California Teenager Builds Free Wildfire Alert Tool to Help Seniors

Sixteen-year-old high school student <b>Vedant Thakker</b> has developed a free application called <b>Red Flag Check</b> to evaluate wildfire risks for residents in California. Inspired by a brush fire near his Fremont neighborhood, the student built the website and app using live data from the National Weather Service to help people understand their relative position during dangerous weather conditions. The innovative platform allows users to enter a specific address and classifies locations into four distinct risk categories: inside a warning zone, downwind, adjacent, or outside the current warning area. The project was specially designed for older adults who face increased vulnerability during fast-moving natural disasters, addressing the common problem of broad regional warnings that leave individuals unsure about their immediate safety. <b>Vedant Thakker</b> is currently teaching seniors at Fremont’s Age Well Center how to use the digital tool to gain clearer local assessments.