Emergency · Official link · Reviewed July 14, 2026

Alerts, smoke, roads, and power check

A calm first stop when conditions turn: alerts, smoke, roads, and power, all from official sources.

The short version

Use the source that can tell you what to do now

Match the question to its source. Local emergency officials give evacuation instructions, and CAL FIRE and the incident agency explain the fire itself. AirNow shows smoke and air quality, Caltrans covers state highways, and the serving utility gives the live power answer.

What changes the answer: One map can look complete while missing the local order, neighborhood road, air monitor, or utility account that matters to you.

Official: CalAlerts

Bad days move fast. The right source depends on whether you need an evacuation notice, a fire map, smoke information, a road closure, or a power shutoff update.

How it works

Local alerts carry the action words

Every California county has an alert program people can sign up for. A city or local emergency office may add another system. Sign up for the places where you live, work, go to school, or care for someone.

An evacuation warning means a threat may be coming. People who need more time, and people moving pets or livestock, should leave early. An evacuation order means leave now. Follow the current local message even when another map looks quieter.

The fire map is a reference, not the whole incident

CAL FIRE's incident page is useful for fires known to the department. CAL FIRE also warns that the page is not a promise of up-to-the-minute fire behavior and may not list every small fire.

Keep the local incident agency and alert system beside the state map. An incident can be run by another agency, and the evacuation message may change before a statewide page catches up.

Smoke and roads need their own checks

Smoke can travel far from the flames. AirNow combines air monitors, sensors, smoke, and fire layers, but a smoke shape seen by satellite does not by itself tell you the air at ground level.

Caltrans QuickMap covers the state highway system. It can show closures, messages, cameras, and chain controls. A county road, city street, forest road, park road, or private road may need a different official source.

A PSPS answer follows the electric utility

A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a planned utility action used to reduce wildfire risk from electric equipment. CPUC explains the program, but the serving utility gives the live address, timing, outage, and restoration updates.

Save the utility alert path before high wind arrives. Keep a second way to receive warnings, since cell service, home internet, and charging can fail during the same event.

First moves

1
Sign up for your county or city emergency alerts before there is smoke on the ridge.
2
For evacuation messages, use your local sheriff, police, fire, emergency office, or county alert system.
3
For active fires, check CAL FIRE and the local incident agency.
4
For smoke, check AirNow or your local air district before outdoor work, school, or travel.
5
For highways, check Caltrans QuickMap before you drive.
6
For possible power shutoffs, check your utility and the CPUC PSPS information page.

Watch for

1
Evacuation warning and evacuation order are different. Follow the local emergency office's wording.
2
A statewide fire map may lag behind a local evacuation order.
3
Cell service, power, and internet can fail. Have more than one alert path.
4
Smoke can be bad far away from the flames.
5
Road closures can change faster than map apps update.
6
Power shutoff timing can change with wind, humidity, equipment, and utility decisions.

Official sources

Where to confirm this

Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.

CalAlerts California Governor's Office of Emergency Services local alert signup source CAL FIRE incidents CAL FIRE active wildfire incidents Get ready before an emergency California Governor's Office of Emergency Services the state's public preparedness basics (Listos California) AirNow fire and smoke map U.S. Environmental Protection Agency smoke and air quality map Caltrans QuickMap California Department of Transportation road closures, chain controls, and traffic Public Safety Power Shutoffs California Public Utilities Commission PSPS overview CAL FIRE incidents Incident information limits and local-unit handoff CAL FIRE map legend Evacuation warning and evacuation order CalAlerts county signup How to sign up for alerts in your county Caltrans chain controls R2 and R3 requirements Caltrans QuickMap FAQ QuickMap scope, data layers, and update timing CPUC Public Safety Power Shutoffs PSPS definition, utility role, and outage-map handoff

Use this as a source map. It points you to official places to check, but it does not make the government decision or replace the current agency rule.

How to use California Porch safely

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfEmergency and utilitiesAlerts, smoke, roads, power shutoffs, outages, and bill help.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolUtility bills, shutoffs, and outagesA utility problem has a safer first stop. Pick the path for the bill, the outage, or the smell of gas.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.