Prince Harry has marked his first appearance of 2026 by spending time at Santa Barbara fire stations in California, where he learned about the realities of emergency response. Prince Harry joined John Mills, the co-founder and CEO of Watch Duty, to learn about brush trucks, rescue ATVs, and thermal search-and-rescue drones.
Archewell Philanthropies, the charitable foundation founded by Prince Harry and Meghan were supporters of Watch Duty during the LA fires in 2025. An Instagram post by Watch Duty read: “Firefighters shared that Watch Duty plays a huge role in their work, and we are proud to provide them with the best information. When seconds count, giving first responders access to clear, real-time insights can shape decisions that protect our neighbourhoods.”
Pictures show the Prince talking to first responders and taking a tour around the fire department, and observing the equipment.
The post continued: “We’re proud to partner with Archewell Philanthropies, early supporters of Watch Duty during the devastating LA fires in 2025, and excited to keep building support for firefighters on the front lines.”
Others commented that this was important work for Harry to showcase. One social media user wrote: “Seems like a great service. Happy to see the wonderful Prince Harry & Archewell Philanthropies supporting it.”
Another wrote: “This is fantastic! The Watch Duty app has been a great resource. I love seeing this collaboration.”
A third said: “Great collaboration!! Prince Harry, we love you!”
The Duke of Sussex, along with six other individuals, including musician Sir Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley, is suing publisher Associated Newspapers.
Associated Newspapers has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The case is Harry’s last major court battle with multiple tabloids, whom he has accused of intrusions on his private life.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
