Prince Harry did an “event” recently with California firefighters. That’s how it’s being framed by some American media, like we have a prince who does events and makes appearances, just like the left-behinds in the UK. Since moving to California, Harry has made frequent appearances with and on behalf of first-responders. Harry and Meghan attend Kevin Costner’s annual fundraiser for first-responders (especially firefighters) and Harry has done other events with local Sheriff’s offices and fire stations. His appearance this month was at a local Santa Barbara fire station, and he was highlighting the work of Watch Duty.

Prince Harry marked his first appearance of 2026 with a behind-the-scenes visit focused on wildfire response — a growing priority as fire seasons become longer and more intense.

Earlier this month, the Duke of Sussex visited Santa Barbara–area fire stations alongside Watch Duty co-founder and CEO John Mills, where firefighters walked him through the realities of emergency response, from brush trucks and rescue ATVs to thermal search-and-rescue drones. On the ground, first responders described how Watch Duty’s real-time wildfire mapping and alert app has become indispensable when fast-moving fires leave little room for hesitation or error.

The outing, which took place near his home in Montecito, where he lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, was first shared by Watch Duty on social media. “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 organization captioned the images.

PEOPLE has learned that both Harry and Meghan have spent time listening directly to firefighters and first responders about the mental, physical and logistical toll of increasingly severe wildfire seasons, and were particularly struck by how essential reliable, real-time information has become when lives and neighborhoods are at stake. The January outing was part of an ongoing effort to better understand how technology, trusted information and local expertise can work together to support those protecting communities during emergencies.

Through Archewell, the Duke and Duchess donated to Watch Duty amid the early days of the California wildfire crisis last year to help fund the organization’s work delivering verified, up-to-date information to firefighters and affected communities. The nonprofit’s model relies on trained volunteers, retired fire professionals and paid staff to vet information, rather than automated systems, a distinction firefighters say can be critical in rapidly evolving situations.

The Santa Barbara stop is one of several firefighter-focused visits for Harry in recent months. Ahead of Christmas, Harry spent time with firefighters in Camarillo, California, and visited the Ventura Training Center of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, where he met with formerly incarcerated men and women who now serve as firefighters battling California’s wildfires through CAL FIRE and the California Conservation Corps.

[From People]

This feels like something Harry has become really involved with the longer he lives in California. Those firefighters really like him too, they’re always eager to meet him and pose for photos. It makes me a bit emotional – he’s really embedded in the community, he really feels like a Californian now. But don’t you know, he’s “torn between two worlds!!” At least that’s what the royalists want to believe.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and John Mills, co-founder and CEO of Watch Duty, spent time in local Santa Barbara fire stations seeing the realities that go into emergency response: checking out brush trucks and rescue ATVs, as well as thermal search-and-rescue drones.… pic.twitter.com/ZmlExOcRwv

— Watch Duty (@watchdutyapp) January 15, 2026

Photos courtesy of Watch Duty’s social media, Avalon Red.