MISSOULA — Have you ever looked out at the horizon, seen a plume of smoke and thought… uh oh?
Especially this time of year, it can be hard to tell if it is an emergency or a prescribed burn.
Staying up-to-date on burns planned in your area can put your mind at ease and help keep 9-1-1 lines open.
But, like many things, there is an app for that. There are many ways to get updates on prescribed burns this season.
Many national forests and recreation areas post burn schedules on their social media pages. These are often up-to-date with fresh information.
Another option is InciWeb, a government website with updates on fire information. It lists details about fires, both prescribed and not.
There are also plenty of apps for smartphones with information on emergency response, many of which include prescribed burns.
One app, called Watch Duty, gained a lot of users during the Los Angeles fires.
When there is a burn nearby, you can also check out AirNow.gov to see how air quality is impacted.
