Community Spotlight: How local Watch Duty app has helped others connect during wildfires.

In Sonoma County, where wildfires have reshaped both landscapes and lives, Healdsburg resident and Sonoma Land Trust supporter John Mills has dedicated himself to protecting the place he loves. As the co-founder of Watch Duty—a nonprofit providing real-time fire intelligence—Mills has helped transform how communities prepare for and respond to wildfires.

The platform, which has garnered national attention as an essential tool for both residents and first responders during the devastating Los Angeles fires of 2025, is also changing perceptions around prescribed burns as a key wildfire mitigation strategy. Now widely recognized as a critical wildfire communications tool, Mills is receiving well-earned recognition for his efforts to keep communities here at home and across the county informed and safe.

John never set out to become a fire expert. But after experiencing firsthand the Kincade and Walbridge fires, he found himself drawn into the world of wildfire response. “I moved here in 2020 and had to start learning how to defend myself,” Mills says. “I joined Firewise groups, started wildland fire training, and surrounded myself with experts. What I realized is that information is one of the most powerful tools we have.”

That insight shaped the way Watch Duty operates—not just as an emergency alert system, but as an information hub that helps communities understand the role of fire in the landscape. Mills and his team saw that the lack of public knowledge about fire ecology was contributing to fear and resistance. “People smell smoke and panic, even if it just rained yesterday. It’s understandable, but it also shows how little we’ve been taught about fire’s natural role.”

For over a century, U.S. fire suppression policies have resulted in overgrown forests packed with dense, highly flammable vegetation. Indigenous communities have long understood the necessity of fire as a land management tool, using periodic burning to maintain healthy ecosystems. Now, as catastrophic wildfires become more frequent, a consensus among land managers and firefighters has been reached: prescribed burning is beneficial and necessary.

Watch Duty has played an unexpected but vital role in normalizing this practice. By integrating prescribed burn alerts alongside wildfire updates, the platform communicates about fire activity with clarity and transparency. Mills explains, “We started pulling data from prescribed fire incidents and listing them on Watch Duty. We didn’t ask permission; we just did it. And now, agencies and land managers are realizing the value of getting that information out there.”

John partnered with other organizations and community groups, including Sonoma Land Trust, Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward team, and California State Parks.

Watch Duty has made notifying the community about wild and prescribed fires more efficient and easier for everyone engaging on the app. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to provide feedback during the development phase of the prescribed burn process and have seen tremendous improvements in how we communicate and connect with our neighbors and communities during our prescribed fire work.

This integrated approach has helped ease community anxiety. “We see it on social media all the time—someone asks about smoke, and within minutes, others respond with screenshots from Watch Duty, reassuring them it’s a prescribed burn,” Mills says. “That’s how the world moves forward: through better public information and education.”

Mills acknowledges that resistance remains. However, the more people understand fire’s role, the more they support solutions like prescribed burns. The platform’s success—boasting 5.8 million users—demonstrates the growing demand for clear, reliable fire communications. “We’re not just reacting to fire anymore; we’re helping people understand it,” Mills says. That’s how we change the future.”

By bridging the gap between fear and understanding, Watch Duty is proving that information is more than just a tool—it’s a force for transformation. In Sonoma County and beyond, prescribed fire is no longer just a concept discussed by ecologists and firefighters; it’s becoming a widely accepted practice for protecting both land and lives.

Learn more and download the app here: https://www.watchduty.org