FireWatcher is free, and it stays free.

Nothing on this site is behind a payment. There is no paid tier, no locked feature, no advertising and no account. Whatever you do on this page, the map, the fire list, the satellite heat, the cameras and the alerts work exactly the same.

This page exists because people kept asking how to chip in. If you are not in a position to, please just use the site — that is what it is for, and someone using it is worth more to me than a donation.

What it actually pays for

A short, boring list, because you should know where it goes:

• The server. One VPS, running the site and polling the agency feeds every few minutes, around the clock through fire season.
• The domain and the Apple developer account the iOS app needs.
• Nothing else. No salary, no contractors, no ads, no marketing. It is one person in Prineville.

Every data source on the map — NIFC, NASA FIRMS, the National Weather Service, ODOT, ALERTWest — is free public data. None of your contribution goes to buying data, because none of it is bought.

Chip in

You name the amount. There is no suggested figure on purpose — a ladder of preset buttons quietly tells you what the "right" number is, and makes anything under the bottom rung feel like it does not count. It does.

Is this tax deductible?

No — and I would rather say so plainly than be vague about it. FireWatcher is not a registered nonprofit, so a contribution here is not a deductible charitable donation. It is a gift to a neighbour who runs a website, which is exactly what it looks like.

Setting up a nonprofit properly is on the list, and if it happens this page will say so and will say what it means. Until there is an actual IRS determination letter, no page on this site is going to hint that your contribution does something on your taxes that it does not do.

What you do get is a Stripe receipt by email with the date, the amount and a transaction reference — a real record that you gave, which is worth keeping regardless.

Other ways to help, all free

• Tell someone. Most people arrive here because a neighbour posted the link. That is worth more than money.
• Report anything wrong. A fire in the wrong place, a dead link, a number that disagrees with your county — karmaproto5@gmail.com. If it disagrees with your county, your county is right.
• Leave a note for the crews. The wall is read by people who work these fires.