Fire Safety: Protect Your Home with Fire Watch and These Essential Tips

As wildfire season approaches, communities across the country are preparing for what has become an increasingly urgent reality. Most fires happen between the months of April and October, as weather becomes warmer and drier.¹

From California to Colorado, Arizona to Washington, fire season now demands year-round vigilance. But staying informed and protected during wildfire events just got easier, thanks to Ring's Fire Watch feature.

What is Fire Watch and How Does it Work?

Fire Watch is Ring's innovative safety feature designed to help protect communities during wildfire emergencies through three powerful capabilities working together to keep you informed and connected when it matters most.

Real-Time Fire Alerts: When Watch Duty reports a fire near your location, Fire Watch sends you immediate notifications so you can stay informed about potential threats in your area. You'll know when a wildfire is detected within proximity to your home, giving you critical time to prepare and respond.

AI-Powered Fire and Smoke Detection: During active fire events, your outdoor Ring cameras automatically monitor for visible flames or smoke using advanced AI technology. This intelligent detection works continuously in the background, providing an extra layer of awareness when wildfires threaten your neighborhood.

Voluntary Community Contribution: Fire Watch gives you the option to share camera snapshots with first responders through Watch Duty. By choosing to contribute, you help provide ground-truth visibility that supports emergency response efforts and helps protect your entire community.

How to Enable Fire Watch

Getting started with Fire Watch is simple:

1. Open your Ring app

2. Find your device settings

3. Look for Fire Watch in your Control Center

4. Choose which outdoor cameras you want to enable for fire and smoke detection

5. Decide if you'd like to participate in voluntary snapshot sharing with first responders.

Fire Watch represents a new way to help protect what matters most, combining the power of your Ring devices with real-time wildfire tools to keep you informed, prepared, and connected to your community when every second counts.

Essential Fire Season Safety Tips

While Fire Watch helps you stay informed during wildfire events, preparation is your first line of defense. Here's how to help protect your home and family during fire season:

Prepare Your Home²

1. Install fire-resistant roofing materials when possible.

2. Use tempered glass or multi-pane windows to reduce the risk of breakage during fires.

3. Cover vents with metal mesh to prevent ember intrusion.

4. Keep a fire extinguisher accessible and ensure all family members know how to use it.

Stay Informed and Ready³

1. Sign up for local emergency alerts and evacuation notifications.

2. Enable Fire Watch on your Ring devices to receive real-time wildfire alerts.

3. Create an evacuation plan with multiple routes and practice it with your family.

4. Prepare an emergency kit with essentials: water, non-perishable food, medications, important documents, and supplies for pets.

Maintain Emergency Contacts⁴

1. Keep a list of emergency contacts readily available

2. Ensure all family members know how to reach each other

3. Designate an out-of-area contact person for family check-ins

4. Stay connected with neighbors to support each other during emergencies

Stay safe this fire season and stay informed with Fire Watch.

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1. https://calmatters.org/california-wildfire-map-tracker/

2. https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/fire-prevention-education-mitigation/wildfire-mitigation/home

3. https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

4. https://lafd.org/ready-set-go