Fires Near Me Australia App

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Fires Near Me App Review

This is a great little app I discovered by accident when writing our article on Fires and Hiking. I’m a big fan of phone apps when they work well and make life simpler – this app certainly does that. Set up by the NSW Rural Fire Service to show fire events in NSW and it also provides good detail on most of Australia. On the day I downloaded this app there were fire events for all Australian states except South Australia. In all honestly, I’m not sure if that means South Australian isn’t covered by this app or that there just weren’t any fires at the time. Now to be fair to the NSW Rural Fire Service, they does advise that you shouldn’t rely solely on this app but from my perspective it’s a very good starting point.

Previously I would check the websites of the particular park or reserve before heading out on a hike. However, I often find this is not an easy process and find it to be very counterintuitive – its not something you want when looking for this type of information.

This app identifies fire events through a little badge and when you click on any badge it will bring up details that explain what is happening e.g. burn off or grass fire, out of control or not. You also get the option of choosing the type of map which for some people makes it easier to understand.

This app, which is available for Apple and Android phones, is free and while I wouldn’t rely on it solely, its a great option when you are out and about, and want to see what’s happening.

We Like

  • A quick and easy option to find out what’s happening on the fire front
  • It’s free
  • Different map options making it easy to use
  • Apple and Android options

We Don't Like

  • You shouldn’t rely solely on this app. The NSW Rural Fire Service advises not to rely solely on this app, particularly in an emergency, which is sound advice

Best Uses

If you are into travelling in remote areas then this app is for you

Download free of charge

This app is free to download through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store

We have no  affiliations with this product which is free to download and use

Map options – you choose how you want to see the map

Click on the little badge so see the detail of the fire event. Note the distance from my current location is also shown

Map legend

Close up of fires near Darwin

Disclaimer

This review was done by Australian Hiker

Last updated

8/12/2023

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