Active Wildfire Tracker Map vs FWAS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Active Wildfire Tracker Map
This app provides an interactive map of current active wildfires across the US. Data is updated hourly and includes GPS functionality for location tracking.
- Interactive wildfire map
- Current US wildfire tracking
- Hourly data updates
- GPS capabilities
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Active Wildfire Tracker Map is an interactive mapping application that tracks the current active wildfires in the US. The data is updated hourly and offer GPS capabilities.
FWAS
This app provides critical weather information and custom alerts for firefighters to anticipate dangerous fire behavior. It offers map-based access to fire-specific weather data, including RAWS, NWS forecasts, and radar, helping to prevent entrapments.
- Custom weather alerts
- RAWS/ASOS station data
- Fire-specific weather forecasts
- Satellite hotspot mapping
- Incident location and fire perimeters
- NWS watches, warnings, and advisories
- NEXRAD radar data
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Many firefighters have been entrapped due to rapid changes in weather causing unexpected fire behavior. These weather events are often predictable using local weather measurements and forecasts, but on-the-ground firefighters have historically lacked access to this information. The Fire Weather Alert System provides this access. It monitors nearby weather observations and forecasts to warn firefighters of dangerous incoming weather and provides convenient map-based access to fire-specific weather information (RAWS, NWS zone fire weather forecasts, NEXRAD radar data, etc.). GET CUSTOM WEATHER ALERTS • Get custom weather alerts when wind speed, wind gust, relative humidity, air temperature, and precipitation exceed your set thresholds. • RAWS/ASOS stations and short-term forecasts (HRRR model) are monitored. • Designate the watch area for your fire. • Alerts broadcast using in-app messages, text, and/or email. VIEW RAWS DATA • Select weather stations from a map and view data in graph and tabular form. • Access RAWS, iRAWS, ASOS, and other station networks. VIEW SATELLITE HOTSPOTS • Display VIIRS and MODIS hotspots on the map. VIEW INCIDENT LOCATIONS AND FIRE PERIMETERS • View incident name, type, size, and most recent perimeter (including smaller IA fires). VIEW NWS WATCHES, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES • See National Weather Service Active Alerts on the map and read the text. • Monitor Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, Wind Advisories, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, etc. ACCESS ZONE FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS • Access and read your local fire weather forecast. • See fire weather zone names and boundaries on the map. MONITOR APPROACHING STORMS WITH NEXRAD RADAR • Display animated radar data on the map.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FWAS at 3.1 against Active Wildfire Tracker Map's 2.3. FWAS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (25% vs 0%). Active Wildfire Tracker Map's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FWAS holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Active Wildfire Tracker Map's written reviews are positive against 25% of FWAS's.
Active Wildfire Tracker Map ships an update fortnightly, FWAS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Active Wildfire Tracker Map | FWAS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.3 (13 ratings) | 3.1 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 200 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | corey hoggard | USDA Forest Service |
Customer experience
Active Wildfire Tracker Map
FWAS
In-app purchases
Active Wildfire Tracker Map
No in-app purchases
FWAS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Active Wildfire Tracker Map free?
Is FWAS free?
Which has better reviews, Active Wildfire Tracker Map or FWAS?
Do Active Wildfire Tracker Map or FWAS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Active Wildfire Tracker Map or FWAS?
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