Question 1

What do the Prepare, Likely, and Ordered labels mean?

Accepted Answer

The map legend distinguishes Prepare, Likely, and Ordered when a confirmed source supplies zone tiers. No evacuation-zone source is connected right now, so the map shows no zone shapes or tier values. Follow current instructions from your local emergency authority.

Question 2

Will Embertrail send me an alert when a zone changes?

Accepted Answer

No. The current app displays map data but does not deliver push, SMS, or email alerts when a zone changes. There is no alert-subscription flow in the app.

Question 3

How do family check-ins work?

Accepted Answer

Create a family share link from the map and send it to the people you want to keep in the loop. Anyone with the link can open it and choose “I’m safe.” No login or app install is required, and link holders can see the latest check-in status.

Question 4

Does a check-in share my location?

Accepted Answer

When you tap “I’m safe,” the browser attempts to get your location and asks permission when needed. Location is included only if permission is granted and the browser returns a position. If location is unavailable, permission is denied, or the browser cannot return a position, the check-in is status-only. Anyone with the share link can see the latest status and whether location was shared.

Question 5

Where does fire-perimeter data come from, and how often does it update?

Accepted Answer

Fire perimeters come from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) / Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS) Active Fire Perimeters feed. Embertrail caches the upstream response for about 60 seconds, and the map requests refreshed app data about every 90 seconds. Those are Embertrail request intervals, not a source update schedule or a guarantee that NIFC data is current. Evacuation zones are separate: no confirmed zone source is connected, and the map draws no zone shapes until source data is available.