Access wildfire information on your satellite device

Wildfire information in the backcountry

BoltWX's wildfire feature provides on-demand information about wildfires with the details that backcountry users need to make good decisions.

Wildfire Awareness

BoltWX uses data from state/provincial and federal agencies to provide information on wildfires near your location, telling you the distance and direction to major fires.
(Available in USA and Canada)

Evacuation Orders & Alerts

Wildfire messages include information about nearby wildfire evacuation orders and alerts.
(Currently available in BC and Alberta, Canada)

Easy to use

Your satellite device does all the work. Simply message the BoltWX service and receive wildfire information for your location in moments.

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Accessing wildfire information with BoltWX

BoltWX provides access to information about active wildfires near your GPS location for when access through official channels is unavailable. You should always check the official wildfire warning website for your area before you enter the backcountry.

Wildfire information is currently available for active wildfires in the USA and Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, using data from the US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFS), BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), Alberta Wildfire and the Alberta Emergency Alert system. BoltWX is not endorsed by any of these agencies or services. Wildfires move quickly and data may not represent the current situation on the ground. You agree to use the information about wildfires provided by BoltWX at your own risk. See the BoltWX terms and conditions for our disclaimer about wildfire information, which you agree to as a condition of using the service.

To receive information about nearby fires, include the phrase “FIRE” in your message. For example, your message should read: FIRE #ACCESSCODE# (50.12135, -111.12345)

Wildfire messages return information for wildfires within 30km of your GPS location. Note that wildfire messages are not constrained to a single SMS message and will list all fires found in the vicinity. Message structure varies slightly to accomomodate data available for each region. Below are examples of BoltWX wildfire messages with their translations. Canadian messages use fire terminology defined by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre glossary here (PDF file).

Evacuation alerts and orders are included where possible (currently covering Alberta and British Columbia, Canada). Alert terminology varies significantly by state or province. BoltWX uses the local state- or provincial-level terminology to indicate urgency of alert. You can find information about alert terminology for Alberta here and British Columbia here.

Request Message
FIRE #ACCESSCODE# (50.12135, -111.12345) Use the keyword 'FIRE', followed by your access code and GPS coordinates to request a wildfire message.
Sample Wildfire Messages
Alberta
Wildfires 30km radius
Critical Evacuation Wildfire Alert Updated 13 Jun 10:08PM
Fire N1234: Out of Control, 8.1km W, 1037ha
Fire N2345: Being Held, 10.3km S, 487ha
Fire N3456: Being Held, 12.2km E, 234ha

Evacuation advisories or orders
Fire status, Distance from your location, Direction from your location, Fire size in hectares
British Columbia
Wildfires 30km radius
Fire N1234 (EVACUATION ORDER): Out Control, 8.1km W, 1037ha
Fire N2345 (EVACUATION ALERT): Being Held, 10.3km S, 487ha
Fire N3456: Being Held, 12.2km E, 234ha

Fire name (EVACUATION ORDER/ALERT ACTIVE):
Fire status, Distance from your location, Direction from your location, Fire size in hectares
USA (All States)
Wildfires 30km radius
Fire N1234: Active, 8.1km W, 1037ha
Evacuation alerts are not currently available in the USA
Fire status, Distance from your location, Direction from your location, Fire size in hectares

For information on other aspects of BoltWX, visit the FAQ here.