How to Sign Up for Wildfire Evacuation Alerts in California

Updated 2026-11-07 · CA Fire Map editors

When a wildfire threatens your neighborhood, evacuation warnings and orders come from your county and local law enforcement. There is no single statewide sign-up, so the most important thing you can do is register for your county's alert system.

Step 1: register for your county's alerts

Every California county runs its own alert system, often on Everbridge, Genasys, Smart911, Rave or AlertSense. Cal OES lists the sign-up link for every county on its CalAlerts site. We've copied those links into each county page:

• Browse all 58 counties and open yours.
• Click "Sign up for alerts" and register your phone number and home address. Add your work address too, and your children's schools.
• If you split time between two counties, sign up in both.

Step 2: keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are sent to every compatible phone in an area, with no sign-up needed. Check that emergency alerts are switched on in your phone's notification settings. CalAlerts explains how WEA works in California.

Step 3: know your evacuation zone

Many counties divide their area into evacuation zones and publish them on Genasys Protect. Officials often announce orders by zone, so knowing yours saves time.

Step 4: add a backup

• A battery or crank NOAA weather radio.
• A wildfire app such as Watch Duty.
• Your utility's Public Safety Power Shutoff alerts (PSPS info by utility).

Evacuation warning vs. order

An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat: get ready, and leave now if you need extra time. An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat: leave now. See our evacuation checklist.