The short version
- A fire can stay near you for days without being a threat. Turning off automatic activation to stop the alerts would leave you unprotected if a new fire starts.
- FireShield lets you mute one fire. Every other fire is still treated normally and is designed to start your system.
- If a muted fire moves much closer, the mute ends and that fire can start your system again.
- A muted fire that hasn't been your nearest fire for thirty days is cleared automatically.
- If you're comparing systems, ask whether you can mute one fire without turning off protection against all the others.
Sometimes a fire burns near your house for days without moving toward you. Your phone keeps alerting you about it, and if its mapped edge shifts a little, it could start your system.
You can see it isn't coming your way, but the system only knows how far away it is.
On most systems, your only options are to live with the alerts or turn automatic activation off. Turning it off is risky.
If a new fire starts nearby while it's off, the system won't start on its own.
Mute one fire
FireShield lets you mute one fire. It doesn't turn off alerts in general or automatic activation.
From then on, that fire won't start your system. Every other fire still will.
FireShield uses the fire agency's official ID for that fire, so the mute keeps working even if the fire grows, changes shape or gets renamed.
What happens if a muted fire moves closer
A mute that lasted forever would be risky, because the fire could move later.
FireShield remembers how far away the fire was when you muted it. If the fire gets one mile closer, or reaches half that distance, whichever happens first, the mute ends and that fire can start your system again. You also get a new alert.
For example, if you muted a fire at eight miles, the mute ends at seven miles. If you muted it at one and a half miles, the mute ends at three quarters of a mile.
You can mute one fire, and your system will still respond if that fire starts moving toward you.
Old mutes are cleared automatically
FireShield automatically clears any muted fire that hasn't been your nearest fire for thirty days.
A mute is different from pressing Stop (see When You Press Stop, It Stays Stopped). A mute has no time limit of its own. It ends when the fire comes closer or no longer matters.
Why this matters
You often know things the system doesn't, like whether crews have a fire under control. Muting one fire lets you act on that without turning off your protection.
Too many unnecessary alerts make people stop paying attention. Muting one fire keeps the alerts that matter.
What to ask
- Can I dismiss one specific fire and still keep the system protecting me against every other fire?
- If I dismiss one, what brings it back, and is that automatic or do I have to remember?
- How long does the dismissal last?
- Does it go by the fire's official identifier, so it still works if the fire is renamed or grows?
If the answer is "turn off automatic activation," that isn't the same thing.