VIDEO: When a wildfire threatens a community in California, life-saving information needs to be delivered quickly. Since 2021, that has been the mission of the team behind Watch Duty — a free smartphone and desktop app that its creators describe as a "one-stop shop for wildfire information." Everything from the latest evacuation warnings and orders to updated fire perimeters and official reports from the fire line can be found with just a few taps. "We’ve got to be able to have a platform that gets this information right into peoples’ hands when they need it most and not be affected by social media algorithms or comment streams," said Nick Russell. Russell is the vice president of operations for Watch Duty. He joined the app's leadership team after starting as a volunteer reporter. The Watch Duty team operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.