Bel Air and Holmby Hills residents heading into a weeklong heat wave have a new tool for tracking wildfire threats. CAL FIRE released a free mobile app on Thursday, Oct. 1, that sends real-time emergency alerts to phones statewide.
The app, called AwareCA, arrives as the National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat watch for Los Angeles County. The watch takes effect Friday, Oct. 2, and runs through Thursday, Oct. 8. Low humidity during the heat wave is expected to elevate wildfire risk across the region, according to NBC Southern California.
CAL FIRE Director and Chief Joe Tyler announced the launch. Tyler said the agency's website drew 100 million views in 2025, most from people seeking wildfire information. He said the app gives the public that same information "in near real time, where they want it, their mobile device," according to KDRV.
According to the app's official site, AwareCA consolidates several emergency tools into one place. Users can:
- Save specific locations and set custom notification distances
- Receive evacuation warnings and orders from participating agencies
- View shelter and assistance locations on interactive maps
- Track emergency response aircraft and flight paths in 3D
- Access Caltrans traffic cameras and ALERTCalifornia wildfire cameras
The app covers more than wildfires. CAL FIRE said AwareCA will also support floods, earthquakes, severe weather and hazardous materials incidents statewide.
Individual incident pages display fire size, containment percentage, location, start date and responding agencies, as first reported by KTLA. Users can follow specific incidents and share updates with family and contacts.
CAL FIRE said the platform addresses growing demand for reliable emergency information and aims to reduce confusion from fragmented alerts and unofficial sources. CAL FIRE selected Intterra, a public safety technology company, through a competitive process to build the app.
All features are free. AwareCA is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The NWS extreme heat watch covers coastal and valley areas of LA County. Temperatures could reach 90 degrees along the coast and 105 in valley communities. KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said temperatures could run 15 to 20 degrees above normal for several days, while NBC Southern California reported the range at 10 to 15 degrees above normal.
Residents in Bel Air and Holmby Hills can download AwareCA and save their home address to receive push alerts for nearby incidents, evacuation zones and shelter locations ahead of the Oct. 2 heat watch.
