Google Maps is already loaded with safety features but now it’s also able to inform users of wildfires in near-real-time. Or, at the very least, where the wildfires’ boundaries are in the US, according to recent reports. All users will need to do is be looking at an area near a wildfire in Maps or via a Google search.
Then, they’ll not only receive alerts about road closures and potential danger zones. Google Maps will also provide a pixel-by-pixel update of where the boundaries of any wildfires are. And those will be updated every hour using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration GOES satellites.
Google Maps will push out those updates as long as a data connection is maintained.
What will users see on their end?
In terms of the new UI, that’s going to be clearly distinguished on the Maps in both the app and in a browser. In the latter case, that will be the map that typically shows up when users search for a location, placed below news and official alerts. Google opted for a red dashed-line to mark the borders on the maps themselves.
That’s important for end-users for obvious reasons. In practice, as with its trial run last year in California, users should be able to keep tabs on wildfires more easily. And they should have much more advanced-warning if a fire appears to be approaching. That’s in addition to having a better sense of how quickly the fire is spreading if and when that happens.
That should equate to more lives saved, just for starters.
Will Google Maps reveal wildfires anywhere else, anytime soon?
With regard to where this is available, as noted above, this is only available in the US. Google primarily intends the feature for residents and civilians who might be traveling in an area where wildfires are present. The company does indicate it hopes to open up the feature in the future, with specific changes and improvements for emergency responders. It will likely start trials for that in California first as well.
But it will also be rolling out the feature to other countries in the future. Although there’s no timeline available for that, as of this writing.
Google Maps in the US will now show wildfire boundaries clearly with near-real-time updates
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com