# Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods — user reviews > 753 indexed App Store user reviews of Watch Duty by Sherwood Forestry Service, Inc., rated 4.90/5 from 49,608 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-duty-wildfire-and-floods/id1574452924/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-duty-wildfire-and-floods/id1574452924.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 47,188 · 4★ 1,764 · 3★ 325 · 2★ 114 · 1★ 217 ## What do users think of Watch Duty? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Incredible resource - 🚀 Reliable - 🚀 Invaluable - 🚀 Accurate and timely updates - 👍 User-friendly - 👍 Comprehensive information - 👍 Helpful during emergencies - 👍 Indispensable - 👍 Crucial tool - 👍 Life-saving - 👍 Excellent app - 👍 Fantastic app - 👍 Impressive and well-done - 👍 Informative **Cons** - 🐛 Incorrect fire location information - 🐛 Notifications not working properly - 🐛 Notifications need to be louder **Commonly reported bugs** - Incorrect fire location information - Notifications not working properly **Most requested features** - Ability to report errors in fire location - Option to narrow notification range by miles - Ability to view earlier/past fires - Dark mode option - Ability to adjust notification tone ## Newest reviews (18 of 753) ### 5/5 — Invaluable support *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* Thank you for everything your team does to bring us accurate, vital information and support when our livelihoods are at stake. You give the community more safety and more ability to protect our loved ones. Thank you SO much for having our backs <3 ### 5/5 — Lakejumper *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* Watch Duty is an app that everyone should have. It keeps us informed of fires in the area or where you subscribe for notifications so you can prepare or just keep updated. ### 5/5 — Easy to use *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* I appreciate apps that deliver a great deal without a steep learning curve for the user. I love that Watch Duty sends me alerts when there’s a fire in the region, and I value the updates provided by reporters. The info is clear and concise - just the bare bones and no padding. Outstanding! Another thing I value about this app, especially during this horrifying year of fires in the west and floods in the midwest, I’m able to see whether friends or loved ones are in danger. So far, they are not, and it eases my mind to see that. Of course, I tell them about Watch Duty, and they’re glad to hear about it. Great work, folks! ### 5/5 — Best Wildfire App there is *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* This is hands down the best wildfire app that there is. Being in a state with regular wildfires, this helps keep me informed of The Who, what, where, when, and why of fires in my state and others. I highly recommend all download this app to keep up to date. ### 5/5 — Super helpful app! *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Rely on this app to keep up to date and stay safe! ### 5/5 — Informative *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Having one more method for communication is always good. Between my recent fires in my area for 2026, which were the Bug fire and the Hawk fire, I was mainly impacted with a Hawk fire. In this review, I’d like to remind individuals that are reading this that relying on communications, be cautious. During the Hawk fire power was shut down for obvious reasons which I support. At that point, my iPhone 16 5G through Verizon all communications went dead and those around me with other network providers also went dead. So for a period of we had no reliabile Comms and the phone system did not work. Rebooted my phone hoping to capture another tower at startup and still nothing. This has nothing to do with Watch Duty, I would just think a plug should be put out there not just rely on such tools. Eventually, I believe when they were able to adjust repeaters or whatever was required communication was restored and then all the updates played catch-up. Thankfully, for all that give the effort to support others. ### 5/5 — Watch duty *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Can’t get this real time upto date information anywhere else! ### 5/5 — Deep appreciation from Northern California *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Thank you for the peace of mind! Having all the most current information in one easy to access place is immeasurable when you live in fire country. Your app is amazing and no doubt has helped save many lives. ### 5/5 — Absolutely a must have in this day and age *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Gives the most up to date info on wildfires. ### 2/5 — Need information on fire camps *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* I find the app to be kind of hard to navigate through. It goes to one page and stays there, and I can’t seem to bring it back. ### 5/5 — THANKS *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* We have one of our family that works in fire wild fire fighting. It’s great to be able to see what is going on from home, then we pray! ### 5/5 — Fantastic app *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Thank you for the work you’ve put into this app to help keep citizens safe. My husband and I have used this app for the last 3 years after moving to the Western US to track the proximity of wild fires and smoke range. We love the quickness of reporting, frequent updating, showing area that has been burned and areas of evacuation as well as next areas to be ready to evacuate. Shelters addresses are also noted for certain areas. Fires around the US can be tracked or watched. Amazing app, well worth it, free or paid! ❤️ ### 5/5 — 👍🏼👍🏼 *2026-08-23, version 2026.8.12* Thank you! ### 5/5 — Watch Duty *2026-08-22, version 2026.8.12* Great up to date info on wildfires. Good graphics also. ### 5/5 — Amazing Resource *2026-08-22, version 2026.8.12* We have a cabin in Big Bear Lake, California and this app has helped us be informed about some major fire activity that’s happened around our cabin in the last few years, some quite dire. Being able to see and know what is happening, in almost real time, has been invaluable to us. Thank you to the developers! ### 5/5 — Gray Fire *2026-08-22, version 2026.8.12* The app was helpful when we lost power. The continual updates are a blessing. ### 5/5 — Best app I’ve found *2026-08-22, version 2026.8.12* I live in the redwoods of Northern California and whenever there’s a low flying plane I go on the alert! I used to need to check like 4 or more sites to try to find out information but this site does it ALL! A couple of weeks ago there was a fire and I think 2 planes flew low overhead and then this app told me exactly where the fire was! The app also has the camera links which I totally appreciate! Thank you so much for this app!!’ ❤️ ### 5/5 — Big fan *2026-08-22, version 2026.8.12* I use this app every day during wildfire season and I am always so impressed by the timely, accurate information being there when I need it most. Huge thank you to everyone who makes Watch Duty great ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — No access to pro *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* I payed for the pro version and was charged but never was given access. Tech support was not helpful. Do not pay for the additional features! ### 1/5 — no updating is happening without logging in *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* no alert are being sent without logging into . pointless app for getting text alert updating - they just want to track you ### 1/5 — Looks good on paper. *2026-08-21, version 2026.8.12* I was actually looking forward to trying this, but it feels less like a new wildfire app and more like a group project where half the team gave up and nobody checked that it actually worked - or whether the wildfire information was actually updated. It's not user friendly, requires a sign up just to access information, and then makes that information hard to find and not even reliably up to date. All the features in the world don't help if the basics don't work. ### 1/5 — Cant subscribe *2026-08-21, version 2026.8.12* I had a subscription and canceled for a while, and I tried to resubscribe just now and it won't let me. It says I already have an active subscription even though it's not active. Why do you do this? Thanks for nothing I guess. ### 1/5 — Not helpful *2026-08-17, version 2026.8.5* Huge fire in the canyon near my home yesterday and there are no updates today. The app still shows 20% contained but zero updates in 22 hours. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2026-08-14, version 2026.8.5* The last two fires in my county (just this week) didn’t even make it on this app at all. Waste of storage space. ### 1/5 — Deadly Consequences of Failed Notifications *2026-08-03, version 2026.7.22* There are regions and specific fires I’ve turned notifications on for but I don’t get a single one. I could miss life saving info. The app for some reason is notifying me about fires outside of my region but not the ones I specifically turn notifications on for. This app is useless in that sense ### 1/5 — It was awesome until it wasn’t *2026-08-02, version 2026.7.22* Watch Duty is fantastic it was fantastic until today. They decided to get in a pissing match with Stevens County and removed all the evac zones in Stevens County from Watch Duty and now only shows to the Spokane County Line. This isn’t junior high. This is real life and peoples lives and homes on the line but because some idiot posted negative about Watch Duty on a Stevens County Emergency site we are now caught in the cross hairs. If y’all could get over yourselves and do the right thing it would be so very helpful. Get in your pissing match when our homes aren’t about to be destroyed. ### 1/5 — No dice *2026-07-29, version 2026.7.22* This app is only good for alerts in CA. They only employ ca.gov workers. ### 1/5 — Failed in a time of need *2026-07-27, version 2026.7.15* Yesterday I was within 5 miles of the Roble fire. I downloaded this app and it was helpful. I found it hard to believe there is a paywall when trying to access additional information. But I paid the $100 for the annual subscription and for whatever reason the app did not (and still is not) giving me access to anything in the pro membership, even though it’s showing up as a paid subscription in my settings. This needs to be fixed immediately. It was probably my fault but whatever it is that I’m doing wrong needs to be fixed. Also, there should be immediate free trial access to the pro version information. What if payment fails or payment information isn’t set up and there are people who desperately need the information? They need to fiddle with their phones while a fire moves towards their house? ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Best Ever *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.19* Since inception they have kept me informed immediately, helping me to make critical decisions. A necessary survival tool after surviving the Calder fire & evacuation! ### 5/5 — Well Worth $24.99 a Year! *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.19* This is an app worth supporting! ### 5/5 — Amazing App *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* Using Watch Duty along side Find Me on my Apple Devices, I follow my beloved Grandson as he works on Cal Fire Strike Teams. I love watching the planes as they work on the fires. Thanks to all of you who made this possible. ### 5/5 — Thank you thank you *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* Watch Duty has empowered us to watch carefully over our own home as well as the homes of our neighbors. Thank you so very much. Thank you for making this free so that everyone can be safer. And thank you of course to all the firefighters who risk their lives for us in these global-warming times! God bless all of you! ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* My son is an engine boss on a wildland firefighting crew. He said this is the most accurate app to follow. I have had the free version for the last two years to follow the fires he and his crew are fighting. This year I upgraded to the paid version. His crew has been sent all over the western states. ### 5/5 — Essential App *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* If you live in fire country and even in the valley, this is an essential app. The most up to date info we have ever had access to and it’s all of it; hyper local weather info, aircraft, evacuations, cameras, everything you need is all in one place with more features added often. Love you watch duty thanks very much for the peace of mind. ### 5/5 — Excellent *2026-08-25, version 2026.8.12* Excellent app. Necessary for this time of the world ! ### 5/5 — Outstanding app *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* This is by far the best app for wildfire info. There is a lot of useful info, intuitively presented. Glad to support it. ### 5/5 — Must have if you live in a wildfire prone area *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* This app is invaluable if you have in a disaster area. I was so impressed with the real time updates and let us know when evacuations were occurring before we got the alerts on our phone. Upgraded to a membership and will be donating! ### 5/5 — The Best App for All the Info You Need *2026-08-24, version 2026.8.12* Background — Recently retired Red Cross, FEMA, state and fed Gov. We never had the ability to see so much info at once on fires — across the country. Hats off to the original inventors of this approach and its stellar growth. Please keep the great work you have going — I will continue to donate to these efforts. Thank you!! Don’t sell out to others who may not have the public’s and environment’s best interest at heart. ❤️❤️❤️ --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*