How to Sign Up for Earthquake and Wildfire Emergency Alerts in California
How do I sign up for wildfire evacuation alerts in California?
California's evacuation alerts are managed county by county, not through a single statewide system. To sign up, go to your county's Office of Emergency Services website and look for an emergency alert or notification program. You'll typically register your cell phone number and home address. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services at caloes.ca.gov maintains a directory of county programs.
How does California's ShakeAlert earthquake warning system work?
ShakeAlert, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, detects the initial seismic wave from an earthquake and sends a warning before the stronger, damaging shaking arrives. On Android phones, enable earthquake alerts in your Safety and Emergency settings. On iPhones, make sure Government Alerts are on in your Notifications settings. Warning time varies by distance from the epicenter; the goal is seconds to drop and take cover, not to evacuate.
What does an evacuation warning vs. evacuation order mean in California?
In California's standardized system, an evacuation warning means conditions are deteriorating and you should leave early if you have mobility limitations, animals or need extra time to prepare. An evacuation order means leave immediately because the threat is imminent or already present. Staying during an evacuation order may be illegal depending on the jurisdiction. Check your county sheriff's office for local definitions, which can vary slightly.
Do Wireless Emergency Alerts come to my phone automatically in California?
Yes, Wireless Emergency Alerts are pushed to cell phones in an affected geographic area without any sign-up required. However, you should confirm that Emergency Alerts are enabled in your phone's settings, since some users have turned them off. On iPhones, check Settings, then Notifications, then Government Alerts. Be aware that some Focus or Do Not Disturb configurations may affect delivery, so verify your settings.
What should be in a California earthquake or wildfire go-bag?
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services recommends a go-bag include at least 72 hours of water and food, prescription medications, copies of important documents in a waterproof container, a phone charger, cash in small bills, and a change of clothes. Pet owners should add food, carriers and vaccination records, since many emergency shelters require them. The full recommended list is available at caloes.ca.gov.
- CAL FIRE Incident Map — live statewide fire perimeters and containment status
- Evacuation Orders & Warnings Guide — what each alert level means and how to prepare
- Cal OES Emergency Alerts — statewide emergency notifications and current alerts
California runs several overlapping alert systems for earthquakes, wildfires and other emergencies, and most residents aren't enrolled in all of them. Signing up takes about 10 minutes total, costs nothing, and can be the difference between getting an evacuation warning with enough lead time to leave safely and finding out about a fire from a neighbor's text. Here's how the systems work and how to get on them.
Related: How to Sign Up for California Earthquake and Wildfire Alerts Before You Actually Need Them · How to Sign Up for Los Angeles County Emergency Alerts - and What the System Actually Does
The Three Alert Systems You Actually Need to Know
California's emergency alert infrastructure has three main layers, and they do different things. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) push to your cell phone automatically when you're in an affected area - you don't sign up, they just arrive, though you do need to make sure your phone's emergency alerts are enabled in your settings. These are the loud, buzzing alerts that interrupted your phone for Amber Alerts; they also carry earthquake warnings and evacuation orders.
ShakeAlert is the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake early-warning system, now operational across California. It detects the initial, faster seismic wave from an earthquake and sends a warning before the slower, damaging shaking arrives - a window that could be a few seconds to a minute depending on your distance from the epicenter. On Android phones, ShakeAlert warnings are delivered through the built-in earthquake alert feature in your location settings, which you'll need to verify is turned on. On iPhones, WEA carries earthquake warnings. The USGS and Cal OES recommend confirming these settings are active rather than assuming they are.
Your county's local alert system is the third layer, and it's the most important for wildfire evacuations. County systems - often called something like SoCo Alerts, AlertSCC, or similar names depending on where you live - let you register a landline, cell number or email so officials can reach you with targeted warnings for your specific neighborhood. These are the systems that will tell you your zip code is under an evacuation warning before a broader broadcast goes out.
How to Sign Up for Your County's Alert System
There is no single statewide sign-up page that covers county-level evacuation alerts - each of California's 58 counties administers its own system. Most are powered by one of a handful of vendors (Rave Mobile Safety, Everbridge and Genasys are common), so the process looks similar across counties, but the URL and registration form will be specific to your county.
To find yours, search your county's name plus "emergency alerts" or go directly to your county's Office of Emergency Services website. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services maintains a directory of county alert programs at caloes.ca.gov, which is a reasonable starting point if you can't find your county's page directly. When you register, enter every number you want alerted - many systems don't automatically pull cell phones, only landlines - and update your address if you've moved. If you own a second property, vacation home or rental in a high-fire area, check whether that county's system lets you register a property you don't live at full-time; some do.
Renters face a particular gap: if your landlord's landline is registered but your cell isn't, you may not get a direct alert. Register your own number regardless of whether you own or rent.
Earthquake Alert Settings to Check on Your Phone Right Now
On an Android phone running a recent version of the operating system, go to Settings, then search for "earthquake" or navigate to Safety and Emergency (the exact path varies by manufacturer). You should see an option for earthquake alerts powered by ShakeAlert. Make sure it's enabled. On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Notifications, and scroll down to Government Alerts - Emergency Alerts should be toggled on; this is what delivers USGS-sourced WEA earthquake warnings.
One common point of confusion: Do Not Disturb mode and Focus modes on iPhones can, depending on your settings, suppress even emergency alerts. The USGS and Cal OES guidance is to verify that emergency alerts bypass any silencing modes you use regularly. On iPhone, emergency alerts are set to override DND by default, but if you've customized your Focus settings, it's worth double-checking.
ShakeAlert's warning time is not a fixed number - the USGS is transparent that it depends on your distance from the earthquake's epicenter. Someone 50 miles away from a magnitude 6.5 earthquake gets more warning than someone directly above the fault. The system's goal is to give enough time to drop, cover and hold on before shaking arrives, not to enable evacuation.
The California Alert System for Wildfires: CAL FIRE's Role and What It Doesn't Cover
CAL FIRE manages fire suppression and issues fire weather watches and red flag warnings, but it does not directly manage the evacuation alert system for residents - that sits with county sheriffs and local emergency managers, which is why the county sign-up matters. CAL FIRE's website at fire.ca.gov posts active fire information and incident maps, which are useful for situational awareness but are not a substitute for signed up to your county's push-alert system.
See also: MAGNITUDE 2.9 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES NEAR TOMS PLACE IN MONO COUNTY · MAGNITUDE 2.8 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES NEAR LAKE PILLSBURY
The state also runs Alert California, a network of high-definition cameras across fire-prone areas that streams live to alertcalifornia.org. It's a public-facing tool - anyone can look at it - and it's increasingly used by local fire agencies to spot ignitions early. It won't send you an alert, but if you see smoke and want to check whether it's a known fire before calling 911, it's a legitimate resource backed by UC San Diego and Cal OES.
After You're Signed Up: What the Alerts Actually Tell You to Do
California uses a standardized three-tier evacuation warning system, though county terminology can vary slightly. An evacuation warning generally means leave now if you have mobility limitations, need extra time, or have animals - conditions are deteriorating. An evacuation order means leave immediately; remaining is dangerous and may be illegal. A shelter-in-place order means stay where you are and seal up.
Cal OES recommends having a go-bag ready before any of this happens, because packing during an evacuation warning is where people lose critical time. The basic Cal OES checklist includes copies of important documents (stored in a waterproof bag or backed up to a secure cloud account), medications for at least a week, phone chargers, water and food for 72 hours, cash in small bills, and a change of clothes. If you have pets, that means carriers, food and vaccination records - many emergency shelters require proof of vaccination to accept animals. Cal OES's full recommended list is at caloes.ca.gov.
For earthquakes, the post-shaking guidance from USGS and Cal OES is consistent: expect aftershocks, don't use elevators, check for gas leaks before using any electrical switches, and text rather than call in the immediate aftermath to keep phone lines clear for emergencies. If you smell gas, leave the building and don't go back in until a utility worker clears it.
This is general information, not legal or safety advice specific to your situation. Verify current alert enrollment options and emergency guidance with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services at caloes.ca.gov, CAL FIRE at fire.ca.gov, and the USGS ShakeAlert program at usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/shakealert. Your county's sheriff or Office of Emergency Services is the authoritative source for local evacuation zones and alert enrollment.