The California wildfires have been absolutely devastating on a level that can be hard to conceptualize, even for people living in the area. Major news outlets have done a tremendous job keeping viewers up to date with new fires, evacuations and the impact to the effected communities. Hollywood delayed award ceremonies during the height of the fires. Big name musical artists are coming together for a duo of benefit concerts on January 30th to raise money for relief.
Times of crisis can lead to acts of great kindness and heroism. That heroism comes in many forms, as Watch Duty app co-founder John Mills recently found out.
Mills is the co-founder of the app, Watch Duty. According to the official website, the app is run by actual people who are “active and retired wildland firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, and reporters.” These people take in and gather information regarding wildfire reporting and disseminate this information through the app. This helps prevent misinformation from spreading as well as giving real time updates about situations as opposed to just projections. It’s also completely free for people to download and use.
This app literally saved lives. It keep people informed about wind and fire shifts, new evacuation zones, and other important information in a time of crisis. Mills was recently awarded the Unsung Hero Award at the American Cinematheque’s 4th annual Tribute to The Crafts in Hollywood. The award was presented by Steve Guttenberg, who became a bit of a hero himself for this now viral video during the beginning of the Palisades Fire.
At present, the three worst January wildfires like the Palisades Fire is listed at 23,400-acres, and is now 94% contained. The Eaton Fire was 14,000-acres, and is 98% contained. The Hughes Fire burned to 10,400 acres, with containment at 95%.
“Fire binds us together, we can’t let it tear us apart,” Mills said. Indeed, a crisis can bring out kindness in others. Different disasters can strike in different areas and the support has to be there regardless. It’s how humanity pulls through. Thank you Mr. Mills and those who continue to help and fight. Our thoughts and hopes continue to go out to all those impacted by the fires.
