Ethan R. Coleman reported
Prince Harry has made his first public appearance of 2026, stepping out with wildfire-response nonprofit Watch Duty to tour Santa Barbara-area fire stations and survey the tools crews rely on as California’s fire seasons grow longer and more destructive.
At a Glance
- Harry toured fire stations with Watch Duty CEO John Mills earlier this month near his Montecito home
- Firefighters demonstrated brush trucks, rescue ATVs and thermal search-and-rescue drones
- The couple’s Archewell Philanthropies donated to Watch Duty during the 2025 L.A. fires
- Why it matters: The visit spotlights the need for real-time, verified information when fast-moving fires leave seconds for life-saving decisions
The outing-conducted quietly and shared afterward on Watch Duty’s social channels-saw the Duke of Sussex examine equipment and speak directly with crews about the mental, physical and logistical toll of increasingly severe wildfire seasons. First responders explained how the organization’s app, which uses trained volunteers and retired fire professionals to vet alerts rather than automated systems, has become indispensable when evacuation orders can change in minutes.
Watch Duty posted photos of Harry alongside Mills, captioning: “We’re proud to partner with Archewell Philanthropies, early supporters of Watch Duty during the devastating L.A. fires in 2025, and excited to keep building support for firefighters on the front lines.”
The January stop rounds out months of fire-focused engagement for Harry. Before Christmas he met firefighters in Camarillo and visited the Ventura Training Center of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, where formerly incarcerated men and women now battle blazes through CAL FIRE and the California Conservation Corps. During the height of the 2025 season the Salinas Fire Department shared an image of Harry with crews and therapy dogs Cruz and Taffy, who provided emotional support during the Los Angeles fires.
The visits underscore a strategic shift for Harry and Meghan, who recently rebranded their foundation from Archewell Foundation to Archewell Philanthropies, signaling a tighter focus on grantmaking and partnerships that strengthen community resilience and support frontline workers. Through the new entity the couple funded Watch Duty last year to expand delivery of verified, up-to-date information to both firefighters and residents under threat.
Living minutes from past burn zones in Montecito, the Sussexes have repeatedly aided local response: during the January 2025 L.A. fires they distributed food and supplies, met with firefighters and opened their home to evacuated friends. Months later Harry honored first responders at the Living Legends of Aviation ceremony, noting they “rise to the challenge every single time-yet we rarely get the chance to thank them.”
Sources told News Of Losangeles that both Harry and Meghan have spent considerable time listening to firefighters and were struck by how essential reliable, real-time information has become when neighborhoods and lives hang in the balance.
