Fire incidents don't stay on the Watch Duty map indefinitely. How long a fire remains visible depends on its status and the response activity associated with the incident.
When does a fire become inactive?
A fire is generally marked inactive once all responding units have been released from the incident.
After a fire is marked inactive, it remains visible on the map for up to 24 / 48 hours before being removed.
What happens when a fire reaches 100% containment?
A fire reaching 100% containment does not necessarily mean the response is over.
Firefighters may remain on scene after a fire is fully contained to conduct mop-up and other operations. Because of this, fires that are 100% contained can remain active on the Watch Duty map until all responding units have been released.
Once all responding units have been released from an incident, the incident is marked inactive and will remain on the map for up to 24 / 48 hours (confirm). For more information about how containment is determined, see What Does Fire Containment Mean?.
Can I view past fires?
Historical fire perimeters can be viewed separately from active fire incidents.
To view them:
- Open Layers
- Select Fire Perimeters
- Turn on Historical Fire Perimeters
Historical Fire Perimeters show available perimeter data for qualifying past fires. They are not an archive of every incident that has previously appeared in Watch Duty.
Currently, Watch Duty displays historical fire perimeters from the past five years that are over 50 acres in size.