A high school student in Fremont built redflag-check.info in just 48 hours to solve a real problem: Alameda County's emergency alerts blanket half a million residents, but only the East Bay Hills actually fall under the National Weather Service Red Flag Warning polygon. Most recipients don't need go-bags, while some in high-risk zones remain unaware of their vulnerability.

The tool checks addresses against official NWS zones, Genasys evacuation boundaries, and displays tonight's wind and humidity conditions. Users can verify their own risk level and check on friends without installing an app. It pulls from NWS, US Census data, and Genasys systems to deliver plain-English action checklists tailored to each location.

After launch, Oakland Firesafe Council director pointed out a critical flaw: fires don't respect zone boundaries. Adjacent areas face real danger too. The student quickly updated the tool to reflect this reality, incorporating buffer zones beyond the official polygon. Features include per-school views for East Bay districts and one-tap iMessage templates.

Built with MIT licensing and publicly available on GitHub, the project demonstrates how rapid prototyping can address civic gaps. It's a practical response to fire season preparedness, combining government data sources with user-friendly design to help residents make informed decisions during critical weather events.