Fire and Smoke Resources

This content was last updated on 2026 May 14th

In recent years the forest fire season has begun before the snow has melted off the trail and lasts until the snow itself is what extinguishes some the fires. So watching fire activity closely is important for a safe backpacking trip.

On Trail (text only)

Here "on trail" means you do not have Internet access, you only have access to a texting network such as Iridium (Garmin devices).

Note that hikers with a Starlink enabled phone will need Starlink compatible apps. So some of the apps mentioned below may not work.

76 555 FIRES

For all Garmin devices the easiest way to get fire information relative to your location is by texting 765-553-4737. The response will tell you the AQI, the distance and direction of the nearest fire, and whether its been contained. This is a 3rd party data service from TrailInfo.org.

Note, Be sure your Garmin is sending your GPS coordinates along with the message. It will do this if you have the number as a preset. The Garmin 'Send Reference Point' feature does not work for this.

Text a friend

Many people have friends with Internet access who keep them informed via satellite text messages. That friend can use the resources listed below.

Off Trail (Internet)

Here "off trail" means you have some form of Internet access. You might be on-trail and getting cell service, or near-trail getting Wifi or 5G service.

Emergency Closures App

The PCT Closures app is offered by the PCTA.

PCTA Interactive Map

The PCTA Interactive Map, built on the ArcGIS (geographic information system) platform, is the best way to view fire data relative to the PCT. The PCTA added all the relevant layers in 2022. When using any ArcGIS map you will want to have the correct layers turned on. You can use the linear ruler feature to measure how far a fire is from the PCT.

Data Sources

  • IRWIN Integrated Reporting of Wildland-fire Information
  • NIFC National Interagency Fire Center
  • MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
  • VIIRS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite

Watch Duty

The 2023 hiking season started with a new fire app and website; Watch Duty. This is now a popular source of fire info for people online. Watch Duty is a good place to get the freshest information.

Watch Duty does not have a PCT overlay so I much prefer the PCTA ArcGIS map. Also, Watching day-old fires can often turn out to be a waste of time, so data freshness is not as important to me as data accuracy.

FireMappers

Before the PCTA updated its ArcGIS map, and before Watch Duty, FireMappers was the best ArcGIS map for fire information. It is supported by the NAPSG foundation.

Air Quality and Smoke Maps

In Washington the prevailing winds usually push smoke to the northeast, but not always. Windy is an excellent tool for visualizing and predicting surface air movements. This can be used to predict changes in smoke and fire direction.

The EPA maintains the AirNow air quality and smoke map. Is is a great way to see if the smoke from a fire is blowing towards the PCT or away from it.

The Washington State Department of Ecology has a similar map, but really, they should just use AirNow and save the effort.

PurpleAir is a crowdsourced air quality map that I find un-helpful for planning hikes because there are almost no sensors near the trail.

Other sources

Incident Report Mapper

InciWeb maps out manually entered incident data. It is maintained by the NWCG (National Wildlife Coordinating Group)

Active Fire Information

The NWCC (Northwest interagency Coordination Center) is a good place to get information about fire management activities in progress.