CONTACT: Duty PIO, (916) 651-3473, calfire.dutypio@fire.ca.gov

RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2026

Sacramento, CA —As California continues to strengthen emergency preparedness and public safety communications, CAL FIRE and local government emergency response agencies are announcing the availability of the AwareCA mobile application, providing Californians with another tool to stay informed and connected during emergencies. 

“We know the public wants fast, accurate, mobile-first information directly from the agencies managing incidents on the ground,” said CAL FIRE Director/Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “We have always provided timely and accurate information to the public during emergencies, and now with AwareCA, CAL FIRE can provide the public this information in near real time, where they want it, their mobile device.”

AwareCA addresses the growing public demand for fast, accurate, reliable, and authoritative emergency information while reducing confusion caused by fragmented alerts, unofficial reports, rumors, and misinformation.

Developed through a collaborative process between CAL FIRE, Intterra, and local emergency response agencies, AwareCA was designed to support millions of users while ensuring agencies retain ownership of their data and maintain a single source of truth for public information. The app is designed to keep communities informed throughout all phases of an incident by providing:

• Near real-time incident updates
• Interactive emergency maps
• Warning and order evacuation zones
• Shelter and assistance locations
• Hazard information
• Road closures
• Push notifications and location-aware alerts

AwareCA will support a wide range of emergencies and incidents across California, including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, severe weather situations, hazardous materials incidents, and other large-scale emergencies.

All features of AwareCA are free for the user, including but not limited to:

• Adding locations of interest with notification distances
• Choosing different maps based on needs and preferences
• Selecting layers to control which hazards get displayed
• Viewing the map to quickly find incidents and emergency information
• Following incidents and sharing critical information with contacts
• Receiving alerts about fast-moving incidents directly from agencies
• Following response assets such as aircraft
• Viewing Caltrans traffic cameras and ALERTCalifornia wildfire cameras

During fast-moving emergencies, information can change quickly. AwareCA is designed to help Californians stay connected to updates from the agencies responsible for managing incidents, reducing reliance on unofficial sources and making it easier to find relevant information in one place.

Residents are encouraged to download the app and enable notifications for areas where they live, work, travel or have loved ones. AwareCA is now available for download on mobile devices in the App Store and Google Play.

For more information, visit Aware.ca.gov. 

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