BC Ember Watch — Privacy Policy
BC Ember Watch (also called Ember Watch; “the App”) is a web dashboard that re-presents public British Columbia wildfire and related open data for situational awareness. This policy explains what information the App handles. The App is published by Monkey Butler Software Inc.
We respect your privacy. The App is built so you can check the map without creating an identity with us. We do not collect names, emails, phone numbers, accounts, or other information that identifies you. We do not run advertising, usage analytics, crash reporting, or other diagnostic SDKs. Watched fires and saved places stay on this device in your browser.
Summary
- No account. No sign-in. No profile.
- To maintain privacy, we do not collect identifying information—not even crash analytics.
- We do not sell personal information.
- We do not run advertising trackers or usage-analytics products.
- Preferences you save (watched fires, places, map focus, disclaimer acceptance) stay in this browser unless you clear site data.
- Map and fire layers are assembled from public open-data sources via our servers or proxies. Those upstream operators have their own practices.
Information stored in your browser
The App may store locally on your device:
- Acknowledgement that you accepted the safety disclaimer
- Watched / starred fires for quick access on this device
- Saved places and the last address or place you focused on the map
- Whether you have seen recent “what’s new” notes
- Simple UI preferences related to layers or filters
This data stays on your device. Clearing browser storage for the App site removes it. It is not synced to a Monkey Butler user account (there is none for this App).
Location
If you allow the browser to share your location, the App may use it to centre the map or sort nearby items for that session. Location is not stored on Monkey Butler servers as a personal profile. You can deny permission and still search for places and fires by name.
Server requests and public open data
When you use the App, your browser contacts our servers so the App can show map tiles and wildfire-related layers. We may proxy or cache public feeds such as BC Wildfire Service open data, evacuation and emergency-related layers, DriveBC road events, air-quality stations, satellite heat products, weather model grids, optional commercial aircraft tracking for a limited fire area when that layer is available, and similar sources. Hosts and CDNs that deliver any website may keep ordinary technical request logs (for example approximate IP address, user agent, path, and timestamps). We do not use those logs to identify you, build a profile, or run analytics. We do not combine them with watched fires or saved places—those never leave your browser.
Upstream providers can change, delay, or restrict access independently of us. We do not control how those agencies store request data on their systems.
Crash and diagnostics
To maintain privacy, we do not collect crash reports, stack traces, session recordings, or other diagnostic analytics. The App does not include a crash-reporting or error-tracking service.
Children's privacy
The App is intended for adults seeking situational awareness. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Do not enter a child's name, photos, or contact details into the App.
Safety and “not official” disclaimer
BC Ember Watch is not affiliated with BC Wildfire Service, Emergency Management BC, the Province of British Columbia, or other official emergency organisations. It is not an alert system, legal notice, forecast, or substitute for official channels. For emergency decisions use official sources (for example BC Wildfire status, EmergencyInfoBC, DriveBC, and local authorities). Call 911 for emergencies.
Contact
Privacy questions and data requests: support form (or the site-wide support page).
Changes
We may update this policy as the App evolves. The “Last updated” date above will change when we do.