Google has announced that it will launch new features that alert California residents to wildfires burning throughout the state. The feature will provide residents with information about the fires, including maps of their boundaries, within the company’s Maps offering, and in the Google search engine. Google plans to use data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the boundaries of the fire.
According to Google, the information will be provided in “near real-time,” with updates every hour. Google Maps will also administer warnings to users approaching an active wildfire, including information on the fires. Google stated that they had previously collaborated with emergency management officials in Colorado and California to develop the features.
Read More: Google Offering Near Real-Time Maps of Wildfire Boundaries