Unfortunately, this sounds quite useful.
Pyrocene Kids
Stephen Pyne from Arizona State University first coined the term pyrocene in 2015. It describes the modern era in which mankind has moved beyond learning how to cook food to utterly scorching our planet.
Google has just released the perfect tool for us to navigate this fiery age. Gizmodo reports that Google Maps will soon have a new layer which will tell you if your route, destination, or surroundings are being destroyed by wildfires. This is a sad fact that it will likely be useful to many people, given the number of fires still raging in the American West.
Redirecting
According to a blog post from Rebecca Moore, Google Earth & Earth Engine Director, the new layer will begin rolling out this week. Moore explained that the global version will contain up-to-date information about major fires that have caused significant evacuations.
Thanks to additional data from the National Interagency Fire Center there will be more details about fires in the US. Google also hopes to provide better data for other countries in the coming months.
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Travel Advisory
The new layer will be extremely valuable to those who live in wildfire-prone areas and areas still burning when it goes live. Gizmodo reports that wildfires can quickly spread. Some have reached speeds of up to 15 miles an hour.
Accessible updates on the boundaries of hazards such as those mentioned above could save lives.
READ MORE: Google Maps adds a Wildfire Layer to help you find the one place that isn't burning [Gizmodo]
Read more about wildfires: The US can't find enough firefighters to fight so many wildfires
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