Use Social Media to Get Help During & After a Wildfire

Heat waves and high winds lead to wildfires, like the one burning near Luther, Oklahoma.

The TV and radio are okay for broadcasting emergency information, but the internet can be more effective. Between the computer on your desk and the smartphone in your pocket, you have help at your fingertips from authorities and neighbors alike.

Also, unlike the television, the internet lets you add a helping hand in the event of a community-wide emergency. Did emergency crews just set up an evacuation shelter? Be the first to share a map of its location. Do you have neighbors who are unable to get out safely? You can tell the Fire Department.

Ayoudo has published a guide on how to use social media during a crisis, which you can use to stay informed and empowered.

Here is some more info on the Luter Fire:

Luther Wildfire 80% Contained

Also see: Hazards of Excessive Heat (National Weather Service).

Need help after a wildfire?

The emergency isn’t over once the flames are out. There is rebuilding to be done, streets to clean, pets to rescue. Who will watch your kids while you’re doing the heavy lifting?

Visit the Ayoudo web app and

Find out who needs assistance in your community

Other Sources of Information:

This post will show you some of the most effective ways to use social media to see what’s happening on the ground, share information with your community and collaborate effectively. For background information please read: Ayoudo’s guide on how to use social media in an emergency.

Find Out What’s Happening:

1. Search Twitter for keywords that relate to the event. For instance you can search for Wildfire, or your location (i.e. Luther).
2. Find related hashtags on Twitter. Hashtags are used in Twitter to tie related conversations together. So, for this wildfire, you could use #lutherfire, #wildfire, or #Oklahoma.
3. Search for photos and videos of the event using keywords. Good aggregators of this material include YouTube, Flickr, Twitpic, twipho, twicsy, Ustream and picfog.

Share Information With Your Community:

1. Use Facebook to set up or find a page. Existing pages can often be found through Twitter links or by searching Facebook. If a page doesn’t exist you can set one up here. When you set up a page be sure to include links to other social media support resources.
2. Share your Facebook group with your Facebook friends or others via email so that people have a central place to share information
3. Use Google to plot hotspots.
4. Upload photos you have that can be helpful to Flickr (recommended), Twitpic or Instagram. Use the hashtags you’ve found in Twitter to tag your photos.
5. Upload videos you have that can be helpful to YouTube (recommended) or Vimeo. Use the hashtags you’ve found in Twitter to tag your videos.
6. If the emergency is a news event then update the news item posted on Wikipedia with the latest resources.

Help & Act:

1. Put any requests for help into Ayoudo. Include the hashtags you’ve found in twitter in the description. Set the price to ‘zero’. Share the help request with your friends, through Facebook and Twitter.
2. Search for people who need help by searching for the hashtag or location in Ayoudo.
3. Write a 2 paragraph description of the emergency detailing the affected places and list of resources available to those who want to help. Email this message to local bloggers and the local media.

If you need help figuring out how to use Ayoudo, please visit our FAQ Section.