Google Maps and Search gets wildfire alerts in more countries

Google Maps is one of the company’s most comprehensive services. Today, it’s much more than just a map and navigation app, offering multiple useful features. One of them is wildfire boundary monitoring, which is reaching more regions. In addition to Maps, Google Search is also compatible with the feature.

Maps and Search services have been showing alerts for nearby wildfire boundaries since 2020. Its goal is to “map” the wildfires in detail so that users are aware of the potential danger. People also receive notifications and instructions on how to stay safe. According to Google, this is another milestone achieved thanks to the power of AI. The company claims that this summer alone, the tool has detected and mapped more than 40 wildfires in southern Europe.

Google is expanding the reach of wildfire alerts in Maps and Search

According to the blog post, there are wildfires started by things as seemingly trivial as light refraction through broken glass. Google also claims that Europe has doubled its territory prone to wildfires in the last 50 years. Now, the wildfire alert system through Google Maps and Search is also available in the following countries: Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Monaco, Montenegro, Portugal, Rwanda, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.

In this regard, Google also says the following: “We showed these wildfire boundaries in Search and Maps and made information available through notifications — complementing existing on-the-ground efforts to help people access information and stay safe. As many as 1.4 million people saw our wildfire information in the first week of July alone after wildfires broke out across Europe and Africa.”

Previously, the feature was available in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. The Mountain View giant has been deploying the feature in regions that “have been impacted by wildfires in recent summers.” Lastly, Google also says that Maps and Search wildfire alerts will be available in more countries in the future.