California Smoke Spotter is a public-service weather app providing wildfire mapping and air quality forecasts for California residents on iOS.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire the app to plan outdoor activities and protect their health during wildfire events by monitoring smoke density and air quality in real-time.
For California residents and outdoor workers requiring real-time air quality data and wildfire proximity information for health planning.
What does it look like?
Key features
72-hour statewide projections for smoke movement and air quality levels.
Real-time location tracking of active fires and prescribed burns.
Map-based directory of public facilities providing relief from smoke conditions.
How much does it cost?
Public service tool provided by the California Air Resources Board with no monetization components.
Velocity
Dormant developmentUX improvementsnew contentShow more...
The app has not received a feature update or maintenance patch in over 511 days, placing it firmly in the zombie category. Development momentum has ceased entirely, with no activity recorded since the release of the latest version in early 2025. Given the lack of recent updates, there is no evidence of ongoing support or operational activity.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Not enough recent reviews to extract reliable themes yet.
Read the full review analysisCompetition
Competitive landscape for California Smoke Spotter
How's the Weather market?
California Smoke Spotter maintains a niche position as a state-backed utility with a 4.8-star rating. The lack of updates for over 500 days limits its competitive standing against commercial weather apps.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
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Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for California Smoke Spotter
Where is it heading?
Market demand for localized wildfire data is rising, but the app's current maintenance-mode posture leaves it exposed to commercial weather rivals. If the update cadence does not accelerate before the next fire season, users will migrate to platforms with more frequent data refreshes and higher reliability.
- The 512-day update gap signals a maintenance-mode posture, which risks data staleness during critical wildfire events.
The SWOT
- Official data source provides high-trust air quality reporting
- Wearable integration for proactive health alerts
Next best moves
Ship a data-sync health check because the current 512-day update gap risks stale fire information → restore user trust in emergency data.
The counter-intuitive read
The app's long update silence is not just…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The analysis remains stable in its assessment of the app as a zombie project, with minor refinements to the SWOT and PM action items to better reflect the risks of data staleness.
Bottom line
California Smoke Spotter delivers essential health-planning data through official state channels, but the 512-day update gap undermines its utility as a reliable emergency tool, so the developer must prioritize backend stability to prevent user churn to commercial alternatives.
Unlock 1 critical friction, 1 market threat and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeSources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated