 7 administration volunteers help move things along, as well as advising contributors.

How Wildfire Watch works

Someone who spots smoke or a fire can report it through the app, including a photograph and location. Other users can then see what is happening and compare those reports with what they are seeing themselves. That can be particularly useful during the first stages of a fire, when residents may be trying to establish where the flames are, which direction they are moving, whether smoke is heading towards homes and whether nearby roads are affected.

Wildfire Watch is not intended to replace emergency services or official warnings. Instead, it gives residents another source of information while authorities assess the situation and issue instructions. It is also making more people conscious about the risks of wildfire.

Why people on the ground matter

Jill says one of the most useful parts of Wildfire Watch is the information provided by people who are actually close to an incident.

“What makes Wildfire Watch different is that we have people on the ground. They can inform on the state of the fire, which way it is travelling, wind direction.”

That was particularly valuable during the Benahavis wildfire, as residents tried to work out what was happening around them while the situation developed.

The network can also receive information from official organisations and emergency personnel. Another feature tackles a very different problem that can become important during an emergency: language.

“There’s a translate button, so no matter where someone is originally from, they can communicate in real time,” Jill said.

For an international communities such as on the Costa Blanca, Almeria or Costa del Sol, where residents from many different countries reside in fire-prone areas, being able to exchange information quickly can be especially useful. And best of all, everyone can work together to inform and help protect their own communities.

What comes next for Wildfire Watch?

With more than 150,000 people using the network, keeping reports reliable becomes increasingly important. Bas says the next version of the app will introduce a new way of checking reports before they are circulated more widely.

“We’re currently working on an update due out later this year that will involve some sort of verification process to avoid false alarms,” he said.

The issue is important because a wildfire report can attract attention very quickly, particularly when it includes photographs or information from someone close to the incident. The app currently covers the Valencia and Andalucia regions, but is planned to spread to other areas of Spain that could use it.

Wildfire Watch began with volunteers trying to keep track of a rapidly growing Facebook group. Today, the technology allows a photograph, location and warning to reach a much larger community almost instantly, so they can evaluate the danger for themselves.

Official emergency alerts will always be vital when authorities need residents to evacuate or take urgent action. Wildfire Watch offers something different: a way for people living in the same area to share what they can see and help one another understand what is happening.

Its development also shows how a simple local initiative can grow into a much wider network, giving residents another tool when the first signs of a wildfire appear. Wildfire Watch is a free download on Android and Apple.