Wildfire season is becoming much harder to ignore. Yes, having to breathe in smoky air all the way down in Toronto is concerning, but being physically close to the actual source of the fire is a whole different level of worry.
For Canadians living near wildfire zones, or those with second homes, investment properties, and even businesses, keeping track of fire risk can be a daunting task. This is where a new Fire Alerts feature from a Canadian application comes in.
Operated by Vancouver-based AISIX Solutions, Fire Alerts is a new addition to the WildfireScore web application that promises to offer users daily notifications about wildfire activity near their properties.
The main idea here is to take some of the manual work out of monitoring wildfires, eliminating the need to visit multiple resources to gather the full picture of fire activity.
WildfireScore is completely free to use. Simply visiting the web app and typing in your address gives you a wildfire risk score. For me in North York, Ontario, the risk is rated 1 out of 5, which is the lowest. That, however, is as far as the free tier goes.
Fire Alerts, on the other hand, is a paid feature. It’s only ever going to be useful if you live somewhere that’s at high risk of wildfires, especially if you’re physically not present at the property. For most people who are not in the immediate path of fires, the app’s free tier will probably be more than enough. If you’re in the latter group, however, paying for Fire Alerts might just be a wise decision.
The feature essentially eliminates the need for you to check wildfire maps, government alerts, and other resources every day. Instead, it sends a daily email about wildfire activity near your property, listing how far the fire is from your address, its size, when it started, and its current status. Here’s a sample of what part of a report looks like (and you can find other samples on the WildfireScore website):
The paid plan also offers long-form reports with detailed information about the property’s historical 30-year burn probability, historical wildfire activity within 20km of the property, the methodology used to assess fire risk, and suggestions for protecting your home.
WildfireScore’s Fire Alerts cost $9.99 per month or $106.95 annually.