The MyFireWatch website detects uncontrolled bushfires anywhere in Australia; the hotspots mapped are updated roughly every 2 to 4 hours depending on the availability of satellites.
My Fire Watch uses information received from satellites to map the location of fires and lightning activity. The website displays fire information in near-real time, usually within 45 minutes of a satellite overpass. So it can provide a potential new image roughly every two hours, day and night.
Dr Danielle Brady Researcher, School of Communications and Arts from Edith Cowan University said, "The needs and abilities of ordinary users, particularly those in remote and regional communities, have been built into the design of MyFireWatch. Using Kununurra in the Kimberley region as a trial site, interviews and testing with real users have informed the design from the bottom up. Non-professional users can now use the MyFireWatch map service as easily as an online road directory. The new publicly available MyFireWatch has a key role to play in the shared responsibility for bushfire safety between the public and authorities."
CRC Manager, Natika Hawes-Wright thanked the research group for looking to Kununurra and gave a brief rundown of the history of the Resource Centre and how the services they can offer to the community. "Our CRC has evolved over the last 20 odd years and there have been a number of changes; we now focus on bringing eGovernment services to our communities, no matter where in WA we are, building capacity and supporting access to online services delivered by a range of stakeholders."
Mike Bradford Chief Executive Officer of Landgate talks about the focus on developing ground-breaking technology and advanced online information systems, "These systems utilise the experience of WA's professional and volunteer emergency services and many years of research by ECU to meet the need of local communities. Landgate recognises that different communities have different wants and needs for bushfire information systems, and by partnering with ECU, we have redesigned the delivery of high quality bushfire location information offered through the original FireWatch."
Anyone can come into the CRC and check out the mobile friendly version on our iPad kiosk, or check it out on the hop on your smart phone or tablet by checkingwww.myfirewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au
Facts
Anyone can now easily access fire information via the new MyFireWatch website, including those in regional and remote communities.
Location detection and accurate display on tablet and mobile phones, together with links to emergency alerts, allows MyFireWatch to be used by tourists to plan their travel safely