Tracking Wildfire Smoke in an Asthma App - A First!

When I decided that I wanted to add a feature to DailyBreath focused on the resultant smoke associated with wildfires, I recognized that although DailyBreath tracked the weather and environmental conditions every day, there were extreme weather events that incidentally increased the risk for vulnerable populations of specific exposures.  I felt that there was an impact of surface-level smoke, but also an impact of atmospheric smoke that would inform these populations of the risk they might encounter as result of an incidental extreme weather event.  Although a higher air quality index (AQI) is often represented by the presence of surface smoke, I felt that those who are vulnerable needed to understand the dynamic nature of wildfire smoke and perceive the invisible threat that atmospheric smoke posed to vulnerable populations downstream, or, if you will, ‘downwind’. 

When I sought my collaborative partner, Monarch Weather, to execute my vision for SHOW, a Smoke Heatmap Overlay for Wildfires, it was to help me integrate a wildfire smoke weather/environmental data mapping API into DailyBreath as an in-app purchase feature.  The experts at Monarch Weather understood the value that SHOW will bring not only to those with respiratory conditions, but anyone ‘downwind’ of wildfire smoke.  They have applied their extensive weather expertise in developing map views of current wildfire smoke and forecasted wildfire smoke that accommodates the dynamic weather impacts that occur at the wildfire location as well as ‘downwind’.

Our display of not only current surface and atmospheric smoke, but a time-series 5-hour forecast is the type of dynamic information that DailyBreath users need to be location-aware of exposure risk.  With a familiar weather overlay that shows wildfire smoke like how you would view radar for rain, DailyBreath is the first asthma app, or any health-specific app, for that matter, to track wildfire smoke.  Implementing this unique API into an asthma app first is not without its challenges, but we are confident that we’ll be able to optimize its performance, expand the visual display for the entire world not just the continental US, offer additional functionality, and respond to user feedback to make this feature usable and valuable for all populations that are impacted by wildfire smoke, not just those at-risk populations, like those with asthma.

One might wonder why SHOW displays smoke in a black to grey to white gradient linked to commonly known levels associated with AQI. The gradient as reflected in the 5-hour forecast shows DailyBreath subscribers hundreds of miles ‘downwind’ how the jet stream, winds, and weather fronts carry wildfire smoke at varying unhealthy levels to their location, impacting them directly, making this invisible threat, better understood.  One can always view the air quality index (AQI) associated with wildfire smoke by clicking anywhere within the parameters of the smoke visually displayed on the DailyBreath Map, then clicking on the DailyBreath Risk Index on upper right of the map to view the DailyBreath Forecast and the relevant AQI for that location along with ozone and PM 2.5 data.

Download DailyBreath and Register to become part of a growing community for whom tracking environmental insights about triggers, including wildfire smoke, is becoming imperative in our changing climate.  By registering you will benefit from symptom tracking that will reveal environmental insights that uniquely personalizes a risk index that defines your DailyBreath Forecast. This feature is extended in DailyBreath SHOW, as you will be able to uniquely identify flare-ups recorded within the dispersion path of wildfire surface or atmospheric smoke. As we gather this real-world evidence, we will be able to correlate wildfire smoke with increased asthma attacks while also determining a person’s individual sensitivity to that type of pollution.  With DailyBreath SHOW, you will be able to gather environmental insights about your symptoms experience when wildfire smoke is present, developing you own personalized DailyBreath Wildfire Smoke (WS) Risk Index. 

Download DailyBreath today, register, and make the in-app purchase of DailyBreath SHOW (.99 yearly subscription) to access this groundbreaking feature for tracking wildfire smoke to determine your vulnerability. Available in the App Store or get it on Google Play.