Women in Data Science (WiDS) is thrilled to launch its 9th annual WiDS Datathons in collaboration with Watch Duty.
Background:
As wildfires grow more frequent, intense, and disruptive they threaten critical infrastructure and communities. The 2026 WiDS Datathon challenges students and professionals alike to turn data into action. In collaboration with real-time wildfire data from Watch Duty, a nonprofit that is democratizing emergency information to protect lives and strengthen communities, this year’s challenges invite participants to forecast wildfire impacts and design equitable interventions. By combining geospatial modeling with human-centered design, participants will create tools that protect lives, strengthen infrastructure, and empower the communities most at risk.
WiDS Datathon Global Challenge: Infrastructure‑Disruption Forecasting
Designed for all data science enthusiasts who are discovering or building their data skills, the objective of this challenge is to build models to estimate, within 48 hours, the probability that an active wildfire will intersect high-value infrastructure,such as transmission lines, utilities, roads, and other critical corridors,in affected regions.
This challenge centers on delivering location-specific, early forecasts to help utility operators and emergency responders pre-emptive action. Proactive shut‑offs, targeted resource deployment, and prioritized infrastructure protection can minimize power outages, avoid cascading community impacts, and inform smarter mitigation planning.
The global challenge will run from beginning January – April 2026. Notify me when registration opens.
WiDS Datathon University Edition: Accelerating Equitable Wildfire Responses
Designed exclusively for college and university course integration, students will be tasked to design equitable, data-driven interventions to support historically underserved populations facing wildfire risks, using Watch Duty data as the analytical foundation. Students will have two focus themes to choose from as they explore the data:
- Accelerating Equitable Evacuations
Analyze alert activation gaps, mobility limitations, and health vulnerabilities to design tools that reduce delays and ensure timely community responses. - Designing for Economic Resilience
Model economic disruption (workdays lost, business fragility, tourism dependency) to propose analytics that support compensation systems, leave policies, and small-business aid.
Students are asked to frame problems aligned to real stakeholders (i.e.,public agencies, local nonprofits, or municipal governments) and propose human-centered solutions that enhance safety, economic stability, and environmental equity.
The university challenge will run mid-September 2025 – June 2026. This challenge, available only to colleges and universities, can be offered as a project in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. Learn more about how you can bring the WiDS Datathon University Edition to your classroom.
Why These Challenges Matter
Together, these two datathons represent a holistic approach to wildfire risk:
Technical precision meets social responsibility. One challenge builds predictive power and location-specific forecasts; the other focuses on translating data into justice and resilience.
Cross-cutting impact across geographies. Models must adapt across regions and data environments, ensuring global usability.
Open, equitable innovation. With open-source datasets and inclusive design attention, these challenges create tools accessible to all,not just those with resources or institutional backing.
Be Bold. Be Rigorous. Be Human‑Centered
Wildfires are not just natural events, they are threats amplified by infrastructure fragility and social inequities. Through predictive modeling and equitable design, this year’s datathon invites you to create solutions with measurable impact. Use Watch Duty data to not only forecast disruption, but to prevent it and protect communities that need it most.
Join us in shaping a future of wildfire prediction and safety.
Data science enthusiasts:
Ready to hone your data science skills?
University instructors:
Want to bring the WiDS Datathon to your classroom?
Watch Duty is revolutionizing emergency alerts by delivering life-saving information when it’s needed most. As disasters become more frequent and severe, outdated alert systems continue to fail communities and first responders when every second counts.
Born from lived experience and powered by first responders, engineers, radio operators, and fire spotters, Watch Duty is a nonprofit that delivers hyperlocal, real-time updates to over 6 million users across 22 states. With a lean team of 20 staff and 200+ volunteer firefighters, dispatchers, and radio operators, we provide ground-level intelligence through map-integrated alerts fueled by scanners, cameras, and social feeds that are tailored to the communities that need them most.
During the 2025 LA wildfires, we became the #1 most downloaded app, surpassing ChatGPT as the top free app, proving massive public demand for trusted alerts. We took twice the load of Wikipedia (100k requests per second) during the LA fires when all other systems crashed. Watch Duty became the signal in the noise and we provide this information for free.