BC wildfire app too hot
Kirk Penton - Aug 09, 2019 - Biz Releases

Image: Contributed

Aaron Kilback and KC Dyer were trying to do a good thing when they created an app that features B.C. wildfire data straight from the province’s website.

The problem is the app, which is called ‘BC Wildfire’ on the iOS and Android platforms, has gotten too popular. Because so many people are using it and loading the Google map to see where fires are burning, it is costing Kilback and Dyer money. That’s why the duo has started a GoFundMe campaign to determine the level of support for the app and if they can keep offering it for free.

“Things were going pretty good, and then the last couple of years it just blew up and we got tons of traction,” Kilback said. “The way Google works is after you get so many (downloads) for the mapping, they start charging us. We were paying out of pocket the whole time for everything no problem, but we were getting so many testimonials from people saying how much they were getting value out of it. So we just wanted to see if people wanted to contribute to it and keep it going.”

Kilback used to work for the B.C. Wildfire Service in Penticton, and he offered to get the app going for the agency through official channels. That never happened, though, so he and Dyer started it on their own. Wilback figures they have spent $25,000 over the years to keep it running.

Google in June 2018 increased its fees on maps that are downloaded more than 50,000 times in a month. The duo’s wildfire app was downloaded 53,000 times in May and 65,000 times in June.

“I believe in it,” said Kilback, who owns a Kelowna communication company called YodelME. “Some of our testimonials are amazing. People are literally freaked out because we had the worst wildfire seasons in history (in 2017 and in 2018), and there was smoke everywhere. They were literally going to our app every single day just to ensure they weren’t in danger and to get the latest information about their families.

“We couldn’t shut it down.”


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